TWENTY SIXTEEN - PART THREE (10-13)

Woke up at 430am. - switched 
 fan off - rather cold now.      
 Last night ticker tape on TV 
 read     "11 people killed by    heatwave."
  
 Lord we are taking everything  day by day, and  step by step - we see Your mighty power at work - Your protective shield surrounds us, and You are providing for all our needs.

Thank You, dear heavenly Father, I love You so much. I am so grateful that You came my way. I am so happy that You are in control of my life. You are my hope. Where would I be without You?
What would I do without You?  My mind cannot even begin to comprehend life without You.

Just my failure to trust You when I have not "put on the full armour of God" gives me a glimpse of how terrifying life is without You.  I praise You Lord, I worship You. You alone are my God.

Thank You for Your precious Son
Thank You for Your Holy Spirit.
It is through Them that we are able to come into Your presence, to partake of Your love and Your goodness and Your favour.

Blessed be Your Name heavenly Father
Blessed be Your Name  Lord Jesus
Blessed be Your Name Holy Spirit
I want to be close to You, I want to be aware of Your presence every waking moment.

11th January -  Saw I had a missed call from Marieta yesterday (seems she has changed her cell number ). Probably the reason I could never contact her.

Feeling peaceful. Waiting on the Lord,  (my provider).  I thank Him for giving me another day.
I thank Him for a roof over my head. I thank Him for a comfortable bed. I thank Him for food and drink. I thank Him for my precious family - I thank Him especially for Ruth who even helps me with my ablutions. I thank Him for our lovely dogs - each one has a special place in my heart. I thank Him for Rose, our domestic.

Andy paid R2,000 into Ruth's banking account today. I thank and praise my heavenly Father for His favour. He is taking care of us step by step.

Got started on my blog today. Managed to do two posts but they are still on preview (it took a long time to get it to work but I managed it eventually) - I still need to change some colouring and also need to get some finer details right - am getting there slowly.

Haven't been feeling too well. I think I overdid everything since Friday - need to rest up for a while. Sitting at the laptop for too long is also very tiring  and not good for my bad back.

12th January - Power went off at 5am. Had to use generator for power.  Still not feeling too good. Ruth has gone to town. She is having gold earrings and silver chain evaluated and using money from Andy to purchase our weekly needs and also has to sign another form at the coin shop regarding the sale of our three one tenth gold coins.  I went back to sleep.

Ruth back from town, she couldn't buy all we need as she had to use some money for the evaluations. Not to worry, nothing serious. Just pull in the belt a little tighter.

Earrings were valued @  R8000 we were very surprised as we were prepared and had a buyer to sell them for R1800  and the silver chain @ R3000
which we wanted to sell for R200 but did not have a buyer.  We now have certificates of authenticity.

Worked on my blog and was progressing nicely - decided to change template colour to match the image and played around for a while. I had already completed three blog posts and thought it best to do this before continuing. Alas, alack, I lost more than half my toolbar, which makes it impossible to continue and also somehow all my posts got garbled.  Fortunately, although garbled they are sitting safe and sound and have not completely disappeared. They are  still under the wrong colour.

I am calling it a day.  Will try again tomorrow.

13th January -  Ryan's birthday tomorrow. Will ask him for help on my blog when I whatsapp him to wish him a happy birthday. Spent most of the day sleeping and resting, trying to recuperate.

Ruth is going to town on Friday 15th to sell my diamond ring.  The shop where her jewellry was evaluated buy old gold and diamond jewellry . We now need the goods we couldn't buy yesterday.

Don't know how much we can expect , the diamond is only 0.025 carat, but after doing some research I estimate it is worth about R2500.

Still feeling pretty rotten.

Had a nice meal of fresh fried hake and steamed veggies - since Sunday we have lived on sandwiches and soups (not because we had nothing else but because of time and energy). I think that is why I am not feeling so well.  I really need my daily vegetables in order to keep my strength up.


to be continued

Next post 3rd April

MY FAVOURITE PSALMS - PART TWO

                                    Sing praises to the Lord
Who dwells in Zion,
Declare among the people His deeds.
He does not forget the
cry of the afflicted. 
The Lord is King 
                                          forever and ever.
        O Lord, Thou hast heard the
        cry of the humble, Thou wilt strengthen
        their heart.  Thou wilt incline Thine ear.

