Category: You are

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You are… part 4

Navy court shoes, silver grey stockings. If you have to ask me what I remember about my school clothes, then it is probably that. I walk through reception, probably the first time in 24 years in daylight, on a week day, at the school where I matriculated. Goudrif High School. I notice the school emblem against the wall with the slogan (is this the right word for leuse as we call it in Afrikaans?) Roepingsbewus and I suddenly wonder if it was always there. I recon that I did not visit this part of the school enough to actually remember.

Elsabé Lartz meets up with me just as I exit the ladies room – the one for staff and teachers only, prohibited for use by kids. This is now part of the area that I am allowed to move around in. Strangely enough, I am convinced that this ladies room was bigger than what it appears now. We walk to my car to take out the things I brought with. She asks me a few questions – what year I matriculated, what my maiden name was, do I have kids. Mrs. Lartz will be at this school for 20 years in 2022. We missed each other in the school passages by 4 years.

She tells me that I probably still remember where the school hall is, letting me walk ahead of her. The moment I walked into the hall, it was as if 24 years disappeared. The shy, uncertain matriculant is back for a moment. A flood of memories flash through my mind. I recall the night we were announced as Prefects in grade 11, how we practiced for hours and hours for the Revue in that same hall.

The stage stands proud with stairs and various platforms, ready for a Revue to take place on it. The hall still smells the same. Is it not amazing how smells can take you back in time? I can still relive the layout of the tables while writing the various exams in matric – probably all the exams for that year were written there? I cannot remember. I only remember the one around August / September and then the finals in October / November.

She asks me how it feels to be back at the school. My answer was one word – Weird. I stand opposite the Head Girls nameboard against the wall. I take a picture for my sister who was Head Girl in 1994. A while later, the sound team come in to set up a microphone for me (one which I decided not to make use of). One of the boys asks me if I have music that I want to play. I have this dumbstruck look on my face – that is certainly something that I DID NOT think of. Music and a slideshow. “Maybe next time” I answer them.

The bell rings for a break, the kids enter the hall. More than what I had expected. Mrs. Lartz said that she asked her grade 12’s to invite other kids that are not Consumer Study students. I hope I have the translation right here! I can never remember the English for Verbruikerstudies.

This time round my nerves are gnawing at me, a bit more than usual. It feels like I will be judged by the young hopeful kids in front of me, about where they are now and where they will be one day, measured by me and what I say to them and how I am presented to them. I know this is not true and push through the gnawing to deliver my message.

I even sing a song for them, one that I remember from church as a child. “Weet jy nie, weet jy nie, jy’s ‘n tempel? Vol van lof, vol van krag, vol van vreugde” hand movements and all. For the life of me, I do not know the English version of this song, so I am not even going to TRY to translate that one. A few looked at me as if I am Crazy Daisy, others giggled because they knew exactly what I was talking about.

They were, by far, my most interactive audience to date (not that I have done this a 100 times before – this is the fourth school that I have visited). When I asked the question – “Who of you knew that Flamingos are not born pink?” the hands shot up into the air, answering the question that was asked.

Seed was sown, that I know. One girl, who appeared to be in tears, came to thank me for the beautiful message. Absolutely a Holy Spirit inspired moment and all the glory be to God, not to me. Another girl’s spirit was so open and receptive, I spotted her a mile away and told her that too.

Those who chose to take a picture with me for Facebook and Instagram, looked more than chuffed with their aprons. When I look at the photo, I can see the laughter and giggles of the kids. I can feel and see the energy, remembering how it was being 17 or 18 years of age. In a way I miss that, but I am also grateful that I have moved on and am where I am in my life.

The more things change the more they stay the same. This I saw that day again. I wonder how many people have walked through those passages and classes? How many have matriculated there? It feels like an impossible calculation to do. 24 years have flown by in an instant. In the blink of an eye.

I realised again that being a Teacher must be one of THE most difficult jobs under this sun. To teach children from different backgrounds, domestic circumstances, cultures, habits and who knows what else, so that they UNDERSTAND and are able to write exams and pass, is most certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Not everyone is made for that, I am certainly one of them who is NOT made to be a Teacher!

My prayer is that each student, not only the Consumer Studies students, got a little something that day. That God will water it on the right time so that the trees will grow to produce His fruit, reflecting Pink Feathers for Him.

My mind wanders back to the slogan. Roepingsbewus. I chew on this for a while. What does it really mean? I use Google translate to get the English word. Vocation Conscious I see on my screen. I think to myself, WHAT does Vocation mean? I do not think I have even heard of this word before!!

