I used to work in the inner city. I would go out at lunchtime looking for a bite to eat, stretching legs and fooling myself that I was getting some "fresh air"... in the inner city... right (wink-wink). Anyway, I used to bump into this man - a beggar with a deformed jaw. He would tell people how we was injured in a fire when he was a baby, but he had found doctors at this hospital who could perform a surgical procedure to help him. He was begging to raise money for this. I used to wonder how on earth he chewed his food, because his bite - well, actually all his teeth - was completely misaligned. I wanted to make it better for him. I wanted to help him have the surgery. I wanted to make a difference. That's what children of God do, isn't it? 

I had a plan. So one day I took him aside and gathered all the details: which hospital/doctor, how much it would cost exactly, how long it would take, etc. I was going to raise the money, arrange to take him there in my car, pay the hospital bill and help change the world!

I raised the money between myself and my colleagues within an hour. I was so amazed at people's generosity towards someone they didn't even know. I was so excited to tell him. (Apparently he had been begging for this cause for a couple of years already.) I arranged to take him to the hospital - date and time. Finally the day came. He never showed up. Sad and disappointed I wondered what had become of him. Finally I returned everyone's money and let it go (or try to, anyway). Then, out of the blue, about two months later, I went out for some "fresh air" and lo and behold... there was the man, begging for money for a procedure to have his jaw corrected.

In the end it (sadly) turned out this man didn't want to be helped. It had become his meal ticket, so to speak, his excuse. Without his disability people wouldn't pity him and he would be a less effective beggar. So he chose to hold on to his disability.

I will never forget this man.

In the broken world we live in there are more people with disabilities than we realize. I speak of an invisible kind of disability - emotional brokenness - pain from rejection, abuse, betrayal. The world we live in is proof of it: rape, murder, violence, abuse, divorce, suicide... And daily the brokenness begets more brokenness. The raped becomes the rapist, the abused the abuser. The molested becomes the promiscuous, the deserted the deserter...

There comes a time when we realize that our behavior is not acceptable. At that time we are faced with a choice: do we continue or do we find help and change? Like the beggar's deformed jaw had become his excuse to beg, our emotional pain and baggage can just as easily become our excuse for sin. We not only end up using it as an excuse but as justification for sin. And instead of humbling ourselves before God and repenting of our sin, we tell ourselves that we are just human - that all humans make mistakes. Therefore we are no better or no worse. According to society's standards we fit right in with "normal".

But we are not called as children of God to fit in with this world's idea of normal. In fact, the Bible says that if we choose to be friends with this world, we effectively choose to be enemies of God.

You are like an unfaithful wife who loves her husband's enemies. Don't you realize that making friends with God's enemies - the evil pleasures of this world - makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, if you aim to enjoy the evil pleasures of the unsaved world, you cannot also be a friend of God. James 4:4 

We are called to live for his glory - to be salt and light. We are not called to be perfect - please don't misunderstand - but let us not settle for making every mistake in the book just because we have a past. I speak from experience when I tell you that our emotional brokenness (baggage) can trip us up (sometimes) real bad. We cannot run this race successfully and want to keep the brokenness and baggage. It would be like a man competing in a marathon with a ball and chain around his ankle and thinking he will win. You are fooling yourself. You are more likely to choke on the dust of the free man running ahead of you.

Does having brokenness and baggage mean all hope is lost?

No. Just like I took pity on that beggar and made a plan to help him, God has taken pity on us in his great love and made a plan to help us. He sent his Son, Jesus, to redeem us and restore us to righteousness (being in right standing with God). Jesus dying on the cross offers us reconciliation with the God of the universe - creator of all that is - the beginning and the end, the truth, the life, the way, the one for whom nothing is too hard. He is the only one not even remotely challenged by your past; not what's been done to you, nor what you've done. He already knows every detail and he already has every answer you need. Here's the thing though: you've. got. to. show. up!