        In Thee, O Lord, do I take refuge,
        The Lord is in His holy temple,
        The Lord's throne is in heaven,
        His eyes behold, His eyelids test,
        the sons of men.
       The Lord tests the righteous and 
        the wicked.

        The Lord is righteous,
        He loves righteousness,
        The upright will behold His face
        The Words of the Lord are pure Words,
         as silver tried in the furnace of the earth,
         refined seven times.
        Thou O Lord will keep them,
        Thou wilt preserve him from this
        generation for ever.  
         I have trusted in Thy loving kindness
        my heart will rejoice in Thy salvation.

         O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
         And who may dwell in Your holy hill?
         He who walks with integrity,
         and works righteousness,
         and speaks truth in his heart.
         He does not slander with his tongue
         nor does evil to his neighbour,
         Nor does he take up a reproach
         against his friend
         in whose eyes a reprobate is despised.
         He does not put out his money
         at interest
         neither does he take up a bribe
         against the innocent.
         He who does these things
         shall never be shaken.

         Preserve me, O Lord,
         for I take refuge in Thee,
         I said to the Lord, 
         "Thou art my God
         I have no good beside Thee."
         The Lord is ny portion and
         my inheritance and my cup
         Thou dost support my lot,
         The lines have fallen to me
         in pleasant places.

         Indeed my heritage is beautiful
         to me
         I will bless the Lord who 
         has counselled me
         Indeed my mind instructs me
         in the night.
         I have set the Lord continually
         before me
         Because He is at my right hand
                  I shall never be shaken,
         therefore my heart is glad,
         and my glory rejoices,
         My flesh also shall dwell
         securely.

to be continued..
         
         






         



                                   

TWENTY SIXTEEN PART TWO

5TH   JANUARY   TO  11TH










The road ahead is still full of curves. I cannot see what lies ahead, but God is faithful and He is leading the way. I know this for a fact because He has placed peace in my heart and is strengthening me spiritually and physically.  I no longer feel so helpless and despondent - my fear has gone - I refuse to think about what could happen  - I have placed my anxieties and problems at His feet    (1st Peter  5: 7)   He has told both of us Ruth and I, to "wait on the Lord,"   and this is what we are doing.  I know that He loves me and so I place my Trust in Him.

"Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,  whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent, or praiseworthy think about such things. Whatever you have learned from me, put into practice, and the God of peace will be with you."
Phil: 4:4-9



4.27am  - 6th January  -  Nothing has changed - I am saturating my mind with scriptures and it cancels all anxiety.


  "My God shall supply all my needs, according to His richness in glory, by Christ Jesus."
Phil: 4: 19



What a wonderful promise! It  leaves no room for questioning.

"My heavenly Father has adopted me into His family and He is able to meet all my needs."
Rom:8 : 15

He has moved me out of darkness into the light of His Kingdom. God's protective shield is around me and He is providing for every need that I might have.

The Holy Spirit has come to live in me. He has come to help me, guide me, and teach me in every aspect of my life.  Whatever I need in my life He has promised to give me. All I need to do is believe.  Note I did not say 'He has promised to give me all I want but He has promised all I need.'

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Phil: 4: 6-8

7th January

Woke up very late. Daniel sent me a message last night about an app called "shopify" apparently you can use it to sell goods on the internet, you just add it to your blog website.

Looks promising. Also this morning Ruth told me that her friend Erica is interested in buying her gold ear rings, depending on the price she is willing to go up to R1800.  We are also waiting for the coin shop's assessment of our three one-tenth ounce gold  Kruger coins.

We need money for veggies and cold drinks for our lunch with Andy and his family on Saturday 9th - the sales mentioned above will not help for that as we need the money tomorrow.  So tonight we broke into our piggy bank and managed to scrape R71 together.  Added to  that we will get a credit tomorrow (8th) from Dischem for an error they made, amount R89 bringing us to R160 and I have R20 in my bank account = R180

As you can see our Heavenly Father is working on our behalf - He is providing for our needs, - we will carry on trusting Him. He is in control as always.  We just have to believe.

