I was awake one morning early this past week. Something that has not happened in a long time. Surprisingly enough I feel rested enough to get up. To lie around and wait for the sun to come up feels like a total and utter waste of time. I sit behind my laptop and decide to get some quotes for the project.
I start on Facebook, do Google searches. You name it I did it. I ask all these questions on all the quotes. Some people just don’t understand what it is that I am asking for. Then I hear it again – Doubt is screaming in my ears. Am I not TOO specific? Is it not too early in the morning that I am not awake enough and cannot type properly? These are only a few of the questions that ran through my mind.
It feels like I am hitting the one brick wall after the other. As if things just don’t want to happen. Did I waste time AND money on this project? Did I get excited for nothing about this Divine Heavenly download that God gave me? I feel a bit deflated at times. At the point of just giving up.
Then I get the e-mail from someone. He can print the things for me the way I want it. No problem. Just not bigger than a certain size – which is perfect for me else it is too big. Again I sit with my hands in my hair in absolute unbelief. Can it be true? Is it really going to happen?
I confirm with him that I will finalise my designs this weekend. You see, it is month end here again AND end of year madness is starting to kick in. Everyone wants something of me. I like to refer to this feeling as Stukkie van der Merwe (an Afrikaans song that I have not really listened to in depth so I cannot tell you exactly what it is about….) – everyone wants a piece of something. Just quickly this and that.
I chat with someone else, she suggests that I do a catalogue. I think to myself – HOW? I wanted to have the things printed and then make a video to promote and market it in that manner. My goodness, I do not even know HOW MANY to make? What price am I going to charge? How much is it going to cost? What if I print too many and then I get stuck with things that I will have to use until the end of the world if it does not sell?
Die afgelope week was ek een oggend baie vroeg wakker. Iets wat lank laas gebeur het. Ek voel verbasend goed en besluit om op te staan. Om te lê en wag vir die son om op te kom is tyd mors. Ek skuif agter my rekenaar in en besluit om kwotasies te begin kry vir die projek.
Ek gaan op Facebook, doen ‘n Google search. Jy noem dit ek doen dit. Vra vir almal dit, dat en die volgende. Sommige mense verstaan glad nie wat ek vra nie en dan kom Twyfel weer en raas in my ore. Is ék nie TE spesifiek nie? Is dit nie te vroeg die oggend dat ek eintlik nog slaap en nie behoorlik kan tik nie? So gaan die vrae aan en aan.
Dit voel of ek baksteen muur na baksteen muur tref. Asof dinge net nie wil gebeur nie. Het ek nou wragties geld en tyd gemors met die projek? Het ek nou verniet myself opgewonde gemaak oor die Hemelse download wat die Here vir my gegee het? Ek voel so bietjie deflated die week. Gee so te sê moed op.
Dan kom die e-pos deur van iemand af – hy kan vir my die goed druk soos ek dit wil hê. Geen probleem nie. Net nie groter nie (wat ek nie wil hê nie want dis weer te groot). Ek sit weer met my hande in my hare van pure ongeloof. Kan dit waar wees? Gaan dit regtig gebeur?
Ek bevestig met hom dat ek my ontwerpe die naweek sal finaliseer. Jy sien dis mos weer maandeinde EN einde van die jaar madness wat begin manifesteer voel dit vir my. Ek is alweer soos Stukkie van der Merwe – almal wil ‘n stukkie hê. Net gou-gou dit en vinnig dat.
Ek praat met nog iemand, sy stel voor ek doen ‘n katalogus. Ek dink by myself – HOE? Ek wou die goed laat maak het en dan ‘n video maak en dit so bemark. Liewe aarde ek weet nie eens HOEVEEL om te laat maak nie? Watter prys vra ek? Hoeveel gaan dit my kos? Net nou sit ek met ‘n hoop goed en dan gaan ek dit gebruik tot die wederkoms as dit nie verkoop nie.
As the project reaches the end of its runway (gosh I had to Google this as I could not think what aanloopbaan was in English!). Anyway, as it reaches the end of the track, ready to take off, I hear this noise. Hectic loud noise. It is so loud I struggle to hear anything else. I keep quiet for a moment. Then I realise – it is Chaos and Doubt that is making this noise.
I am trying to ensure that I heard correctly. MUST I do what God has laid on my heart? Did I hear correctly? Is it not me getting carried away again with something that I enjoy doing? Am I not getting excited because it is something DIFFERENT to my day job?
Just as the pressure from Chaos and Doubt almost becomes too much for me, and I almost give up on everything, I HEAR God’s voice again. He sends me confirmation. The confirmation is in such a unique way like I have never experienced it before. It comes with two scriptures in three different messages. Both the scriptures overlap in the messages that I receive. I hope this makes sense what I am trying to say? Long and short – Message 1 had a scripture, then message 2 has the scripture from message 1 and another additional scripture. Lastly the third message had the second scripture from message 2 in it. How is that for a riddle? Almost like my mom’s bother’s wife’s aunt’s dog’s babysitter. (As I typed this, this just sounds better in Afrikaans, but I leave it here anyway, I am sure you understand what I am trying to say…).
Wow, if I ever wondered, well, now I know! It is what it is. It MUST be done! I MUST do this!! This is what God wants. As I work on my day job, it is as if God drops things into my spirit at regular intervals. I grab my dedicated note book and make notes as I receive it and then I continue with my day job. You know, the one that puts food on the table and pays the bond, that day job.
My goodness, I have NEVER in my life experienced something like this! It is a turmoil of STUFF. Do this, do that, make so and so…(that just sounds like a direct translation but I am leaving it here anyway as that is what my mind told me). It feels like I cannot stay ahead!! It is like I am receiving this absolute Divine Heavenly download. Things God is just GIVING me. The decision remains mine what I want to do with it. Do I ignore it or do I take the leap of faith?
I chat with Anri again. She suggests that this thing that I want to do, must not be bilingual together in one thing (it is very cryptic what I am trying to say, but you will see in the closing chapter what it all is about). It makes it look cluttered and just not pretty. I listen to her and agree. I thought I was saving time (and money) but actually, it will just destroy the whole effect to try and squash everything in.
While working on the project again, it is as if God shows me WHY He made the two ladies part of the project. You see, the one is Afrikaans and the other one English. It was not a deliberate decision before hand. It just happened.
Soos wat die projek die einde van sy aanloopbaan bereik en reg is om op te styg, hoor ek iets. ‘n Moewiese geraas. Jitte maar dit raas in my ore. Ek sit vir ‘n oomblik stil. Dan besef ek – dis Chaos en Twyfel wat so raas.
Ek maak seker ek het reg gehoor. MOET ek doen wat die Here op my hart lê? Het ek regtig reg gehoor? Is dit nie net ek wat weer carried away raak met iets wat vir my lekker is nie? Raak ek nie weer opgewonde omdat dit nou iets ANDERS is as my gewone daaglikse take nie?
Net soos wat ek amper ingee en swig onder die druk van Chaos en Twyfel (en amper opgee in die proses), HOOR ek weer die Here se stem. Hy stuur vir my bevestiging. Op so ‘n unieke manier wat ek nog nooit ervaar het nie. Die bevestiging kom in die vorm van 2 skrif verse in drie verskillende boodskappe. Die verse oorvleuel in die drie boodskappe wat ek ontvang.Ek hoop dit wat ek probeer sê maak sin. Lang en kort is – boodskap 1 het ‘n bepaalde vers gehad. Boodskap 2 het boodskap 1 se vers gehad en nog een. Boodskap 3 het boodskap 2 se nuwe vers wat nie in Boodskap 1 was nie in gehad. Hoe is daai nou vir ‘n riddle? Amper iets soos my man se vrou se tannie se man se kind se hond se kinderopasser.