Surrendering your life to Christ, humbling yourself and repenting of your sin, is just the first step. It is like being born. That first breath is just the beginning. After that starts the process of learning and growing - emotionally AND physically. You start learning about right and wrong, how to crawl, how to use the potty, how to stick a spoon in your mouth (and not up your nose). You learn speech, colors, etc. etc. Later on you go to school, learn about relationships and your body, how to work with money, driving a car.... it's endless, really. The point is: growth must take place. It is okay for a baby to wear a diaper, but if you see a grown man in one you would definitely think something is wrong. Growing spiritually is no different.

If I plant a pumpkin seed and after a year there's still no sign of a pumpkin, I think it is safe to conclude the seed has died. It either grows or dies. There is no in between. Therefore, if you've been listening to Biblical teaching and studying the Word of God for some time, you (and consequently your life) must change, or otherwise it shows something is wrong. We are called to bear fruit, and I firmly believe that what God touches - I mean really touch - must change. God is the giver of life. He cannot be anyone else. Therefore the seed of our faith must produce something over time resembling the God our faith is in.

"There is much more I would like to say along these lines, but you don't seem to listen, so it's hard to make you understand. You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others, but instead you have dropped back to the place where you need someone to teach you all over again the very first principles of God's Word. You are like babies who can drink only milk, not old enough for solid food. And when a person is still living on milk it shows he isn't very far along in the Christian life, and doesn't know much about the difference between right and wrong. He is still a baby Christian! You will never be able to eat solid spiritual food and understand the deeper things of God's Word until you become better Christians and learn right from wrong by practicing doing right. Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be." Hebrews 5:11-14

We cannot come to Christ and years later still be using the same old past as an excuse for sinful behavior. Our sinful behavior will keep us broken and on crutches. God's plan is not to train us to become Olympic standard runners with crutches. He doesn't long to prosper us as emotional and spiritual cripples (in bondage). This is not the plan God has for us. He wants to heal us and set us free. Not only does he want to liberate us from our past and our pain, but he wants to give us a new, better future. The question is: do you want to be helped? It will cost you, but believe me when I tell you it will ​be worth it!

Have you heard the saying "charity begins at home?" The Christian walk is similar. God loves you and he is intensely interested in your well being and your progress. But the day you were born (both naturally and spiritually) he also already had someone else in mind - every person whose life you would help touch for his glory. But if we don't heal, grow and change ourselves, it not only renders us less capable of helping ourselves, but also less capable to help others. How do you teach another how to run if you can't even crawl yourself?

Your healing is not just vital for you to live your best life, but it extends to those you were born to make a difference for. It is time to stop being afraid to look our pain in the eye and with God's help face the Goliaths in our lives, our minds and our past. It is time to stop making excuses and repent. We need to get to the place of laying our baggage at the feet of Christ and allow him to work in us and with us, so we may be liberated from it and start walking in the victorious and good plan God has always had for our lives. He wants us to be free - not because our past makes us inadequate or undeserving of his love, but because he knows we can be (and do) so much more without it! 

God has so much more in store for you. Won't you decide to lay down the baggage of your brokenness? Won't you choose to start on your journey of healing and redemption? Won't you lean into his purifying fire - even when it's painful - because the end result will be an invaluable treasure - worth more than silver or gold. May God lead you to a place where you are able to see beyond yourself to what God has called you to; to a life of fulfillment, joy and purpose. 

Don't let your past ('disability') be an excuse not to have the future God dreams for you. May you have the courage to let go of the familiar pain of the past for the unfamiliar and exhilarating adventure of wholeness in your future. Surrender to his unconditional love.

(2 Samuel 5:17-25)
​When the Philistines heard David had been crowned king of Israel, they tried to capture him; but David was told they were coming and went into the stronghold. The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim.

God has a good plan for you. Sometimes we start out well, pursuing it, then lose our way. Some perhaps haven't ever pursued God or his plan. But if there's one thing I've seen over the years, it is that the enemy will never be happy when you (decide to) start pursuing God's plan. In doing so, you become his enemy; a loss to his kingdom, a threat to darkness. If you were the devil and your only mission was to steal, kill and destroy, and someone tried to derail your plans, would you like it? Would you idly stand by and do nothing? Neither will he. So here God is promoting David into a position of power - David's time has come to rule over God's people - and what happens? The enemy goes after him. Whenever I step out in something I believe is obeying the Lord (following his leading) and things seem to come against me I try to see it as the enemy confirming for me I'm on the right track!