"Trust in the Lord and don't despair,
He is a friend so true,
no matter what your troubles are,
Jesus will see you through."

8th January

Appointment today for hearing aid -Steve and Andy have  promised to each pay half   - not covered by Medical aid  (R8500) .  Another appointment  at 1.30 pm  with Doctor v.d. Merwe, check-up and new script.

Anniversary of Andries Petrus Malan's death
(51 years)

I have submitted myself to God's will. All I ask is that He leads me. I am listening and watching for His leading.  I only wish to please Him. Nothing else matters. Nothing else is important. He is my Creator, He is my Saviour, He is my Protector, He is my Provider, He is my Physician, He is my Mentor, He is all I need.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,
They shall mount up on wings as eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

While we were in the car on our way to my appointment the Coin shop phoned Ruth - they are prepared to pay R1500 per  gold coin;

Praise the Lord. Hallelujah!

After our appointments we took the coins to shop to trade in - I stayed in car as effort to walk is too great.  Ruth came back needing her Capitec card which was in my handbag. Bad news, we have to wait five to seven working days for money to be paid into our  banking account.

I was shocked. They took legit coins which they had scanned in their shop a few days previously and they expect us to wait for payment. I worried over this for a while, imagining all sorts of scenaria, and then phoned Ruth in order to stop the transaction.  

Her phone is giving trouble and was on voicemail. I also did not know where in the mall the coin shop was and when I tried to get out of the car the alarm went off.  I was powerless to do anything - it was out of my hands. I was not in control.

This episode started my fear again.  Instead of "putting on the armour of God,"  I allowed my fear to build. Once home some other small incidents took place which only increased my anxiety.

Here I  am, trying to please God and then being such a failure.  Will I ever learn?

"Stand still, fear not and see the salvation of the Lord."
Ex : 14-13

But through it all I am grateful. We have a comfortable home, food to eat and we can sleep peacefully knowing that God is in control.

9th January - It is not quite the ninth yet - three quarters of an hour to go. I have slept for about two hours but woke up suffering with the heat, even though the fan in on, and feeling very despondent.

Lord I ask You to teach me to trust You. Most of the time I think I do, but when I am so tired, like today, the enemy gains the advantage.

Teach me O Lord, not to let my defences down, no matter how tired and sore I am.  Help me to remember to put on the full armour of God, because without it I will surely fail. I am such a disappointment to You.  

Your Word says  "Without faith it is impossible to please God."
Heb: 11-6

Lord I really do want to please You.  Help me to remember Your promises - Lord You have said the words: "Do not be afraid."  You did not say it once but  365 times in the Bible. Once for every day of the week, which really means "do not ever  be afraid."

You have also said :

"Fear not for I am with you."
Isaiah : 41-10

"I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
Heb: 13-5

"Your name is written in the palms of my hands."
Isaiah:  49-16

"Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might."
Eph: 6 -10

"And lo I am with you, even to the end of the world."
Matt: 28-20

After writing down these promises of God I was able to sleep peacefully for another five hours, but not feeling too good today. Feeling squeamish on my stomach.  8am took a Rythmol even though the doctor said it wasn't working. Ate a biscuit so that I could take my chronic medication.

Visitors today - Andy, Fiona, Ryan, Shari, Struan, Nedal and Daniel, already arranged in December.

Very tired after yesterday's outing, but have lots to do to help Ruth prepare food etc.

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."
Phil: 4 -13

Had a lovely day. Ryan set up my blog but I am too tired to try it out and also there is a storm brewing which has already taken out the electricity.

Andy said not to worry. He and Steve will sort out the hearing aid. He also asked Ruth to send him her banking details.