Wow, as ek nou ooit gewonder het dan weet ek nou! Dis so! Ek MOET hierdie doen. Dis wat die Here wil hê. Soos wat ek werk aan my day job laat val die Here kort-kort goed in my gees. Ek gryp my dedicated notaboek en maak nota’s soos wat ek dit kry en dan gaan ek weer aan met my day job. Jy weet – die een wat die kos op die tafel sit en die verband betaal – daai day job.
Liewe aarde ek het nog nooit so iets in my lewe ervaar nie! Dis ‘n warboel van GOED. Doen dit, doen dat, maak so en so. Dit voel omtrent of ek nie kan voorbly nie! Dis soos hierdie Hemelse download wat die Here net GEE. Wat ek daarmee gaan doen is vir my om te besluit. Ignoreer ek dit of neem ek die geloofstap?
Ek gesels alweer met Anri. Sy stel voor dat dit wat ek doen nie saam tweetalig gedoen moet word nie (ek weet dis super kritpies hier maar in die slot hoofstuk sal jy beter verstaan waarvan ek praat). Dit maak dit cluttered en deurmekaar en lyk net nie mooi nie. Ek luister en stem in, ek het gedink ek spaar tyd (en geld) maar eintlik verwoes dit net die hele effek om alles in te probeer druk.
Soos wat ek weer aan die projek werk, is dit asof die Here vir my wys juis hoekom ek die twee dames deel gemaak het van die projek. Jy sien, die een is Afrikaans en die ander een Engels. Dit was nou glad nie vooraf besluit nie. Dit het net so gebeur.
Following my recent incident with technology, I felt that God laid something on my heart that must be done. Ok, it was actually laid on my heart BEFORE the incident with the laptop. But, I was VERY skeptical about this concept that He wants me to do, especially before the episode with the laptop. I shared it with two people who are close to my heart and they were almost more excited than what I was about this THING that God laid on my heart to do! Just like that, easy peazey lemon squeezyI had a team of two people who will help me to look at this project with critical eyes before the big launch.
You see, He is busy with a new season for me. I was unsure what it was, somedays I still feel unsure about the whole thing. But I can FEEL it. Deep in my spirit I can just FEEL it. I do not know how else to describe it other than this total and utter calmness inside of me, even if chaos is calling all round me.
It surely does not mean that I am suddenly all high & mighty and don’t panic at times about things. No, unfortunately I still have MOMENTS. But the MOMENTS do not rule my life. Not like before.
I start to work on the project, chat with selective people about that, because God’s instruction was to NOT share it with everyone, like I normally do. No, I must test the waters and ask a few people what they think about the concept and then work from there.
So it happened that I chat with Anri from Painted Lemons and I asked her to do the blog’s logo electronically. One thing leads to another and when I saw again she was part of the design and concept! Something I am so grateful for. You see, she has a very trained eye when it comes to designs and she is not scared to give her opinion at all.
I am very eager to learn and grab hold of any and all pieces of constructive criticism uttered. I make the changes systematically. She guided me so wonderfully during this process and gave me such precious advice about everything. From the design to the layout, ag just sommer about everything!
Each moment that I have, that is my own, is applied to this project. Week nights I work for short periods of time and this frustrates me for two reasons. The first one is that by the time I get round to doing this, I am so EXHAUSTED after laboring the whole day and everything that had to be done. The second one is the small amount of time that I have to do something but actually not doing anything you know?
Last weekend I sat pretty much the entire Sunday working on the project. Finally it is done! I am not sure if I should laugh or cry because this is it. It is DONE. I am finished with this, barely 2 or 3 weeks after I started this project. The project that felt so overwhelming and TOO MUCH at times, is finally finished. I am not sure how this is possible, but it is finished.
Na my onlange onderonsie met tegnologie het die Here dit op my hart gelê om iets te doen. Ok eintlik VOOR die rekenaar onderonsie was dit alreeds op my hart gelê. Maar, voor die rekenaar episode was ek maar BAIE skepties oor die konsep wat Hy wil hê ek moet doen. Ek het dit met twee mense na aan my gedeel en hulle was amper meer opgewonde as ek oor dit wat die Here op my hart gelê het om te doen! Net so, wiep wap mielie pap, het ek ‘n span van twee mense wat my help om met kritiese oë na die projek te kyk voor die groot launch.
Jy sien, Hy is besig met ‘n nuwe seisoen vir my. Ek was nie seker presies wat dit was nie, is deesdae steeds nie aldag seker nie. Maar ek kan dit VOEL. Hier binne in my gees VOEL ek dit! Ek weet nie hoe anders om dit te beskryf as hierdie ongelooflike kalmte binne my al roep chaos oral om my heen nie.
Dit beteken vir seker nie dat ek nou skielik all high & mighty is en nie panic by tye oor seker goed nie. Nee, ek het, ongelukkig nog OOMBLIKKE. Maar die OOMBLIKKE oorheers nie my lewe nie. Nie soos altyd nie.
Ek begin werk aan die projek, gesels met selektiewe mense, want, die Here het dit op my hart gelê om dit nie met ALMAL te deel soos wat ek gewoonlik doen nie. Nee, ek moet voelers uitsteek en paar mense vra wat hulle dink van die konsep en van daar af werk.
So gebeur dit dat ek met Anri van Painted Lemons gesels en haar vra om my logo elektronies te doen. One thing leads to another en toe ek weer sien trek ek haar in by my ontwerp! Iets waaroor ek bitter dankbaar is. Jy sien, sy het ‘n geoefende oog met ontwerp en is nie bang om haar opinie te gee nie.
Ek is gretig om te leer en gryp elke stukkie opbouende kritiek wat geuiter word aan en maak stelselmatig die veranderinge. Sy lei my so wonderlik in die proses en gee soveel waardevolle insette oor alles. Van die ontwerp tot die formaat, ag sommer net alles!
Elke liewe oomblik wat ek het, wat my eie tyd is, word aangewend tot die projek. Ek werk vir kort rukkies op weeksaande, wat my frustreer om twee redes – die eerste een is dat teen die tyd dat ek hierby uitkom is ek poegaai na die dag se werk en net alles wat gedoen moes word vir die betrokke dag. Die ander frustrasie is die min tyd wat ek het om iets te doen maar ook eintlik nie te doen nie jy weet?
Laas naweek sit ek omtrent die hele Sondag en werk aan die projek. Uiteindelik is ek klaar! Ek weet nie of ek moet lag of huil nie want dis nou so. Skaars 2 of 3 weke ná ek die taak aangepak het, wat so oorweldigend en net TE gevoel het, is dit klaar. Ek weet nie hoe dit moontlik is nie, maar dis klaar.
Last week I was trying to be super effective. You see with the computer crash the week before, I lost some valuable work time. The documents on the computer are not a big issue, although as time passes by, I realise what I needed and used – mostly templates and control sheets for internal use, thus not really affecting the work output. Although it affects me, as I feel lost without everything that I was used to using on that machine!