But here's the thing: we don't have to simply suck it up. Pursuing God is a very worthwhile goal. He promises to never EVER leave us. He has already defeated our enemy. Because of him we are more than conquerors. However, He is the vine and we are the branches. The secret to all of what God has for us is that we stay connected to the vine! So, if you're not connected, get connected. Then stay that way. Now, because David is connected, he can do this:

Then David asked the Lord, "Shall I go out and fight against them? Will you defeat them for me?" And the Lord replied, "Yes, go ahead, for I will give them to you." So David went out and fought with them at Baal-perazim, and defeated them.

Because David is connected with God through relationship, when the enemy pursues David, David pursues the Lord! He became acquainted with God while watching over his father's sheep. He saw God at work first hand in helping him defeat the lion and the bear. Now that he is in trouble he knows ​where he is safe. He runs to God for advice and instruction. There is absolutely no substitute for Godly wisdom, and who knows our enemy better than God. He's already defeated him, remember? When life feels like it is pressing you on all sides, run to the One who knows, and God will instruct you just like He did David.

You need to understand this too: the devil knows just how important your connection to the Vine is. If you are not careful he will make sure to try and keep you disconnected through guilt, shame and condemnation. He will tell you that you've failed, that you're not good enough, that God is angry with you; He will try to convince you that God doesn't want to help you. Anything to enlarge the chasm you feel between you and God when something has gone wrong. All he is doing is trying to prevent you from connecting to the very thing you need most desperately - that will restore life and victory to you. Don't let him succeed!

The next step, of course, is obeying God's instruction. Obedience is a very big deal in God's kingdom. It is such a big deal that God prefers obedience over sacrifice. Obedience is a form of worship. It is an attitude of heart and God honors it. But not just that, obedience also brings good results for us. So while you're obeying God, you're really doing yourself the greatest favor ever. You get to live with the reward of your obedience when the time comes. For David obedience meant defeating his enemy; Coming out on top! And isn't the view usually just awesome from up there?! 

What do people do who have climbed some famous mountain? They plant a flag. Something to say "I made it!" After conquering his "Philistine mountain" David plants a "flag". "The Lord did it!" he exclaimed. He burst through my enemies like a raging flood." So he named the place "Bursting". At that time David and his troops confiscated many idols which had been abandoned by the Philistines. David made sure to give praise where praise was due. He remembered to give God the glory. Asking comes so natural when we're in trouble, but do we remember to be thankful when God has come through for us? Even more, do we remember all we have to be thankful for even while we're still trusting God for a difficult circumstance or provision for a need? We should always be thankful. God is good all the time.

David's challenge is not over yet... Before the party can get started the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim.

When David asked the Lord what to do, he replied, "Don't make a frontal attack. Go behind them and come out by the balsam trees, attack! For it will signify the Lord has prepared the way for you and will destroy them. So David did as the Lord had instructed him and destroyed the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.

Thank heavens David didn't take the position of "been there, done that". He maintains his dependence on God - he stays connected - and he runs to God again. Know the Lord in all your ways and he shall direct your paths. Surely he instructs David yet again with a brilliant strategy. (I love the detail! He demonstrates just how he knows all things. What an amazing God we serve!) Again David obeys and again he kicks the enemy's butt! (I love it when that happens! It reminds me what fun it is to "bat" for the winning team.)

Are you in need of a battle plan? Don't wait till the enemy has worn you down. Run quickly to the one who knows exactly what you need to do to overcome. Follow his instruction with care and diligence. And don't forget to thank him. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is fare more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ. (Phil 4: 6)

Jonas Nightengale is a problem child, turned rebel teenager, turned conman healing evangelist now selling "real miracles, sensibly priced". Together with his entourage they roll into the small town of Rustwater, Kansas, with a broken down vehicle - very ironically - to the church choir singing "I've been lonely, I've been cheated, I've been misunderstood..."