I am so thankful to God for giving us such a lovely day.

to be continued

Next post  26th March

MY FAVOURITE PSALMS - PART ONE

THE FOLLOWING VERSES ARE ONES THAT I HAVE TAKEN   AT RANDOM FROM THE PSALMS AND HAVE MEMORISED THEM OVER THE YEARS - FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT ENJOY THEM THERE WILL BE ONE POST PER WEEK.







Worship the Lord with reverence
 and rejoice with trembling, 
for Thou O Lord are a shield to me,
 my glory and the lifter of my head.

I cried unto the Lord, with my voice, 
and He answered me from
 His holy mountain.
 In peace  I will lie down and sleep,
 for Thou alone O Lord doth 
make me to dwell in safety.

At Thy holy mountain 
I will bow in reverence to Thee.
 Let all who take refuge in Thee
 be glad, let them ever sing for joy,
 and mayest Thou shelter them,
 that all who love Thy name
 may exult in Thee. 

I will give thanks to the Lord,
according to His righteousness
I will sing praises to the name
of the Lord Most High.
O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic
is Thy name in all the earth.
Who hath displayed Thy splendour 
above the heavens. 

 When I consider Thy heavens
 and the work of Thy fingers, 
the moon and the stars that Thou 
hast ordained, 
what is man that Thou dost 
take thought of him, 
and the son of man, that Thou
 dost care for him. Yet Thou hast
 made him a little lower than 
the angels and crowned him with
 glory and majesty.

Thou hast made him to rule over
 the works of Thy hands. 
Thou dost put all things under his feet.
 All sheep and oxen  and also the
 beasts of the field, the birds of 
the heaven, and the fish in the sea
 and whatsoever passes through
 the paths of the sea.

O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic
 is Thy name in all the earth.
I will give thanks to the Lord 
with all my heart
I will tell of all Thy wonders'
I will be glad and rejoice in Thee
I will sing praises to the
name of the Lord Most High.

The Lord abides forever.
 He has established His throne
 for judgement and He will judge
 the earth in righteousness. 
He will execute judgement for 
the people with equity.
The Lord will also be a stronghold
for the oppressed, a stronghold
in the time of trouble, and all who know
Thy name will put their trust in Thee
for Thou O Lord, hast not forsaken 
those who seek Thee.


To be continued..

TWENTY SIXTEEN - PART ONE 1st January to 4th January

I am reposting this blog as I have made a few minor changes to it , example  I have changed the cover picture to match the rest of the content in order to keep my records straight.

INTRODUCTION TO TWENTY SIXTEEN




Towards the end of                    December 2015, I saw              an article on the Internet          suggesting that if you                wrote one page a day                starting on January first            by the end of the year              you would have a book            of three hundred and 
sixty-six pages seeing that                                       2016 is a leap year.

I thought this was a good idea as I was just coming out of a horrific 2015 in which the Lord had shown me His mighty power, which unfortunately I had not recorded. 

 So now facing some more tough, and testing hard times I decided to write it all down in order to prove how great God is and that He does take care of His children.

I started writing on the first of January but only launched my blog on the first February.

 I would have liked to have posted a page every day from day one :  example;  thirty-one days for January, but that was not to be. Also there were some days when  I would write four pages and other days I would write absolutely  none, depending on the circumstances.  

So now after eight weeks I have eighty-six pages, some full, some with a few paragraphs and some completely empty.

I have decided therefore to post a blog a week consisting of  four to five pages. The following is the first blog and covers January 1st to 4th and consists of 7 pages.


BLEAK
                                     PROMISE

The year ahead looks bleak - yet at the same time full of  promise - God is alive and well and He alone controls my future.


I have learned many lessons from Him over the past sixty-two years.

I remember with shame the days when I had no self-control, when life became too stressful I would lose my temper and become a screaming shrew.  It took many years, but  He has taught me patience and kindness in all circumstances. He has renewed my mind and made me  more than a conqueror.

I remember the days when I was really ill and even the time when death was staring me in the face. I would put my trust in whatever doctor was around at the time  "if only the doctor would come, everything would be alright and my pain would miraculously be gone.  Foolish me, doctors are only human beings like me.  They certainly don't have all the answers.  He has taught me to look to Him for my health.  He has renewed my mind and made me more than a conqueror.