So Monday afternoon, I get on our treadmill and I decide today is the day that I am going to exercise WHILE watching some training videos. I could not go to the Cross Fit club as my children were ill. I had to do the responsible thing of being a mother and take care of them and put my own needs aside. You see, I realised that I NEED exercise to stay sane. For years I was praying to God to help me LOVE exercise. Guess what? He came through for me! Now I deter missing a week of exercise!
I am also one of those people who like to think I am effective. A scenario such as the one from last Monday is a typical one. If I can exercise WHILE doing something to take my mind off the walking on the Treadmill, well, then I do it!
I decide to start climbing the mountain of Ethics training that is literally lying in front of me like Mount Everest. You see, since signing up in September, I have not really left the base camp as yet. I try to do what needs to be done and then some or another snow storm hits, forcing me back to pretty much where I started.
I spent a good 30 minutes or so on the treadmill, reading through the first four weeks’ worth of documents that have to be completed and tended to on a weekly basis. Of course I did not do this – complete them as they should have been done. But at least I READ them. That is a start. Now my brain knows what to expect.
Again I had eye-rolling moments reading through the content. I was thinking to myself, how can people not know this? Why do people have to have ethics training? Is it not something that just happens? Well clearly not! I realised that these documents are meant for trainees too – not only for people such as myself with 20+ years experience in the field (now I sound OLD if I look at the number of years’ experience I have…).
Young adults entering our business world, who may not have been brought up in an ethical environment. That is why the layout is the way that it is. I should not roll my eyes at it but rather just roll with it if this makes sense? Just do it, even if I KNOW it, just do it. That is the requirement.
One of the documents catch my eye – learning to say No. This is interesting. A skill I am yet to master. Something I personally struggle with. I read through it and realise that my eye-rolling moments for week one’s training notes should be withdrawn. I can benefit more from this than what I realise!
I then start to watch one of the videos – one of the first ones where Hettie Brittz speaks. I only get up to about 5 minutes into the video and then my time is up. I have to finish on the Treadmill and start supper….immediately regret takes over. I should not have spent all that time reading through the documents! I should have watched the videos!
But, now I know how I am going to take on Mount Ethics. One step at a time and where needed, I will use the Treadmill to burn some calories that accumulated during the day from all the coffee that I had while slaving away behind my laptop.
I just also HAVE to mention – while doing this training, I did NOT set up my laptop next to the treadmill! No – I used my phone. Probeta was so kind enough to design an Application that can be used on phones and tablets to assist you on the go, literally like I did while walking on the treadmill…with this being said, one really does not have any excuse for not doing this training!Make a plan man!
I also decided somewhere through this post to not blog this one in Afrikaans. You see, the heading Training while training will just not be as catchy and effective in Afrikaans….Opleiding tydens oefening just does not sound right to me!
Watch out for the next blog post about this Mountain that all CA’s in South Africa are trying to climb! You might just get some tips and tricks or even motivation to start the process and just do it…
I survived THE CRASH. Not a car crash or a plane crash. A computer crash. Yes you read correctly – for the second time in my life as a business owner, this has happened.
The first time was 15 years ago and let me tell you, I did not deal with it like I did now. I was upset and crying the whole time. Wasting precious time and energy on something that was out of my control.
This time it was different. It was a new laptop, 3 months old. No work data lost, but other personal and business data (that I decided to store electronically on my C: due to the sensitivity of the information) was lost.
Yet, all was not lost if this makes sense? My e-mails are on a web based platform, so I only lost really old e-mails from longer than 4 years ago. Let me rather say, I cannot access them now. This is probably ok as the information is not necessarily relevant you know?
All the business documents are on e-mail on the web, I just have to locate them again and save them like I used to. Fill in the gaps from when I got the new computer to now. Long and short is I can work around it. It is a pain, but it can be done. My biggest frustration? Not being able to work for 3 days while trying to recover data, setting up on another laptop…..trying to remember links, etc.
I told the people that work for me I feel like I started a new job! I am there, earning a salary but not contributing to pay the salary. I felt lost, hopeless with no one to guide me as to what to do!
This whole week a song has been playing in my mind. Matthew West’s Brand New. I could not understand WHAT God was trying to tell me with this song? If you listen to the words, it is more applicable, in my opinion, to someone that has just turned their life around.
I then felt deep in my spirit God pressing on my heart so many things I have been praying about for so long. Things that He says MUST happen. Things that I was doubting on whether I HEARD correctly. He sends me 2 verses confirming something that must be done, one verse overlapping in two messages if that makes sense? I got three messages, coincidently the second one I received, had both verses on.
When I realised that the laptop was crashing I prayed for it. I anointed it. I bound the work of the devil, because I thought it was him trying to stop me from doing what God had laid on my heart to do. I just did not grab the garlic to keep the vampires away (as some myths teach people)…. I was frustrated but calm at the same time. Never in my life had I been this calm about something as big as this. Remember – this is my WORK LIFE that is going up in smoke so to speak!
But, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that God allowed this to happen. He created order for me because He saw that I could not create it! You see, I had a system on Outlook. It worked wonderfully for me, or so I thought. But that system that I had was actually driving me into the ground, causing me to not function efficiently!
I was in such a daze feeling overwhelmed all of the time, that I was still operating in 2020 mode to some extent. Doing what I had to do to survive….not really winning and making progress. I have to laugh at God’s sense of humour! He is now forcing me to write on a piece of paper again, especially work stuff.I always had lists, but my lists got lists. Things were written on little pieces of paper, post it notes, scrap paper. They were there but all over the show. Everywhere! Name it and it had a list on it!
You see, what I realised was, we are so dependent on technology to create order, that when technology fails us, we are lost. The Boxwood tree that I am felt LOST and out of control. I feel God’s Spirit pressing on my heart to just LISTEN to what He wants me to do. “Create order the way I taught you long ago” I hear the whisper in my soul. “Write it down, mark it off when done. Stay focused on what you need to do when your time to do it is there.”
Suddenly I realise WHY the song was playing around in my head this whole week. It is because God wants to make something new. He is making me new on different levels in places that I did not know I had to be fixed and made new.
He’s making you new….He is making you brand new! I hear the words turn and turn in my mind. “I know God. I understand.” is my answer. Here is to the newness being created! May God’s name be glorified always, especially in all that He has pressed on my heart to do.
Ek het die crash oorleef. Nie ‘n voertuig crash of vliegtuig crash nie. Nee. My rekenaar se crash. Ja jy lees korrek – die rekenaar. Ek weet eerlik waar nie wat klink beter in Afrikaans as net plein weg crash nie….vir die tweede keer in my lewe as ‘n besigheidseienaar gebeur so iets.
Die eerste keer was 15 jaar gelede en laat ek jou vertel, ek het NIE dit hanteer soos wat ek nou dit hanteer het nie. Ek was ontsteld en het die HELE TYD gehuil! Kosbare tyd en energie vermors op goed wat BUITE my beheer was.
Die keer was anders. Dis ‘n nuwe skootrekenaar (hoe hou jy van die suiwer Afrikaans vir Laptop?), skaars 3 maande oud. Geen werkdata verloor nie, maar ander persoonlike en besigheidsdata (wat ek ewe slim besluit het om op my C: te stoor a.g.v. die sensitiwiteit van die inligting) is verlore.