Rustwater is a small town in desperate need of rain for their crops - simple, real (and sadly gullible) folk - prime pickings for the fake 'new kid in town'. On one hand the local sheriff is not fooled that easily and goes all out to try and prevent the people from being conned, and on the other hand is a cripple boy (Boyd) who needs a true miracle - one that Jonas can't offer. He had been for prayer before but the ministers told him he was not healed because he didn't have enough faith. He's been building his faith ever since and Jonas is about to meet his Match.

On the last night Jonas is busy "feeling another healing coming on" when he is confronted with Boyd wanting prayer and suddenly Jonas just doesn't have any "healing power left in him". Boyd is not concerned with Jonas though. His eyes are fixed on the statue of Jesus hoisted as a backdrop on the stage and he believes that if he can touch it - as a means of touching Jesus - he can be healed. It made me think of the woman that suffered with the issue of blood and believed that if she could only touch Jesus' hem she would be healed - and she was.

Jonas didn't quite expect a real miracle but the boy's faith was not in Jonas anyway. In the process Jonas' life is changed and so also a whole town by God's response to the faith of one cripple boy for a healing miracle. And then it rained!

This movie highlighted two main issues for me:

1. God can use whatever He wants to accomplish His purpose - even a fraudulent conman. The sheriff tried everything in his might to shut him down but he did not succeed. Fake or not, it sparked hope and faith in Boyd's heart that just maybe God could do it for him too. The boy was looking to God, not man, and God proved faithful. It reminded me of how God is able to work all things together for good. I don't believe the bad is from Him. There is only light in Him, but He is not so weak that the things of this world throw Him off balance and into a frantic panic, rendering Him as powerless as we are. Not the God of the universe, the God of the impossible - no siree!
   
   In Biblical times God often needed to set the Israelites straight when they wandered away from Him. He did it by letting their enemies triumph over them in battle so they would turn to God in their need and be reconciled to Him. God prospered their enemies to do this. It might seem unfair that God was siding with the enemy but they were merely chess pieces to accomplish His purpose. God didn't make Israel's enemies evil, nor did He bless them for being evil. They were already evil all by themselves. God just used it for His purpose, and once it was accomplished, He - in turn - dealt with them for their wickedness. In the same way God still uses things in the world today to accomplish His purposes: someone buying someone a meal, a shoe lace that breaks and saving someone's life from the 9/11 disaster, an anonymous letter in a mailbox, a campaign saving a girl from human trafficking, or a home for a baby whose parents had died of AIDS, etc. What the enemy intends for harm God can use for good!
   
   
2. These false people pretending to be Christians sure hit the nail on the head. I heard a lot of the right words ('Christianese') - lingo - I saw a lot of the right gestures, the right songs, the right clothing, the right rituals, etc. and thought to myself how easily you can be fooled by the fake if you don't know what the real deal looks like. The Bible speaks of false teachers who will claim their half truths as the Truth. That is a big problem nowadadays; a half a truth sounds like it could very well be the real thing but it only contains enough truth to lead you astray - bait on a hook. It reminded me how important it is to learn as much as I can about the real deal so I would be able to spot the fake, the 'wanna be', and that I will not be swayed by the lies.
   
   We live in a world where people are not as uneducated as they used to be. The crooks who are harder to catch make sure they stay up to date with the developments in their field so they can continue to be succesful crooks. In the same way the devil - the father of lies - is not fast asleep in his mission to steal, kill and destroy as many lives as he can. For sure there is a spiritual battle going on every moment of every day. It might look Christian, smell Christian, sound Christian, etc. but does it align with God's Word - the Bible? God never contradicts Himself. Proverbs urges us to question and measure to the Truth of God's Word. Don't believe everything you see and hear. Be spiritually vigilant; watch and pray.

Above all - do not fear - God remains in control and His eye is on you! Just reach out to Him - He is everywhere!

What it must be like to not have the modern amenities of a kitchen with a stove to prepare a warm meal, or the nutrition that your body needs to keep you from getting sick.