I remember with shame how I would let jealousy embitter my soul. He has taught me to rejoice and be glad when others prosper and are blessed and to be content with my circumstances.  He has renewed my mind and made me more than a conqueror.

I remember when I allowed hatred and vengeance to rule whenever someone intentionally or even unintentionally hurt me or my family.  He has taught me to forgive and not only to forgive but also to pray for and love the offender.  He  has renewed my mind and made me more than a conqueror .

I remember the days when I would tell dirty jokes and speak evil of others. He has taught me to control my tongue.  This does not mean that I never say anything wrong - what it does mean is that I do not deliberately use my tongue loosely. 
He has renewed my mind and made me more than a conqueror.

There are many other lessons He has taught me and He is teaching me still. He is refining me and molding me into the person He wants me to be.

At this moment He is teaching me that my faith is still weak in the matter of finance.  I always felt comfortable when I had a few rands in my wallet. Well that is all gone now.  The rands and the comfort.

I am looking at a future where I am too old too look for employment.  No one employs someone over the age of eighty.  My daughter with whom I live is unable to work due to diagnosed illnesses - Fibromyalgia and Bi-Polar.  

There are many opportunities to earn a living on the internet. , we are still in the process of setting them up, but are handicapped through lack of knowledge, finances and limited time. I believe that when  we have come to the end of our human attempts  that this is where God, our heavenly Father steps in and shows us His mighty power.

Our God lives. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. My trust is in Him. This is the lesson He is teaching us now. To trust in Him and not to look to the arm of flesh to save us.

He is renewing our minds and He will make us more than conquerors. Hallelujah! Praise His Name!  Our God lives!  Glory to God forever and ever!.

What am I grateful for today ?

I am grateful to God for the fact that He is still renewing my mind.

God is in control. Nothing can happen to me that isn't in His plan for my life. I may not see the road ahead because of all the curves, but this I know, He goes before me, the dangers must meet Him first before they can touch me, and because of His awesome power no harm can come to me. He will bring me through, though the waters be cold and deep, He promises to bring me through.

"when you pass through the waters they shall not overflow you."   Isaiah 43:2

On His unchanging Word I stand and trust till I can understand. He alone is my Protector, my Provider, my All in All.  I will not fear because His Word says  "Dot not fear''   365 times. That is once every day for one full year.  

This was my weakness. fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. My Lord is teaching me to overcome this weakness.

"And finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord and the power of His might, put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."  Eph:  6: 10-18

I am grateful that God is in control.

Five o'clock in the morning.  I need the full armour of God.  I look it up on google.

"Put on the full armour of God so that when the evil day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then with the belt of Truth
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."  Eph: 6: 13-18

It is the shield of faith that I need now - I need to work on this.  As I said before, God has taught me many things and made me more than a conqueror. The thing I am still struggling with is faith where finance is concerned.  As long as I have a few rands in the bank I feel at ease. The shield of faith makes Satan's sowing of doubt about the faithfulness of God ineffective.

Our faith - of which Jesus Christ is the "Author and Perfecter"  - is like a golden shield, precious, solid and substantial.

Whenever the enemy tries to sow seeds of doubt, I will hold up the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation, take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and he must retreat.

I will saturate my mind with Scriptures like:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation whom/what shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid. " 
Psalm 27:1

"The Lord shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Phil: 4-19

"Fear not for I am with you, even to the end of the world."     Isaiah: 41 : 10

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean no on your own understanding."
Proverbs 3:5

"Even though the fig trees have all been destroyed and there is no blossom left nor fruit, and if the olive crops all fail and all the fields lie barren, and even though  the flocks die in the field and the cattle barns are empty, yet will I trust in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation for He will will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains."
Hab: 3: 17-19

I am grateful for the full armour of God.

Well the New year has hardly begun and already I am being taught new truths about myself. All this without a word being said.  I have suddenly become aware that I am more of a hindrance than a blessing. My hearing is deteriorating quite rapidly now. I am slow and becoming more feeble. I have to have help in performing ablutions, I walk with a walker, even short distances.