Maar tog was als nie verlore nie, as dit sin maak? My e-posse is op ‘n web-gebasseerde platvorm, so ek het eintlik net BAIE OU e-posse verloor van langer as so 4 jaar terug. Laat ek eerder sê ek het nie toegang tot dit huidiglik nie. Dis seker ok want daardie inligting is nie regtig relevant nie jy weet?
Al die besigheidsdokumente is op e-pos op die web, ek moet dit net weer gaan soek en stoor soos ek altyd gedoen het. Die gapings opvul van wanneer ek die nuwe rekenaar gekry het tot nou toe. Lang en kort is, ek KAN om dit werk. Dis ‘n pyn in die nek maar dit kan gedoen word! My grootste frustrasie? Om vir 3 dae nie te kan werk nie terwyl ons data probeer afhaal van die ander rekenaar af, opstel op ‘n ander rekenaar, internet skakels van plekke wat ek gebruik vir werk probeer onthou en weer book mark op die internet, ens.
Ek vertel vir die mense wat vir ons werk, dit voel of ek ‘n nuwe werk begin het! Ek is hier, verdien ‘n salaris maar doen NIKS om by te dra om die salaris te betaal nie! Ek het omtrent verlore en magteloos gevoel, sonder enige iemand om my in ‘n rigting te stuur oor wat om te doen.
Hierdie hele week speel daar ‘n liedjie in my kop. Matthew West se Brand New. Ek kon nie verstaan WAT God vir my probeer vertel met die liedjie nie? As jy na die woorde luister, is dit, in my opinie, meer van toepassing op iemand wat hul lewe onlangs na Jesus gedraai het.
Diep binne in my gees voel ek die Here druk op my hart om dinge te doen waaroor ek vir so lank al bid. Dinge wat Hy sê MOET gebeur. Dinge waaroor ek getwyfel het oor of ek REG GEHOOR het oor wat om te doen. Hy stuur vir my 2 verse as bevestiging. Maar die een vers oorvleuel oor twee boodskappe as dit nou sin maak? Ek het 3 verskillende boodskappe by verskillende mense gekry en een van die boodskappe, toevallig die tweede een, het beide verse in gehad.
Toe ek besef wat besig was om te gebeur met die rekenaar, begin ek bid. Ek salf die ding. Ek bind die werke van die vyand, want ek het gedink dit was hy wat my probeer keer om te doen wat die Here op my hart gelê het om te doen. Ek het net nie die knoffel gebruik om die vampiere weg te hou nie (soos wat sommige mites mense probeer wysmaak)…..ek was gefrustreerd maar kalm op dieselfde tyd. Ek was nog nooit so kalm oor iets voorheen in my lewe soos wat ek die week was nie. Onthou nou – die is ‘n GROOT ding – dis my WERK LEWE wat in rookwalms opgaan voel dit vir my!
Maar, hoe meer ek oor dit dink, hoe meer besef ek dat God toegelaat het dat dit gebeur! Hy het orde vir my kom skep, want Hy het gesien ek kry dit nie reg nie! Jy sien, ek het hierdie sisteem op Outlook gehad. Dit het fantasties vir my gewerk, of so het ek gedink. Maar daardie sisteem was eintlik besig om my in die grond in te boor wat veroorsaak het dat ek nie effektief kon funksioneer nie.
Ek het steeds meerderheid van die tyd oorweldig gevoel en in ‘n dwaal….ek het steeds gehandel soos ek gedoen het in 2020 tot ‘n mindere mate. Gedoen wat ek moes om te oorleef maar nie regtig mylpale gehaal en vordering gemaak nie! Ek moet sê ek geniet nogal die Here se sin vir humor! Hy forseer my nou om op papier te skryf, veral werksgoed….ek het voorheen lysies gemaak. Maar my lysies het lysies begin kry en dit was net oral….op klein papiertjies, post it notes, ou papier. Noem dit en dit het ‘n lysie van een of ander aard op gehad!
Jy sien, wat ek besef het was, ons is so afhanklik van tegnologie om orde te skep en wanneer tegnologie ons faal, dan is ons verlore. Die Sierboom wat ek is het VERLORE gevoel en buite beheer. Ek voel hoe die Here se Gees op my hart druk om net te LUISTER wat Hy wil hê ek moet doen. “Skep orde op die manier hoe ek jou geleer het, lank terug reeds.” hoor ek die fluistering in my siel. “Skryf dit neer, merk dit af as dit klaar is. Bly gefokus op wat jy moet doen wanneer dit tyd is om die taak te doen.”
Skielik besef ek HOEKOM die liedjie die heeltyd in my kop maal hierdie week. Dis omdat God iets nuuts wil doen. Hy is besig om my te vernuwe op verskillende vlakke wat ek nie geweet het verbetering en vernuwing nodig het nie.
He’s making you new….He is making you brand new! Hoor ek die woorde draai en draai in my gedagtes. “Ek weet Here. Ek verstaan.” is my antwoord. Hier is op die vernuwing wat besig is om te gebeur! Mag God se naam ALTYD verheerlik word, veral dit wat Hy op my hart druk om te doen.
God has laid it on my heart for a while now to make this entry. At the Adorned camp that I attended beginning of September, I chatted with someone about my ability to write. As I was talking to her, the words just came out as to how it started that I could write. For those of you who do not know about the camp, read the post about Heart, Heartbeat, Rhythm.
Ok, so back to my story that I told on the camp. I spoke with Lynn Grobler from Journaling on the Way. I mentioned to her that I am convinced that my background for my work and the training that I did, gave me the advantage to be able to write. She was quite surprised when she heard that. This, together with the fact that I think my mom had this hidden talent to write and that I inherited it from her enables me to write the way that I do.
You see, my mom wrote to each of her three daughters a very personal letter on our 21st birthdays. This was so special and precious to me. We never had conversations like these in real life. It was more reduced to writing if I remember correctly. As time went on it changed to sms messages, e-mails and Whatsapps. Not always DEEP things, but things that were just dealt with easier in writing than verbally – if this makes sense what I am trying to say.
So my training as a Trainee Accountant taught me that my files should speak for themselves. Any audit file, must be able to stand on its own two feet, so to speak, without me uttering any words whatsover about that file. The file must be able to tell the reader, one with reasonable knowledge and background, why I did the tests I did and why I made the professional conclusions that I did.
There I go again sounding like an Audit Standard!! But I took this very seriously. My files can, at any time, be subject to review by the professional bodies that I belong to. Because of this, I took it very serious! Things must be done right the first time around! I also did the training to ensure that I remain relevant and up to date with changes, and also because my qualification required me to do, what felt like endless hours of training, annually.
When I started my own practice, I searched for more training. I was now the responsible person, the partner. I must ensure that everything is correct. You know what a mammoth task that is and how much uncertainty that creates within oneself? None-the-less, I found Probeta to assist with training. I often attend their training sessions, all of those which I consider to be relevant to my practice. I must admit, this too gave me the advantage that enabled me to write – the training that I received from them.
The institution to which I belong, SAICA, changed the rules surrounding training in 2020. Thank goodness for this, as this was just before the Pandemic hit the world and everything was left in turmoil! It makes life so much easier, even if we all were uncertain as to what to do and how it works. As soon as you embrace change, then it no longer overwhelms you. What I also learnt over time, is, if you are teachable then you get so much further in life. But, if you go through life Knowing it all then it gets hard. No one can teach you anything if you do not WANT to learn!