How do you sleep when you have no blanket, or the one you have is not sufficient to warm you? How do you sleep when your body can’t relax, trying to generate enough heat for you to survive till morning? How tired you must be? If you barely sleep, do you ever dream? What it must be like for your life to be threatened over a piece of clothing, a blanket or maybe even a cardboard box shelter on a freezing winters night. They’re not interested in your Rolex watch or your diamond ring or your Mercedes Benz; just a blanket that could cause one to see another sunrise and one not to.

My feet can be freezing, but imagine having no shoes, or shoes with no socks. Then imagine the one set of clothing you have or the only blanket you own being soaked in the rain and for the next three days – if you make it – the sun don’t shine and the temperatures don’t rise.

Sometimes I want to fix all the problems of the world and sometimes I just cry. Sometimes I’m just glad I’m not God because there are a lot of problems in this world. But every time it makes me grateful for the warm bed that I sleep in, the roof that shelters me from the elements, a hot shower, a full belly, a hot cup of coffee, the shoes, the jacket, the love that fills my life.

​I might not be able to fix the world, but I know that somewhere, somehow I can make a difference. Someone can be warmer. Someone doesn’t have to be hungry. Someone’s life can somehow be better because of me... because of you.

John Maxwell said, “your attitude determines your altitude”. I was very much reminded of this again over the Easter weekend when my family and I went hiking.

We arrived early morning, very excited for the day ahead and looking forward to some quality time together in the beautiful outdoors. We started off real strong and highly motivated, and within ten minutes we had gotten lost.

“Ok, no problem, let’s just retrace our steps to the start and try again.”

The second time around seemed as if we got it right. It was quite the guessing game, as the starting point had no visible sign and to us – a few inexperienced city slickers – well, a tree looked like a tree, looked like a tree. But as we progressed it appeared as if we had got it right, so we kept going.

We had read the brochures and the website, and accordingly we were going to walk through beautiful mountainous terrain and a cave, cross over some awesome streams and pass by waterfalls, and even swim in a rock pool. We couldn’t wait. Alas, however, not many sights of any stream, and we kind of stumbled onto (what we assumed) were the rock pool, but we couldn’t be sure if this is the one we could swim in. The lack of trail markings had really thrown us for a loop and the sense of uncertainty slowly diminished the fun we had prepared for on the day. After all, the trail was supposed to be 5 miles long (8km) and we felt fit enough for that, but we were not prepared for how things turned out.

Eventually it became clear we had gotten lost... again, and finally, when we found someone with even half an idea of how to get back to our car, it turned out we would have walked double the distance to get back home. Our feet was already showing signs of blisters, the afternoon sun was toasty, the water supply was running low and the sun would set in just two or so hours. Heaven forbid we be stuck in the wilderness in the dark.

Attitudes started nosediving (fast) as emotions started running wild and even a few tears were cried. And all I could think was “Pull up! Pull up!" Right there, right then was the moment that could make the difference between lying down and dying in the desert, or getting out alive.

I thought of the movies I’ve seen where people have to survive in the wild in cold, dark and dangerous conditions with predators prowling around in the dark almost as if they could smell the fear, and how everyone with a “lie down and die” attitude did not survive. The ones who made it out were those who were able to fight the fight in their head; the ones who refuse to quit, who chose to be courageous and do what they had to to get back home; the ones who kept their focus and acted like they were going to make it. By golly, I was determined to be one of those!

When the Israelites had the first opportunity to enter the Promised Land they sent twelve spies to check it out.  Ten came back with detrimental reports on how huge the giants were and how there was no way they could be defeated – how they were like grasshoppers in their sight. But two spies looked at the same land through the eyes of faith – they took God on His promise – and they saw a land filled with milk and honey - same land, same giants. Right there was the moment the nation had to choose whether they were going to lie down and die, or pluck up their faith and courage and do it! Because God said they could.

Are you facing a difficult situation today and all you feel like doing is giving up? Have you lost your hope that nothing is too hard for God, or have you been trying in your own strength and failed? What you choose in this moment will make all the difference whether you die in the wilderness of your hardship, or make it through alive to your Promised Land. Will you have fear or will you have faith?