Yes you guessed it, I Googled the word Vocation too. The meaning? A strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation. WOW!!! This revelation seems even better than the Afrikaans version that I wrote. But it comes down to the same thing. It means to be CONSCIOUS of your CALLING (and in worldly terms career and jobs) that God has called you for.

How interesting is this? The slogan and message that was portrayed comes down to the same thing. God is TRULY AMAZING!!!!!! May everyone that go through those school passages, live that slogan in this world that we find ourselves in.

In my mind I can hear the tune of the school anthem, as I remember it. The words that I am singing in my mind are most certainly wrong, but I am singing it to myself and I know I will remain ROEPINGSBEWUS (or VOCATION CONSCIOUS as I have learnt it is translated into English). Without realising it and making a conscious effort in my life after school, I feel that I have been living this slogan in my life.

Jy is… deel 4
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You are… part 3

Die Jirre lief jou!! Finish & klaar! I read the message on the bottle, jampacked with bran muffins… I cannot help but stare at the paper roses (my favorite flower just so by the way). The one is made from a page from an old storybook which gives it a vintage type look.

I try to get a muffin out of the bottle without it breaking into a million pieces, they are so fresh they are falling apart! Muffins made especially for me by a group of very special students. Children with other needs that we are (or rather I am) used to. Children who also want to claim their place under the sun.

Children of worried parents, wondering if they will survive one day when they (the parents) are not on earth anymore. Children of concerned parents that wonder if they will be able to generate their own income when the breadwinner/s will no longer be able to do so. I walk with someone, with the same first name as what I have, Elsie van Staden (together I refer to us as Elsie to the power of 2 as they refer to it in Mathematical language) through the halls of Oom Paul School in Rustenburg.

We walk past two kids, I hear the one ask the other one “Is that a new teacher?” and I assume that they are referring to me. I grin to myself and think “Noooooooo boy, you do not understand, this lady is not cut out to be a teacher.” It takes SUPER special people to be teachers in my opinion. And I feel like a failure daily when I cannot be patient with my own kids, especially after a long day’s work struggling with slow on-line systems.

Back to the school halls. For those of you who may not know, Oom Paul School is a School of Skills for learners that are referred to them from Main Stream schools. Gold fish that cannot climb trees like the Curriculum expects them to do. They are then placed in the proverbial goldfish pond at Oom Paul School, where they are nurtured, taught and educated at their level. The stream in the main stream is just TOO strong for them and they get lost in the system.

But Oom Paul School is even more different, because they offer Hairdressing AND Food Production, together with other subjects like Science, Social Studies, and so forth. Students who have had to endure disappointment upon disappointment in a Main stream school are accepted here with open arms. Skills are thought to them. How to work PRACTICAL with your hands. Something that I feel is lacking these days. To be trained in a Trade.

These days it seems that everyone is stuck behind a laptop for more than 8 hours a day (myself included), busy doing their work and that while the Trade does not have as many people like in the past (this is my perception, I did not compare it with statistics of some sorts and I may be wrong here). People cannot do practical and physical things it seems, things that this world actually still needs, in spite of where we are when it comes to technology. I know, for the life of me I CANNOT do sewing, let alone to be able to make something fancy in the kitchen.

None the less. God granted me the opportunity on Tuesday 26 July 2022, to serve a small group of students, with His word and knowledge, that He is systematically giving to me and revealing to me about Flamingos. The whole thing that the Blog and Beroepsvrou is about. Pink Feathers for God.

I only realised later, as I sat to make the entry, that my nerves that normally bothers me before a day such as this (like a rodent gnawing away at something), was not even in the close vicinity. I did not have doubts for one second about anything! As I was talking to the children and later the staff too, I quoted scriptures from the Bible. Not the exact words, but scriptures that I feel God is linking to flamingos, interpreted and portrayed in my own words to keep it as simple as possible and to not let it feel like a church sermon.

I later realized that I referred to David and Psalms while I was talking about the scripture to watch over your heart and guarding your heart, when it was supposed to be Solomon and Proverbs. An honest mistake and I trust God understood and everyone heard what they were supposed to hear.

Just a little something extra to add onto the aprons, and I probably have mentioned and said this before, but, when the kids put on the aprons, they are also doing a prophetic action to cover themselves with the breastplate of righteousness. To guard their hearts as Solomon said. Don’t get me wrong – there is NO POWER in the aprons, this is what God revealed to me the deeper meaning of the aprons is.

It takes Flamingos approximately 2 years to turn pink from what they eat, and they only stay pink if they eat the right nutrients…..it is the same with us as Christians. You must constantly take in the right things so that you can have Pink Feathers for God.

I am also certain that the scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:21 where Paul wrote and said But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good] – is like the flamingos, when they filter their food (because they are filter feeders) – they excrete that which is bad and only take in that which is good for them.