In 2021 the rules changed YET AGAIN. This time the requirement is Continuous Ethical Training over a 12 month period. Yes, I admit, I rolled my eyes at this change. I mean SERIOUSLY. Just ANOTHER thing to fit into a schedule that is already so busy and overflowing with STUFF to do. And ethics of all things? Do we as CA’s REALLY have to learn about being ethical? It is burnt into my heart to ALWAYS try to do the right thing, even if no one is watching. I still cannot understand people who do not think the way I do and act the way I do. Anyway….
This whole year, since the changes came into effect, I have been postponing this ethics thing purely because of the uncertainty surrounding it and what it entails. Probeta sends an e-mail about a twelve month program that they host and it meets the requirements of SAICA. I read the marketing material and decide THIS is what I am going to do! I am not even going to TRY to do anything continuous on my own as it is more than likely to end up in anEPIC FAIL. Recovering from that is just going to create more issues!
I also decide to take the best option that they present, the one that goes into depth about your character. I am, after all the boss and I have to KNOW things so that I can train others. I am not even going to waste my time with the first option, not that it is a waste of time if you get what I am trying to say? I need the hard core stuff you know? If I can refer to it like that!
After signing up, a month passes by before I get going with this program. Ok, three weeks after signing up, towards end of September. I start working through the material and deep inside my spirit I feel this excitement awakening in me! Seriously WHO gets excited about TRAINING of all things?
The theme? Authentic journalling. My husband laughs and says it sounds like something that woman would love to do. I roll my eyes at his comment and decide to just proceed. I committed to this thing so I have to do it. If I don’t then I am no longer valid with SAICA. I do my Tall Trees Analysis – the one where your character is identified as a certain type of tree, based on Hettie Brittz’s books Growing kids with character.
I receive my analysis back and read through it. I stand in awe and amazement of the feedback. It summarises my personality and character to the point. It is as if Hettie was sitting opposite me, doing an interview with me and summarised me in person. I go back to my report from 2019 and see that my profile has changed. “This is strange.” I think to myself. I contact Lynette Berger from Probeta via e-mail. Half concerned and amazed at the same time.
Her feedback? One’s profile can change and that is why they recommend that you do this regularly to ensure that you get to know yourself and know how to deal with certain situations that you may encounter. I start to wonder by myself WHY my profile would have changed. The answer? The Pandemic. The Pandemic that changed EVERYTHING and ALL of our lives.
This afternoon (yes on a Saturday afternoon) I watch the introductory video of Authentic journalling and as she speaks and explains things, so many more things start to make sense to me and how my blog entries actually take form and get life so to speak. You see, for me, the words start turning and moving around in my head. The concept begins THERE as a thought. But, if I do not write it out, it becomes cluttered in my brain.
It is usually then that one starts to feel overwhelmed and then you end up just staring at your computer screen not knowing WHERE to start. BUT, if you start to just make a list of what to do, you channel your thoughts into written format. Lynette describes so many things so wonderfully in that video – for those of you who have to do ethical training, it is worth the watch and you will understand what I am saying here better.
But do you know what my problem is? My lists get lists for the lists of lists of things that have to be done. Yes, you may laugh, but we ALL have lists for lists!! As Lynette describes it, the written form is the physical manifestation of something that was in your thoughts or, as I also refer to it, within your spirit.
I realise now that, 2020 was one HUGE challenge for me. I am still trying to catch up work from 2020. You see, the Boxwood tree that I am, does not like it when things are out of control. So the Pandemic just did not work for me – everything felt out of control. You get to a point where you just do the BARE MINIMUM. But the bare minimum does not necessarily fall within the quadrant that makes you function optimally.
“Quadrant?” you ask. “Yes” is my answer, “quadrant”. Lynette explains in her video that you spend your time on stuff that can be categorised into four quadrants. For those of you who have NO IDEA what I am talking about – take a page and split it into four parts. Draw a line from the top to the bottom (in the middle of the page) and again from left to right, also in the middle of the page. Each block presents a quadrant…..
Each block has a name. It is one of four – Important & urgent, Important & not urgent, Not important & urgent and lastly Not important & not urgent. If your time spent falls into the last two quadrants, it usually means that chaos rules in your life.This I can confirm – is how 2020 was for me. I was more worried about the washing that was busy piling up and the house that I almost HEARD getting dirty as everyone moved around, than what I was about getting work done. I just could not function.
God has helped me to create order by journaling on this platform. Of course there are MANY things I cannot blog about, because it is just too personal to share with the whole world. What I also realised is that, if you do not make time to share your thoughts and emotions with God in a written format, you are actually exposing yourself to gossip.
Yes, you read correctly. We all fail at some stage – we tell something quickly about something that someone did. If you do not guard against this, it becomes gossip. I realise now, that, I have to journal even more frequently to channel my thoughts, which Lynette also describes as energy, and get it out of my system so that it does not make my heart turn black and bad. I know emotions are energy and do emotions not arise from thoughts? Actually, we as human beings, are one bundle of energy that needs to be channeled correctly.
Only once we get to that point, then God can use us truly what we were placed on this earth to do. Until such time we will remain like waves in the ocean being tossed around by the wind….the long and short of a not so short post? Go an channel your energy so that you can use it in a positive manner! I am so excited about the journey that God is taking me on. I am excited about this training, because I know that I will come out the other side as a changed person.
All the glory be to God always! He gives us the talents to serve others and to help them and lead them to Him. We must sow the seeds and when the time is right, the Holy Spirit will give it water and it will germinate in the people’s lives in whom we have sown seed.
Die Here het al lank dit op my hart gelê om hierdie inskrywing te maak. Op die Adorned kamp wat ek begin September bygewoon het, het ek met iemand gesels en soos wat ek praat, kom die woorde net uit oor hoe dit gebeur dat ek kan skryf. Vir diegene wat nie weet van die kamp nie, gaan lees gerus die inskrywing oor Heart, Heartbeat, Rhythm.
Goed, so terug by die storie wat ek op die kamp vertel het. Ek het met Lynn Grobler van Journaling on the Way gesels. Ek noem toe vir haar dat ek oortuig is dat my werksagtergrond my die voorsprong gee om te kan skryf. Sy was nogals verbaas toe ek dit gesê het. Dit, saam met die feit dat, ek dink my ma ‘n hidden talent gehad het om te skryf en ek dit by haar geërf het….
Jy sien, my ma het vir ons drie dogters elkeen op ons 21steverjaarsdae, briewe geskryf. Dit was vir my so mooi en spesiaal, want, ons het nooit sulke gesprekke in lewende lywe gehad nie. Dit was meer in skrif gekommunikeer as ek nou reg kan onthou. Later het gesprekke ontaard in sms boodskappe, e-posse, Whatsapps. Nie noodwendig DIEP goed altyd nie, maar goed wat net vir my persoonlik makliker is om te hanteer in skrif as in lewende lywe – as dit nou sin maak wat ek hier probeer sê.
Goed, so my opleiding as ‘n Leerlingrekenmeester, het my geleer dat, my leêr vir homself moet praat. Sonder dat ek as mens ‘n woord uiter, moet my oudit leêr op sy eie twee spreekwoordelike voete kan staan. Hy moet vir die gebruiker, wat redelike kennis en agtergrond het, kan verduidelik wat my professionele opinie was en hoekom ek sekere toetse uitgevoer het en gevolgtrekkings gemaak het.