Sometimes the battle is hard and you feel a whole bunch of emotions you don’t know what to do with. Feelings are normal because we’re human. But you know what? It’s ok to cry as you cross the finish line. Who cares about smudged make-up or bruised egos? And besides, feelings change all the time. Don’t chain yourself to it. And when the going gets tough remind yourself that the only step you need to take right at any moment, is the ONE right in front of you – not the next ten or fifty steps. Keep your eye on that finish line. What matters most is that you cross it!

Do what you can and let God take care of the rest. He who promised is faithful. Rest if you must, but don't you quit!

than lost souls, and they use this behavior of some to justify their own choice to not give to the church at all. This, however, is not a new phenomenon. Think of the Pharisees of Jesus' day. He didn't let the few rotten apples spoil the whole Kingdom, and neither should we. There is good soil out there - people and organizations who are changing lives for the better by being Jesus' with skin on. I don't think we can ever make it so there will be no rotten apples, but we can certainly learn to know a tree by its fruit and stop taking bites from apples with worms in it, don't you agree?

In my memories life growing up was not a life of abundance. My parents worked hard to give us what we needed but it was pretty much paycheck to paycheck. I made the decision quite early on that I wanted more of what God promises: to generously provide all I need; to have what I need and plenty left over to share. God is not a God of poverty, of lack. Instead of being the one in need, I wanted to be one to help meet them. And so at a very early age I went out on my own and started working real hard pursuing this better life. I soon found out it wasn't going to be that easy (nor that instant).

​My tithing journey started at the bottom of one of the deepest valleys of my life. I had just come crashing down from living the high life as a young, married couple, to having to go back to being a single income, struggling divorced young woman - heartbroken and penniless. I was so deep in debt I couldn't see my way out of it - not for a very long time, anyways, and every meal had turned into an answered prayer. What a fine time for God to start nudging me about tithing, huh? Asking me to give away the little, itty bitty I had. Just how was I going to pay my bills then... let alone my debt? Of course I had explained all this to God... repeatedly... passionately, but nope, I still felt him relentlessly prompting me.

My next question was, "ok, how much then should I pay, and should I calculate it on before or after tax income?" I felt to just start doing something and go from there. I had to decide what I could give with a cheerful heart. I don't believe giving millions begrudgingly would gain you any reward, so attitude really matters to me. I started off paying what - at the time - equated to only one percent of my income. Legalistically it was a far cry from ten percent but it was one whole percent cheerfully.

As the months rolled by and my faith grew I felt to gradually increase my giving and once I got to half of what a tithe would be for me, I felt Holy Spirit nudging me to make the jump to the full tithe. In the earlier months I had witnessed God's faithfulness in my baby steps and so I decided to take a leap of faith.

Now, you don't need to be a genius to know when you pay out more money, you should have less money, right?  Therefore it should be harder to meet your financial obligations, not so? Instead - against any accounting equation I've learned even to this day - I suddenly seemed to have more money than before, even though my salary had not increased. Suddenly small things like shampoo or toothpaste would last up to three months, or my dish wash liquid up to eight months, and my car had better fuel consumption than anyone else I know - still to this day. Something certainly seemed to be multiplying somehow... (Yeah! God's grace and faithfulness to fulfill His promise in Malachi 3 and 2 Corinthians 9!)

Then there were one or two months where I thought I needed the money for something and I had skipped paying my tithes. Logically speaking one would think I'd have more money, right, but nope! On those months - no matter how hard I tried to pinch every penny - it would seem my pockets had holes in them.

Alas, I don't know how it works - just that it does! God's Work works!

So why do you think tithing is such an issue for God? He most certainly does not need our money; Everything in the universe belongs to Him. No, God desires your heart. He desires a heart that says, "I love and trust my God more than my money." For you see, no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)

If there is one thing I've learned in life it is that people spend their money where their heart is. Where is yours?

Let's say you would like to pay your tithe but you don't want it to simply line some rotten apple's pockets, what can you do? The Bible says you will know a tree by its fruit. So examine the fruit of the organizations you may want to join with, then choose fertile soil to sow into so your seed may yield an abundant harvest - not just for you, but also for God's Kingdom the way He intended it.