Oom Paul School is unique and one of a kind. From Potchefstroom to Wolmaransstad, between Klerksdorp and Brits there is only one fishpond available for all the gold fish that just cannot climb a tree, and that is Oom Paul School. There is a similar school in Krugersdorp and two in Pretoria. That is is as far as I know and have been told.

Unique and one of a kind. Patient and kind is how I would describe the Teachers at Oom Paul School. It takes a super special person to be a Teacher and an Angel to teach kids skills at a place like this.

It seems to me that there is a little piece of heaven on earth, a place where children can be planted to grow so that they can also reach their potential, claiming their spot under the sun. Giving peace of mind to parents that their children will be able to learn something and to know that they will be able to survive one day, when they as parents are not able to look after their children any more. That place is Oom Paul School.

Elsie2
Jy is… deel 3
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You are… part 2

Monday 14 March 2022 marks the second day that I had the privilege to hand out aprons and tell students more about the Pink Feathers and what it symbolizes. That morning I was awake at 3 am. It was probably the excitement or nerves (or both) for what was lying ahead for the day.

I had an appointment at a local school, Bekker High School, to have a 15 minute chat with the Home Economics (I have no idea what they call this subject in English these days) students, all in grade 12. I saw each class individually, which probably helped ease me into public speaking….as I have not done this for a very long time.

I think the last time I had to talk in front of people was our wedding and before that I was in grade 12. I am not counting the appointment in January I had at another local school, HaMaKom Private School. I was so nervous there I could not remember WHAT I said that day but pretty much told the same story that I told at Bekker.

Anyway, back to my original story. The first speech went well, I seemed to have the attention of all the students, remembered everything I felt that God laid on my heart. As the day progressed, the order of the speech changed slightly but the core message stayed the same.

The Home Economics teacher, Marié Booyse, added to what I said by saying that the aprons provide you protection. Not only physical (food stains on your clothes) but also spiritual protection. That was so true and another revelation to the meaning of the apron.

As the week progressed, I kept on thinking about what was said on Monday, it is as if God dropped it into my spirit that the protection is similar to the Breastplate of Righteousness that Paul writes about in Ephesians 6.

That was very striking to me, as that is what I stand for. Trying to be righteous and ethical always, even when no one is watching. I further had a discussion with my sister from another mister Dora (my domestic worker if you were wondering). She saw the things that I was preparing for the Easter Market that I will be attending as a Vendor (early April), selling my items and making myself available to chat and tell people about that which God has laid on my heart to say.

Ok, back to the discussion with Dora. On the printouts that will be on display at my table at the market, I had some fun facts from my son’s facts book that I retyped for this purpose. One of them was (and this is the question I asked the students on Monday) Did you know that Flamingos are pink due to what they eat?

She told me that this made her think even more about the whole Pink Feathers range and that the Holy Spirit is working with her the whole time about this. Thoughts I left with the students on Monday was – what are we doing to make ourselves reflect pink to the world? Dora and I, then further had a discussion about what we are filling ourselves up with, reading, listening and eating (also something that I told the students on Monday).

The conversation then turned to, what I like to call, empty calories. In my conversations at Bekker I referred to eating too much sugar that will make you crash the whole time. All my friends know that I like to refer to chips, biscuits and chocolates as empty calories. Things that are jam packed with calories (which make us fat by the way) but lacks nutritional value to feed our bodies and build them up to be what they should be, as God intended.

Again this revelation came that we must fill our spirits and minds with things that are not empty calories spiritually. What are you watching, reading and listening to? If you binge read, watch and listen to something that is empty then you will remain empty and will not produce Pink Feathers and reflect pink for God to the world. The same is true for eating by the way, but that we all know…

After my discussions and handouts to the students, it was photo time. The kids seemed very chuffed with their gifts and I truly hope that everytime they wear those aprons, not only in grade 12, but also after they finish school, that they will remember what it stands for and symbolizes.

All the glory be to God always! He inspired the aprons, He gave me the vision and the people to produce an electronic logo and the apron. Without Him none of this would have been possible. I just know deep down in my heart, there is so much more to these aprons than just an apron….like we have already discovered and may still discover.

Just as I was closing off this blog entry, I read the scripture verse that forms part of my logo again. Proverbs 10:21. The lips of the righteous feed many: But fools die for want of wisdom. (KJV). Wow is all I can say….this ties in to the latest revelation of the aprons, what you are feeding your body, soul and spirit with and what Beroepsvrou stands for. All the glory be to God always!