Ai, daar klink ek nou amper soos ‘n Oudit Standaard!! Maar ek het dit baie ernstig opgeneem. Omdat my leêrs ook nagesien kan word deur die professionele instansies waaraan ek behoort, het ek die erns van die saak gesien. Goed moet reg gedoen word die eerste keer! Ek het ook opleiding gedoen om te verseker dat ek relevant en op datum bly, en ook omdat my kwalifikasies hope en hope ure se opleiding elke jaar vereis het.
Toe ek my eie praktyk begin, het ek nog meer opleiding opgesoek, want nou was EK die vennoot. EK moet sorg dat alles reg is! Weet jy watter groot taak is dit en hoeveel onsekerheid skep dit? Nie te min, so kom ek by Probeta uit wat opleiding aanbetref. Ek woon gereeld hul sessies by wat van toepassing is op my praktyk en ek moet sê, DIT het my ook die voorsprong gegee om te kan skryf. Die opleiding wat ek ontvang het.
Die instansie waaraan ek behoort, SAICA, het, genadiglik in 2020 die reëls rondom opleiding verander – net op die regte tyd want dit was net voor die Pandemie alles omver kom gooi het. Dit maak die lewe vir seker makliker, alhoewel ons almal onseker was oor wat om te doen en hoe dit werk. Sodra jy verandering embrace dan is dit nie meer so oorweldigend nie.Wat ek ook geleer het met tyd is, as jy teachable is of leerbaar, dan kom jy baie verder in die lewe as wanneer jy deur die lewe gaan met ‘n alomwetende uitkyk. Niemand kan jou leer as jy nie geleer WIL word nie….
In 2021 verander die reëls ALWEER…die keer is die vereiste Continuous Ethical Training oor 12 maande. Ja, ek erken, ek het my oë gerol. Want wragties. Net NOG iets om in te pas in ‘n propvol skedule. En ethics van alle dinge? Moet ons CA’s REGTIG geleer word om eties op te tree? Dis ingebrand in my hart in om ALTYD die regte ding te probeer doen, al kyk niemand nie. Ek kan regtig nooit ander mense verstaan as hulle nie soos ek dink en optree nie. Nie te min.
So stel ek die heel jaar uit om die taak te begin en dis bloot oor die onsekerheid wat heers rondom dit. Probeta stuur ‘n e-pos oor ‘n twaalf maande program wat hulle aanbied wat aan SAICA se vereistes voldoen. Ek lees hul bemarking en besluit dat DIT is wat ek gaan doen. Ek gaan nie self oor 12 maande eers PROBEER om hierdie continuous ding aan te pak nie. Ek weet sommer op my eie gaan ek op my gesig val en dan is dit ‘n storie en ‘n half om dit reg gestel te kry.
Ek besluit toe om vir die heel beste opsie te gaan wat hul aanbied, die een wat in diepte ingaan. Ek is mos die baas en ek moet goed WEET sodat ek ander kan oplei, so dit help nie eens ek mors my tyd met die eerste opsie nie. Nie dat dit tydmors is nie, ek glo jy verstaan wat ek bedoel. Ek het die grof geskud nodig jy weet? As ek nou so daarna kan verwys!
Nou ja, een maand na ek opgeteken het vir die program, kom ek uiteindelik aan die gang. Ok, drie weke na dit, einde September. Ek begin dit aanpak en diep binne in my gees begin ek opgewonde raak oor opleiding. Seriously WIE raak opgewonde oor OPLEIDING van alle dinge?
Die tema? Authentic journalling. My man lag en sê dit klink soos iets wat vroumense van sal hou om te doen. Ek rol my oë en besluit om net aan te gaan, ek het mos nou commit tot die ding en ek moet dit doen, anders is ek nie geldig by SAICA nie. Ek doen my Tall Trees Analysis – die analise van jou karakter omgeskakel in die bome se formate gebasseer op Hettie Brittz se boeke Kweek kinders met karakter.
Ek kry my analise terug, lees deur die verslag en staan verstom. Dit som my op, tot op die punt. Dis asof Hettie oorkant my gesit het en ‘n onderhoud met my gevoer het en my opgesom het. Ek gaan terug na my verslag van 2019 en sien dat my profiel verander het. “Dis vreemd.” dink ek by myself. Ek kontak Lynette Berger van Probeta dadelik per e-pos. Half bekommerd en verbaas op dieselfde tyd.
Haar terugvoer? Mens se profiel kan verander en daarom dat jy dit gereeld moet doen om seker te maak jy ken jouself en weet hoe om werksituasies te hanteer. Ek begin toe redeneer by myself HOEKOM my profiel sou verander. Die antwoord? Die Pandemie. Die Pandemie en alles wat saam met dit gaan het ALMAL se lewens kom verander.
Vanmiddag (ja op ‘n Saterdagmiddag) kyk ek die inleidingsvideo van die Authentic journalling en soos wat sy praat en goed verduidelik, begin soveel meer goed sin maak vir my en hoe my blog inskrywings vorm vat en realiseer. Jy sien, vir my, begin die woorde rond draai in my kop. Die konsep begin DAAR as ‘n gedagte. Maar, as ek nie die gedagte neerpen nie, dan begin dit cluttered raak in my brein.
Dis dan gewoonlik wanneer mens oorweldig begin voel en dan net vir jou rekenaar se skerm begin staar en eintlik nie weet waar om te begin nie. MAAR, as jy begin om ‘n lysie te maak van dit wat gedoen moet word, kanaliseer jy jou gedagtes in geskrewe vorm. Lynette beskryf soveel goed so mooi in daardie video – vir die wat moet etiese opleiding doen, gaan kyk gerus, dan sal jy beter verstaan.
Maar weet jy wat is my probleem? My lysies begin lysies kry vir lysies van lysies se lysies wat gedoen moet word. Ja, lag lekker, ons ALMAL het lysies vir lysies! Soos Lynette dit noem, die geskrewe vorm is die fisiese manifestasie van iets wat in jou gedagtes was, of soos ek ook daarna verwys, in my gees.
Ek besef ook nou, dat 2020 vir my een GROOT uitdaging was. Ek haal nou nog werk in van 2020. Jy sien, vir ‘n Sierboompie, dis nou ek, WERK iets soos ‘n Pandemie net GLAD nie. Alles voel buite beheer. Jy kom op ‘n punt dat jy NET DIE NODIGSTE doen. Maar net die nodigste, val nie noodwendig in die kwadrant wat dit moet wees vir jou om as mens optimaal te kan funksioneer nie.
“Kwadrant?” vra jy nou. “Ja” is my antwoord, “kwadrant”. Lynette verduidelik in haar video dat jou tyd wat jy spandeer aan goed in vier kwadrante opgedeel kan word. Vir die wat nou heeltemal verlore is, vat ‘n bladsy en deel hom op in vier. Trek ‘n lyn in die middel van die bladsy van bo na onder en weer in die middel van die bladsy van links na regs. Een blokkie is ‘n kwadrant….
Elke blokkie het ‘n naam. Dis een van vier – Belangrik & dringend, Belangrik & nie-dringend, Nie-belangrik & dringend en laastens Nie-belangrik & nie-dringend nie. As jou tyd in een van die laaste twee kwadrante val, dan heers daar gewoonlik chaos in jou lewe. Hierdie kan ek beaam – dis hoe 2020 vir my was. Ek het meer bekommer oor die wasgoed wat gaan ophoop as om werk te doen en die huis wat ek kon HOOR vuil word soos wat almal rond beweeg elke dag. Ek kon net nie funksioneer nie.