You know, if there's one thing God is passionate about it is people. And as much as there as those who use people's money to buy the next fancy car or Prada bag, there are those who are feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, digging fresh water wells, helping disaster victims rebuild their lives, helping the orphans, providing much needed medical & dental services, spreading the gospel, etc. just like Jesus tells us to do. It's not money that's the problem, it is whose hands the money is in. So I encourage you to seek God for wisdom so He may show you which path your money should take and may God Himself measure your reward. (Proverbs 3:6)

She secretly gave birth to a beautiful pup. A real undercover job, might I add; No one even knew she was pregnant. I'm only realizing now that no suggestions have been made for a name, so for my post I'm going to call him Shizam: like a rabbit pulled from a hat in a magic trick :) 

I’ve been watching little Shizam over the past few days and caught him napping and – what would seem like – dreaming. Yes! Dreaming! Wow! His eyes haven’t even opened to this world yet, and he can’t walk but he can d-r-e-a-m! 

Watching him I try to imagine what he is dreaming about. I imagine that he sees himself as a big, strong dog; a leader of the pack. When he barks others take note. I imagine him running free with the wind in his fur, tongue hanging out, jumping over fences and chasing the wind over miles of lush grass. Others respect him, and his enemies fear him. He is bold, he is ferocious, he is fearless. Even though he can utter very little else but a faint whimper right now, in his mind he barks loudly! He knows instinctively that he is a dog – he expects to walk, to run, to bark. He doesn’t wonder this - - - and he is only one week old. 

Watching him like this - and in light of my reading The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson - it has really given me something to think about. If this little one dreams only a few days after birth, how much more are humans born to dream - born with a dream? God dreams about us, you know? 

By the time you are born you are being delivered into greatness - - then life happens, and life happens differently for everyone. 

Today I’m talking to those for whom life happened in that you have been told that you are not worth it, that you will never amount to anything, that you’re hopeless, that you should stop dreaming stupid dreams that is never going to happen anyway, or that you are stupid. I’m talking to those who have started believing these horrible, hopeless things spoken to them. 

Today I am challenging you to realize that God has an awesome dream for you (Jeremiah 29:11). You dream because He dreams and He dreams big and wonderful dreams for you! He loves you so much and He has created you for something specific that no one else can ever do as good as you! God wants you to dream for you like He does!!! 

Think about it: what is in your heart that you’ve always noticed there but thought it was too good to be true, and therefore have kept pushing it from your mind. What is it that you have been wanting to do for so long but all you’ve accomplished till now is making excuses because you don’t think you can, or that things as wonderful as that are only intended for “other people”. What makes them any better than you that they would be deserving of a great dream? NOTHING! The only difference is that they believe in a dream and takes the courage to pursue it. They believe they can (and maybe they’ve been more fortunate in that they’ve had loved ones who also believed it.) You don’t believe you can.
 
Maybe it is time that you start believing something else: believing that YOU CAN! Believing that you were called by name for SOMETHING GREAT! Believe that GOD LOVES YOU, not because you’re perfect but because you’re beautiful in His eyes (Isaiah 43:1). What has your fear achieved for you till now? Maybe it is time to chuck it out and remember the dream that has always been in your heart. Maybe it is time for a change - time to leave fear and doubt behind! 

In the second part of the video clip mommy fetches Shizam because he had tumbled over the side of the bed; out of her reach. She goes after him and gently lifts him in her mouth and puts him back in the safety of the bed and the warmth of the blankets that smell just like mommy.
 
God does the same with us. He watches our every move and He teaches us and helps us and guides us (Psalm 32:8). Whenever we stumble away from his protection He comes to get us and put us back on track; in the safety of His will for us. He always knows what is best for us and He watches everything that concerns us every step of the way (1 Peter 5:7). He knows exactly what we need and when. 

Maybe you need to remind yourself again just how much He loves you and just receive it in your heart! Then start remembering the dream that has always been there since before you can remember. Then know that it is ok to dream it; it is ok to go after it, because if you stumble it will not be fatal. He holds you in the palm of His hand (Psalm 37:23, 24). 