Jy is… deel 2
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You are…

“You are what you eat.” How many times have I heard that line before? It is almost like the advertisement from the late 80’s – Farmer Brown’s Chickens. “They look so good because they eat so good.” I can still recall the oom‘s voice (oom just sounds better here than uncle). If I recall correctly it was a bit of a husky voice (is that the right term? In Afrikaans we call it rasperstem.)

Husky voice or not, that line always stayed with me. When I was older, I even joked about my body by saying “I look so good because I eat so good!” Because let us be honest. Anything refined, sweet and unhealthy is the nicest to eat!

And so it happened, that God showed me a few years ago, while channel hopping on TV (almost as fast as popcorn that jumps while being made), pausing for a brief moment on one or another absurd reality show. I just have to interrupt myself here – my goodness, what a long sentence with very little punctuation marks! I feel out of breath just reading through it….

Anyway, as we were watching these people, everyone in search of something that they do not know what it is that they are looking for (they looked helpless and lost in this show as it was one or another weird dating something or another), God dropped in my spirit You are because I am. It was in English and just like that. For a moment I thought about it and then I realised that this is so true! God referred to Himself as I am who sent Moses to the Pharaoh, did he not? Oh my goodness, did I spell Pharaoh correct??? You know, the guy with the goatie that enslaved the Israelites, the Egyptian king. That is the guy I am talking about!

Jump forward to 2020 or 2021 (I don’t even know anymore when what happened because everything seems like a blur). Somewhere there, I wrote on my own personal Facebook page something similar to this article I am writing, and that we are because God is. But later God expanded even more on this for me.

You are what you eat, what you think and what you speak. And just like that, everything falls into place in my head (I actually cannot explain HOW that happens, it just does). Body, mind or soul (not sure whether to use mind or soul here in Afrikaans it is Liggaam, siel en gees) and spirit. You are that which goes around in your heart (there is a bible verse to this effect is there not? Somewhere in Psalms?). You are what you think in your mind (and then speak). You are what you physically eat.

The power of life and death is in the tongue – it says so in the Bible too….so we must be aware of what we speak, as this manifests in the flesh normally….and actually what you speak starts with what goes on in our hearts, does it not? Does it make sense what I am saying here?

I recon from these Godly thoughts (not me but God for sure!) is where Beroepsvrou started to exist. For YEAAARS I thought that I, Elsie, am the only one that does not wake up with a song in my heart and birds that chirp just for me in the mornings. You know, almost like Snow White that whistles and then all the birds come to do what ever they do for her. I thought that is how it should be….

I know, it is a fairy tale full of lies, but give me credit. I have said it before, I feel like a late bloomer when it comes to things like this (at least I did not come to this realisation now only, probably early 30’s if I really have to draw a timeline for you and no, I did not think the little birdies will do my work for me). Now, to get back to Beroepsvrou…that what you are fits in so nicely with the whole theme of Beroepsvrou and the Pink Feathers range and what I stand for.

Pink Feathers for God. Your spiritual (and soul I suppose) person is fed with what goes on in your mind and heart. From there the Pink Feathers for God….but what God actually showed me is that the apron was the forerunner to the whole Pink Feathers range.

When you put on an apron, you are busy serving other people with food. A bit of a double meaning with the apron. But you are also busy preparing something to feed your body with (you must look after your temple that God gave you – THAT also stands in the Bible).

It feels to me as if I am talking deurmekaar as I call it in Afrikaans. But I believe that God will pull all the strings together here so that those who read this will understand. We also have to constantly refresh our minds and thoughts with God’s word so that our hearts do not turn black and ugly, so that our mouths do not speak curses and our bones do not dry out from this which we speak.

Back to the aprons – recently I had the absolute privilege to bless a local school’s Consumer Study children with aprons (absolutely in order from God) and I further had the privilege to speak to them for 5 minutes (ok maybe 10 minutes, I am not sure), serving them with what God has laid on my heart and Beroepsvrou and the Pink Feathers.

I cannot recall what I said and it felt like I did not talk sense at all, but I believe that seed was sown that day and that it will come up when the time is right…I also know that I am busy growing, learning and that God will absolutely put the right words into my mouth when I go to the next school to serve them with God’s word and to bless them with the aprons.

The conclusion that I want to make about this piece is, you are what you eat, you are what you think and you are what you speak. This is what will manifest in our lives and this is within our control and in our hands. That is actually THE ONLY THING we have control over. Wow, what a wonderful revelation. I have known this for a while now, that this is the only thing we can control, but God has just put it all together so beautifully and finished it off with the blog and the Pink Feathers range…

All the glory be to God always! May this blog always be what God has planted in my heart, to put it into words for others to read and may this NEVER be about me!! He inspires me, gives me the knowledge and wisdom, the vision and talents to do what is busy happening…

Jy is…