The strain of the past year as certainly taken its toll and accelerated my declining health, and is also taking its toll on others.  I remember the stress and strain I endured while caring for my own mother in her declining years. It certainly is no easy road to travel.

Because of my hearing problem, I can no longer communicate with long distance family and friends.so have lost that source of comfort and encouragement.  My hearing is so bad that it brings more confusion into an already confused situation, so everyone avoids the use of the cell phone.  

That said -  God is in control - I believe that He still has a purpose for my life or I would no longer be here.

I am grateful to God that He is still using me in His service.

to be continued


I will post the next blog by 19th March

GOD'S PROTECTION.

This true story took place over a period of a few 
hours and depicts my miraculous escape from 
the hands of an unknown  intruder in 1965.

At the time I was almost thirty-six years old - my husband had abandoned me and my three sons aged fourteen, ten, and five while I was seven months  pregnant with my daughter.

Two months later on 1st May 1964 my father died suddenly from a heart aneurism, and two weeks later my daughter was born.

On the 8th January 1965, eight month later my forty-one year old husband and his fifteen year old lover died together in a suicide pact.

This however is a story for another time.

It is now 5th August 1965 - the time is after ten o'clock at night.  I am living with my two youngest children in a one bedroom flat in Mayfair, Johannesburg. The two older boys are away at boarding school.

This flat is built on a split level and has two entrance points. The front entrance exits into a very small garden and then directly out onto the pavement and the street.  To enter from the back entrance you have to pass my friend's flat on another street and climb a flight of stairs. So many years have passed that I do not remember her name, so for the sake of this story I will call her Paddy.

My next door neighbour's flat is in the same position as mine - theirs on the left and mine on
the right. The two identical gardens  are separated by a low wall.

At 10pm my children were asleep and I was putting curlers in my hair while listening to my favorite story on a small portable radio when I heard a knock on the back door.

I was very surprised as no one I knew ever visited me so late at night. On looking through the small window that gave me a view of the lobby, I saw Paddy standing there.

She appologised profusely for disturbing me  but as she was moving to Port Elizabeth the next day she wondered if she could purchase milk for her baby and keep it in my fridge as hers had already been disconnected for the move.

This arrangement would cause far less inconvenience in the morning.

I agreed, but now had to wait for her to return from the local cafe  before I could retire for the night.

When she returned with the milk I put it in my fridge after inviting her in for a cup of tea, which she declined, but instead of leaving she stood in the open doorway, chatting away about inconsequential things that really didn't interest me.

Meanwhile I was so tired, I could barely keep my eyes open. I just wished she would go so that I could get some sleep.

Little did I know that God was using her  to make me aware of the danger I and my children were in. If she hadn't prolonged her stay, we wouldn't have stood a chance.

Suddenly she stopped talking, her eyes grew big with fright and she whispered, "there's a strange bloke coming up the stairs. "  She used a different word for "bloke" - (a word that is no longer permitted in South Africa). I could see the naked fear on her face.

Strangely enough I wasn't afraid. I thought it was probably a friend of Percy - the African guy who lived on the top floor and maintained the building.

So to comfort her I said, "come in and I will make some tea, then you can go when he is no longer around."  She said  "No! I must go!" and hurried down the stairs. I watched her for a few seconds, but she never looked back.

Intrigued by her fright, I put my head out the door to see what this "bloke" looked like, to have given her such a scare.

I never got the chance to see him properly, all I know was that he was fairly light-skinned.  To my horror he was only a few feet away from my door. He was sidling silently against the wall in his "takkies"  and I knew his intention was to force me back into the flat.

Fortunately I have very quick reflexes and so I shut the door and locked it, but by the time I got the safety chain in place I was shaking like a leaf in a very strong wind.

Now I stood there, fully aware of the danger we were in.  I had no telephone, it was probably well after eleven o'clock, most people were already sleeping.  What to do?

I remembered that my late father had always told us to pretend to be asleep if we ever had a burglar in our room and never to turn the lights on.  But this was a  totally different scenario - this "bloke" had tried to force his way into my flat with me fully awake.