You can do it because He says you can. Maybe you need to start saying what God says about you! Only believe ... and the dreams that you dare to dream really can come true...

The Rockefeller Center is among the last major building projects to have incorporated a program of integrated public art, hence many creative statues on display.  ​

Once I heard that Pennsylvania is not that far from New York City I felt excited. Maybe, just maybe, we could squeeze in going there then? I hoped. A few suggestions were made, one of which was to check with my friend, Nancy, whether she would be up to spending a day in New York with me and showing me around a little.

Nancy and I 'met' on Facebook. We have been e-mailing back and forth for about eighteen months but I have never met her in person. As excited as I was about the prospect of seeing the Big Apple I wondered if we would hit it off as well in person as we did in writing. The thought even crossed my mind, "What if we don't quite gel?" But then again, we had been chatting foreighteen months. Come one! The girl simply adores me! (*giggle*) I made up my mind that we weren't only going to be just fine, but we were going to have a blast - and we did!!

Initially when I found out that we were going to Pennsylvania I really wanted to make use of the opportunity to meet with Nancy but I didn't quite know what we should do for our memorable occasion. Initially I thought maybe just a simple meal at a restaurant or maybe just coffee. However, I have to be honest: those ideas were nothing compared to seeing New York!! Who would want to go for a breakfast if you can take a bite out of the Big Apple instead?!

Once I had mentioned the idea of NYC to Nancy she was in - boots and all! Within a day or two she had found opportunities for us to see as much as possible in the time we had available. We both knew that one day wasn't a lot of time and NYC is just too extravagant to fit everything in but she was determined and she did one hell of a job! Here's how it would go down:

We would take a bus into the city - a surprisingly short two and a half hour drive. That way we wouldn't have to be concerned with the stress of driving and traffic. Then we would have some free time to do whatever we wanted till our city tour started at 12:30pm. As part of the tour we would take a boat trip on the Hudson river - a very good vantage point for Lady Liberty herself. Afterwards, if we had enough time left, we would go for dinner, then back to the bus terminal and heading back to Pennsylvania. The best part: all for under $100! 

So before I get into the pictures and stories of the day - thank you, Nancy, for going out of your way to make this day as memorable as it could be. I wish we had more time but it gives me a good reason to go back there for more, and when I do, who knows, maybe they'll mistake me for an old New Yorker (for all I got to learn and experience on this trip). And thank you Garett for allowing me to have this adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed it - most certainly a highlight of our road trip for me. I very much appreciate having had the awesome privilege.

So without any further ado - let's go for it!

Initially Nancy checked the weather before confirming our reservations. It would be pointless trying to explore the city in the rain. The forecast looked good (29*F / -1*C) even though somewhat overcast with a 40 % chance of rain. Even so, Nancy felt sure that it wouldn't be a problem. For once the forecast was pretty accurate.

Above:  The New Yorker, an American magazine established in 1925, is well known for its illustrated and often topical covers, its commentaries on popular culture and eccentric Americana; its attention to modern fiction by the inclusion of short stories and literary reviews; its rigorous fact checking and copyediting; its journalism on world politics and social issues; and its single-panel cartoons sprinkled throughout each issue. It also has a wide audience outside of New York. (Source: Wikipedia) At night the sign lights up in red. (Source: Liane's logic)


Yip! The weather forecast was spot on: overcast. The one good thing I have to say about it is that it made for wonderful pictures. Many of the buildings are so high that you shoot up at the sky and they still don't fit into the frame. Now imagine trying that with the sun shining right into the lens. Minus the rain and trying to keep camera equipment dry I think the weather was perfect. And - gratefully - I did pack my umbrella and it served me well!

I imagine it becomes quite a clever shuffle as to getting them out if perhaps you arrived first, but is also wanting to leave first. Here's a little video clip demonstrating how it works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amHdmUXQ9Sc (Maybe again a little like picking candy from a vending machine: C3, B2, etc. The only catch is that you'd want to have the keys to the 'candy')