Met die dat ek op my manier journal op hierdie platvorm, het die Here my gehelp om orde te skep. Natuurlik is daar BAIE goed waaroor ek nie kan blog nie, want dis net te persoonlik om met die hele wêreld te deel. Wat ek ook besef het, is dat as jy nie andersins tyd maak om dit met die Here te deel in skriftelike formaat nie, jy jouself eintlik maar blootstel aan skinder en bespreking.
Ja, jy het reg gelees. Ons almal faal gereeld – ons vertel net gou-gou ietsie van iemand wat ietsie gedoen het. As jy nie waak nie, word dit skinder. Ek besef nou, dat, ek nog meer gereeld gaan moet journal om hierdie gedagtes, wat Lynette ook as energie beskryf, uit te kanaliseer, sodat dit nie my hart verswart nie. Ek weet emosies is energie en kom emosies nie maar uit gedagtes uit nie? Eintlik is ons mense net een groot bondel energie wat reg gekanaliseer moet word.
Eers as ons op daardie punt kom, kan die Here ons werklik gebruik waarvoor Hy ons op aarde geplaas het. Tot dan, is ons maar soos golfies wat rond gewaai word deur die wind….lang en die kort van hierdie nie so kort inskrywing? Gaan kanaliseer jou energie sodat jy dit positief kan gebruik!! Ek is ongelooflik opgewonde oor hierdie reis wat die Here my op het. Ek is opgewonde oor hierdie opleiding, want ek weet, na dit, kan ek nie anders as om changed (dit klink net beter hier in Engels) anderkant uit te stap nie.
Alle eer kom altyd na God toe. Hy gee ons die gawes om ander te kan bedien en te help en te lei na Hom toe. Ons moet die saad saai, en wanneer die tyd reg is, sal die Heilige Gees dit water gee en dan sal dit ontkiem in die mense in wie se lewens ons saad gesaai het.
I am super excited to announce and launch the new electronic logo of this blog. What started as a concept God changed so beautifully to the final product that you see here for me to use on this platform.
When you compare the one I drew in March by hand with the one that is electronically, done by Anri Erasmus from Painted Lemons, you will clearly note the differences.
As I was chatting with her about the logo and listening to her opinion about what works and what does not work, I realise yet again that you start with something. In your mind you have this set idea of what it must look like and you write it down. As time progresses, you realise that the concept will NEVER represent the final product. That is why you call it a concept.
God dropped in my spirit that, even though my first attempt was from my hand, the final product, the electronic logo, is out of His hand. This is what He wants for me. He showed me that I captured what He wanted in the logo but now it is time to change.
The colour pink is there, not in the form of a heart-shaped leaf, but in the writing. The softness that He created a woman with simmers through in this logo. The green leaves that are heart-shaped, represents a plant that I have on my desk. If not mistaken, it is called a String of Hearts. It was one of my mom’s favourite plants…..
On the original logo I had a THING, I have no idea to describe WHAT I tried to do there. The twirley-whirley flower like THING. Whilst chatting with Anri, I realised that this THING was a place-holder for the scripture from Proverbs that God gave me for this blog.
Remember, I only received the scripture in September while the logo was drawn and designed in March already. I compare the two logo’s again. Both are beautiful in their own unique way. Each one represents what God had showed me. The final product is gorgeous and stunning, I cannot stop looking at it! I am like a little girl with a new Barbie doll. I just want to use it on everything and want to show the world the beauty captured in that logo. I am super excited about everything that God is showing me of what is to come!
It is big and overwhelming! I am taking it day-by-day and step-by-step. This elephant I am going to tackle with great pleasure – piece-by-piece and day-by-day. I hope that those who are reading this article, also enjoy the beauty of the logo as much as I do.
Super opgewonde deel ek die elektroniese logo van hierdie blad. Wat begin het as ‘n konsep het die Here so mooi omgeskakel in elektroniese formaat om op hierdie platform te kan gebruik.
As jy kyk na die een wat ek met die hand geteken het in Maart en dit vergelyk met die elektroniese een wat Anri Erasmus van Painted Lemons vir my gedoen het, sal jy die verskille duidelik opmerk.
Soos wat ek met haar gesels oor die logo en sy haar opinie en mening gee, besef ek net weer dat mens met iets begin. In jou kop is dit hoe dit gaan lyk en jy pen dit neer. Maar soos wat tyd aangaan, besef jy net weer dat die konsep NOOIT die finale produk kan voorstel nie. Dis hoekom dit ‘n konsep is.
Die Here laat val in my gees dat, alhoewel die eerste een my poging uit my hand was, die finale een wat nou elektronies is, uit Sy hand is en dat dit is hoe Hy dit vir my wil hê. Hy wys vir my dat ek vasgelê het wat Hy daar wou gehad het en dat dit tyd is om te verander.
Die pienk is wel daar, nie in ‘n blaartjie nie, maar in die skrif. Die sagtheid waarmee Hy ‘n vrou geskep het syfer deur op die prentjie. Die groen blare wat hartjie-vormig is, verteenwoordig ‘n plant wat ek op my lessennaar het. Hulle noem hom ‘n String of Hearts as ek dit nie mis het nie. Dit was een van my ma se gunsteling plante….
Op die oorspronklike logo het ek ‘n blommetjie-rige krulletjie-rige ding (ek weet eintlik nie WAT ek probeer het nie) ingesit. Soos wat ek met Anri gesels het, besef ek dat die voorwerp wat ek ingesit het, ‘n plekhouer was vir die Skrif wat die Here vir my gegee het.
Onthou nou, die skrif het eers in September na my gekom terwyl die oorspronklike logo in Maart reeds geteken was. Ek vergelyk weer die twee logo’s. Elkeen uniek en mooi op hul manier. Elkeen verteenwoordig wat die Here vir my gewys het. Die finale produk is fantasties, pragtig verby en ek kan nie ophou kyk nie. Ek is soos ‘n dogtertjie met ‘n nuwe Barbie pop. Ek wil net die logo gebruik op alles en wys vir almal en net super opgewonde raak oor alles wat die Here in my gees laat val oor wat nog gaan kom.
Dis groot en oorweldigend! Ek vat dit dag vir dag en stap vir stap. Hierdie olifant gaan ek met gemoedsrus aanpak stukkie-vir-stukkie en dag-vir-dag. Ek hoop jy wat hier lees geniet die logo se mooi so baie soos wat ek dit geniet!
Acts 1:9-11 tells us how Jesus left this earth and that two angels told His disciples that He will return in the same manner in which He left. Wow, I think to myself HOW AMAZING is this? The manner in which He left is the manner in which He will return.
Yesterday, I had the absolute privilege to spend a day with a dear friend of mine, her daughter (and my daughter of course), attending one of Thea van Rooyen’s classes, from Thea se Poeierkamer. It was organised and hosted by Lynn Grobler from Journaling on the Way. In this class, we had to, yet again, FOLD something. I laughed a lot, as there was confusion at times, but not as much as on the Adorned camp, while making the very famous junk journal.