Also putting lights off would be a futile exercise as the landing lights outside produced enough light to make the inside of the flat "visible."  There was also nothing to stop him from putting the lights back on.

These were the thoughts rushing through my mind, when I realized that the  key to my front door was on the bunch in the back door.   If I needed to run I would  have to use the front door so I fetched the keys and as I put the key into the lock I heard a "click" sound from the vicinity of the kitchen.

Fearfully I told myself that I had imagined it, but then I heard the second "click."   Now I was really terrified, this second "click" was too distinct to ignore, so I forced myself to enter the kitchen.

The kitchen window was on the left side wall and actually consisted of four fanlight type windows. Only the left and right ones could open and neither of them were burglar proofed. Also because of their height there was no need for curtains.


The windows in my story were smaller than this.


They were high enough for my fridge to stand under them on the left hand side with a bit of space between the fridge and the windowsill.

In order to look out of these windows one  would require a small step ladder and then you would only be able to see the next door house's rooftop.


For an intruder to gain entrance through this window, he would have to climb the outside drainpipes and he would need some acrobatic work to get through as the window was so small. Before this incident took place I would never have thought it was possible.

The one advantage he would have was time. He could take as long as he wished without the risk of being discovered, because in the darkness of the night, high up on the drainpipe he would be completely invisible.

In hindsight I realized that the intruder had already tried this route (when I put the milk in the fridge I had noticed that the latch was off this window) and that was why he had so brazenly tried to force his way in through the door, he already knew how difficult it would be to gain entrance through the window.

Now I was facing the fridge in the semi dark kitchen and as I watched the window lifted outwards. I was unable to see the person behind the window.

A million thoughts rushed through my head.  Was this real?  Was I dreaming?  What can I do?  

If I took my daughter and ran, what about my son? If I took my son what about my daughter?

   I couldn't take one and leave the other and even if I had the time where would I put the one I took while rushing back for the other.  How does one dump a sleeping child  on the pavement, out in the cold in the middle of the night, and then run back to fetch another?  



It wasn't possible for me to take them both at the same time.  I would have to carry the baby, but my son slept so soundly I would never get him awake to run with me, and even if I could, I would most probably alert the intruder as to my intentions, which could have disasterous results. 

I also did not know whether I was dealing with only one intruder - there could have been others that I was unaware of.

On impulse I decided  that, in order to survive, I had to leave both children and get outside help as quickly as possible. So I left the flat in a frenzy, clad only in my pajamas. If I had been naked it would have made no difference, all such thoughts were beyond importance, climbed over the low wall and banged on my neighbour's door.

It seemed to take forever for him to open his door and when he did I could see that he did not believe my story.

He was also in his pajamas but I noticed that he had taken time to put his shoes on. I could see the doubt in his eyes. He was probably thinking that I, as a single mom was trying to entice him into my flat, but nevertheless he reluctantly followed me.

Once in my flat I was too terrified to go further than the passage and from there pointed out the location of the window. From this vantage point I watched as he walked nonchalantly through the door.

Within a split second his whole attitude changed. It was as though an electric shock had gone through him.  His whole body jerked, and then he sprang to life, grabbing an empty long stemmed glass bottle off a shelf he began swinging it around in defence mode and shouting in Afrikaans:

"What are you doing here?   What are you looking for?  What do you want?"

But all the while keeping his distance from "the bloke"

By this action he allowed "the bloke" the time needed to wiggle backwards out of the window, slide back down the drainpipes and vanish into the night.

I learned afterwards the he kept "the bloke" at a distance because if he got too close "the bloke" could have used him as leverage to propel himself into the flat.  He also said that he wished to avoid physical confrontation as he was unarmed and he did not know whether the intruder had a knife.

He then went home to phone the police and send his wife to comfort me.  After all the adrenaline rush I was now a shaking, shivering wreck. I had no control over my jawbone and couldn't stop the chattering of my teeth.

When the police arrived they asked for wire hangers and then wired the culprit windows shut.

Then after everyone had gone I sat in my flat, too afraid to go to sleep, in case the intruder came back.  The police had told us that when the bad guys wanted  to get in nothing could stop them.

I now wish to tell you about God's protection in this story;

When I got home from work that evening, I had intended to have an early night because I was so weary, but changed my mind as I had a few things I felt I needed to do.

Firstly, if I had gone to bed as intended I would have been sound asleep and would have woken up with the intruder in my bedroom, entirely at his mercy.

Secondly, Paddy from downstairs had alerted me to the danger I was in. The next day when she heard what had happened she said that she had climbed the stairs to my flat four times and turned  back three times because it was so late. But the fourth time she had felt "compelled"  to knock on my door. If she hadn't done so this story would have had a very different ending.

Thirdly my next door neighbour said that when I banged on their door, her husband was reading a book, if he had been asleep it would have been impossible to wake him.  Here again there would have been a bad and different ending.

Also on hindsight as already mentioned, I realised that the intruder had already made some progress to enter the flat. When I put the milk into the fridge I had noticed that the latch was off the left hand side window, which in itself was unusual as I never opened those windows.

This meant that he had most probably been on the drainpipes at the window before Paddy knocked on my door.

After listening to our conversation he knew he would have to wait until she returned with the milk and I was alone again.

When she took so long to leave he had grown impatient and climbed the stairs to see what was going on and when she left so suddenly he seized the opportunity to gain entrance through the door.

We serve a mighty God.  Did you see God's protecting hand in this?   Do you like me  believe in miracles?  

AT ITS CORE SIN IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD'S LAWS

AT  ITS CORE SIN IS REBELLION AGAINST  GOD'S LAWS

Did you know that God, as the creator of the universe is the One Who makes the rules?

He has given you, His creation free will to choose whether or not to obey Him - but there are consequences for your choice. 

 If you choose Him He will never leave you nor forsake you, He will be your best friend, your provider, your protector, your strength and your shield - in fact He will be all you will ever need.

If you reject His rules - this is sin -  

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Rom 6:23

You can either be a victor over or a victim of Satan - both spelt with six letters - which one are you?

In Genesis chapter 3 God shows us how first Eve and then Adam because of their disobedience became Satan's victims.

God had told them that is they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die. Satan  told them that this was not true.

They chose to believe Satan's lie and by so doing they brought upon themselves the curse of sin and death, and all of their descendants were and will always be born sinners, because we have their sinful blood running in our veins.   This makes us all victims.

1st John 1;8 - tells us that is we say we have not sinned the truth is not in us - it is politely telling us that we are liars.

THERE IS ONLY ONE REMEDY FOR SIN.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might no perish but have everlasting life."
John  3:16

Jesus- God's Son (the Spotless Lamb of God) died a cruel death on the cross at Calvary to set us free - He did not only suffer physically, which in itself is a most cruel way to die but He had all the filthy, ugly, disgusting, sickening  sins of the world (everyone's) past, present and future poured out upon His Pure Sinless Soul.  

One sin is abhorrent to God - we cannot even begin to comprehend the enormity of that suffering, the weight of the sins of the world, poured out on one man. 

In John 1:29 - John the Baptist says these words
                         when he saw Jesus walking 
                         toward  him -  "Behold the Lamb
                         of God Who takes away the sins 
                         of this world."

In order to become a Victor and escape the clutches of Satan, you must do the following:

Romans 10:9-10
If you declare with your mouth that 'Jesus is Lord' and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with the heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with the mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Now say this prayer  " Dear Lord God, I know that
I am a sinner and I admit it.  I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins. Jesus please forgive me for my sins and come into my heart and life and become my personal Lord and Saviour. Thank you for hearing my prayer and for saving me." 

 Now rejoice and say  "I am saved!"

You are no longer a victim, you are now a VICTOR thanks to Jesus. He has set you free.  This is just the beginning of your walk with God.

Now find a church where the full gospel is preached, belief in the Trinity, belief in the blood of Jesus, belief in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and belief in water baptism.

Also study God's Word and saturate your mind with His instructions

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
James 4:8