Later, while chatting with Thea, I found out that folding is her THING that she does. To fold something when attending one of her classes before journaling the page in your Bible. I STILL want to know HOW she got to the process of folding and sticking the envelopes together making the junk journal….? Yesterday, we folded an envelope that is not straight (if you have OCD then this is NOT the envelope to try and fold). Inside the envelope, she said that we must do SOAP. SOAP stands for Scripture, Objective, Action & Prayer.
I must admit, folding this envelope, was substantially easier than making the junk journal. This is more than likely due to the fact that 3 envelopes and glue were not involved in this process. If you do not understand what I am typing here, do not despair! Simply try to make a junk journal using only 3 envelopes, glue (in all the right places by the way) and old paper, then you will surely understand where the uncertainty came from to begin with!
The message yesterday was from the book of Acts. She explained it so beautifully and presented it in a way that I did not see before. Ascension Day (yes you guessed it – I had to Google this yet again), had long passed. We are now between Ascension Day and the Return of Jesus here on earth. Wow, I never thought of it like this before! We are all aiming to be like Jesus. We all make mistakes, because we are not perfect. We are in this world but we are not from this world.
The picture that we had to do in our Bibles, had clouds in the background. You do it in any color that you feel like. We do the technique with a chinese, as she refers to the brush we used (because it is imported from China if you were wondering why this reference was used and it is surely not to offend anyone!). I love the latest addition to my gadgets that I journal with, by the way! On any given day, I love anything that resembles a gadget. And if it can help me to do the journaling in my Bible, even more so!
Anyway, back to the page and her message. She tells us further that we all have a new address and that we should not forget to put our stamps in our picture, because that is where our post must go to. Even while on this earth, your address has changed. It has changed, because you are on your way up. Towards heaven. Therefore the house with the balloons from the movie UP. If you are happy in your house, then you decorate it nicely, make sure the garden is neat and tidy. She also taught us to hammer on a flower to make an impression on a paper, which is then in turn used in your bible. Of course the hammer we used is a crafting hammer, not a DIY one! I did not use mine, because it seems that my hammering technique did not work so well…but this is by no means an indication that I am not happy, it just did not work on my page!
I think about it for a moment. It is actually very simple. God uses us, broken people in a broken world, to make a difference and to lead people to Him in this process. Even if we all are full of mistakes (the Afrikaans word that best describes this is propvol) it does not hinder God to use us. We must continue to aim to be like Jesus. To ask for forgiveness when we make mistakes.
This makes me think of the song by Matthew West. Broken Things. I listen to the words which are so true. May we always remember that no one is perfect. May we always remember to ask for forgiveness and to forgive like Jesus forgave us and all of those who sinned against Him. This is hard, right? But so worth it to reach the end destination. Heaven. Eternity.
You use broken things I hear the words move around in my head. The first will be last and the last will be first……
Handelinge 1:9-11 vertel ons hoe Jesus weg gegaan het van die aarde af en dat twee engele vir Sy dissiples vertel dat Hy weer net so gaan terug kom aarde toe. Wow, ek dink by myself HOE AMAZING is dit nie net nie? Soos wat Hy weg gegaan het, so gaan Hy terugkom.
Ek het gister die absolute voorreg gehad om ‘n dag saam met ‘n goeie vriendin en haar dogter (en natuurlik my dogter) te spandeer en een van Thea van Rooyen van Thea se Poeierkamer se klasse by te woon. Dit was gereël en georganiseer deur Lynn Grobler van Journaling on the Way. In die klas het ons ALWEER iets gevou. Ek het lekker gelag, want daar was confusion maar nie soos toe ons die beroemde Junk journal gemaak het op die Adorned kamp nie.
Later toe ek met Thea gesels vind ek uit, dis HAAR ding. Om iets te vou in haar klasse voordat jy aangaan met die bladsy. Ek wil NOGSTEEDS weet HOE sy by die proses uitkom om die junk journal te vou en te plak….? Gister het ons ‘n koevert gevou wat skeef is (as jy OCD het dan is dit nou NIE die koevert om te vou NIE). Binne-in het sy ons SOAP laat doen. SOAP staan vir Scripture, Objective, Action & Prayer.
Ek moet bieg, die koevert se vou was verseker makliker as die junk journal. Seker omdat daar nie gom en 3 koeverte betrokke was nie. As jy nou nie hier verstaan nie, moet nie bekommer nie. Probeer net ‘n junk journal maak met 3 koeverte, gom (op net die regte plekke) en ou papier en dan sal jy verstaan waar die onsekerheid inkom.
Die boodskap gister was uit Handelinge uit. Sy het dit nogals mooi oopgebreek die skrif, op ‘n manier waaraan ek nooit voorheen gedink het nie. Hemelvaart is LAAAANKAL verby. Ons is nou tussen Hemelvaart en die Wederkoms hier op aarde. Wow, ek het nog nooit so daaraan gedink nie. Ons almal streef na heiligmaking, om soos Jesus te wees. Ons almal maak foute want ons is nie perfek nie. Ons is in hierdie wêreld maar nie van hierdie wêreld nie.
Die prentjie wat sy vir ons gee om te doen het wolke vir ‘n agtergrond. Enige kleur, nes jy wil. Met ‘n sjinees, soos sy die borseltjie noem wat ons gebruik om die agtergrond te doen in ons Bybels (hy is ingevoer van China af as jy gewonder het en is nie so genoem om enige iemand te beledig nie). Ek love die nuutste toevoeging tot my gadgets waarmee ek journal. Ek hou van gadgets op enige goeie dag. En as dit my kan help met journalling in my Bybel, soveel te meer!
Elkgeval, terug by die bladsy en haar boodskap. Sy vertel verder dat ons almal het ‘n nuwe adres en dat ons nie moet vergeet om die posseël te plak nie, want dis waarheen jou pos moet gaan. So al is jy op hierdie aarde, het jou adres verander, want jy is oppad boontoe. Hemel toe. Daarom die huisie met die ballonne van die fliek, UP.As jy gelukkig is in jou woning, dan versier jy dit mos mooi. Jy maak mooi tuin. So leer sy ons om ‘n blom te kap met ‘n hammer (nie die een waarmee jy spykers inkap nie – ‘n crafting een) en dan dit wat op die bladsy oor is te gebruik in ons bladsy….ek het nie myne gebruik nie, want my kap tegniek het nie so lekker gewerk nie….maar dit beteken hoegenaamd NIE dat ek NIE gelukkig is nie….hy werk net nie vir my op my bladsy nie….
Ek dink so oomblik na. Dis eintlik bitter eenvoudig. Die Here gebruik ons, stukkende mense in ‘n gebroke wêreld, om ‘n verskil te maak en mense na Hom toe te lei in die proses. Al is ons propvol foute, keer dit Hom nie om ons te gebruik nie. Ons moet net aanhou streef na Heiligmaking. Om vergifnis vra wanneer ons foute maak.
Dit laat my dink aan die liedjie van Matthew West. Broken Things. Ek luister na die woorde, dis so waar. Mag ons almal altyd onthou dat niemand perfek is nie. Maar mag ons onthou dat almal om vergifnis kan vra en dat ons moet vergewe soos wat Christus ons vergewe het en die wat teen Hom gesondig het. Moeilik nê? Maar so die moeite werd om by die eindbestemming uit te kom. Die hemel. Die ewige lewe.
You use broken things hardloop die woorde weer deur my kop. The first will be last and the last will be first……
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