7 THINGS:

I was tagged by Carin to write seven random/weird things about myself. Here they are:

1. I was born in Windhoek and spent the first 17 years of my life in Namibia. I have since lived in South Africa, but I carry in my heart a great love for the wide, open spaces of Namibia - where you can look over vast plains without seeing a single sign of human habitation, and for the desert - where you can hear the silence, a silence so loud that it makes your ears ring.





2. I’m the youngest of six, but grew up as an only child. Let me explain: My Father had one daughter from a previous marriage and my mom had three daughters and a son, also from a previous marriage. My brother, the youngest of them all, is 12 years older than me and went to a technical school for the last 5 years of his schooling, which left me as an only child at home.





3. My dad, born in 1905, fought in Egypt during the second World War. He got injured and spent some time in hospital in Cairo. He died in 1980, when I was 18.





4. I am not a very social type of person, but I value friendship immensely. I don’t forget friends, even if somehow I lose contact with them. I always wonder about them and if I have a chance, will try to contact them.





5. I love being creative. Painting, photography, sewing, gardening, cooking, playing the piano, scrapbooking, pottery.... I love reading and researching something that captures my attention.





6. I enjoy the simple things in life: Sunshine through my window, birds in the garden, a meal on the verandah in the evening, a flower opening... I love interacting with nature, walking in the veld, following a riverbank, having a picnic under a tree, camping by the sea...





7. I love bright colours. I will often wear colours together like orange and pink, or red and orange. To me colours are a celebration of life. If I had to live in a room with powdery blue walls, I would find it quite depressing. In fact, I had to do that once, for a few months. I coped by draping material with a bright orange, blue and red design (that I printed myself) over the chair (which, I think, was also powdery blue :-)).
   
   

The Radiance of HIs Face

The Radiance of his Face

Your face, LORD, I will seek. (Ps 27:8)

The greater part of what follows, I have gleaned from an "Israel Teaching Letter" written by Clarence H. Wagner, Jr, off the "Bridges for Peace" - Web site in 2002.

When we try to understand Biblical language, it is helpful to look at the word in the original language. We also need to keep in mind that the Old Testament is written from a Hebrew mind set, where the function of an object is more important, as opposed to the Greek mind set, which is more concerned with its form.

The Hebrew word for face is panim, which is the same word used for "presence". Eg. the showbread of Ex 25:30, called the bread of the presence, is written as Lechem HaPanim, literally the "Bread of the Face". In Israel, the Ministry of Interior is called Misrad HaPanim, or Office of Presence. Literally, this is the the government office that keeps a record of all citizens present in the land. Panim is also the plural form of the word, actually meaning faces. The face(s) of God represents the many facets of his character, like the many facets of a diamond. Note the word, facet, also has "face" as its root.

A person’s face identifies him. It reveals what’s inside of him; his emotions, dispositions and also his character shows in his face.

God wants us to look at him, to show him our face. He wants us to look into his heart; therefore He shows us "his face". In the Aaronic blessing (Num 6:25), the Lord says to us, "The Lord make his face to shine on you". The Hebrew word for shine used here has to do with luminescence, a light that glows from within. In the Bible, light is the essence of God’s presence. "God is light" (1 Jn 1:5) He lives in unapproachable light (I Tit 6:16).


To make his face shine on you is an indication of divine approval. He is pleased with us, like a king that is granting an audience to a subject, lifting his sceptre, extending his favour. That which is dross should burn away in his presence.

Daniel, when interceding for Jerusalem (Dan 9:17), asks God to look with favour on his desolate sanctuary. The light of God’s face brings salvation: "Turn us, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. (Ps 80:3,7,19)

Light symbolises life and prosperity. To see the light is to be born, to be alive. Light brings understanding. It is associated with life, salvation, wisdom, revelation. The entrance of you words give light (Ps 119:130). When the Lord lifts up his face upon us, He is smiling down on us, extending his friendship. Joy Dawson from Youth With A Mission once said, "Oh, the absurdity of thinking that any human relationship can match friendship with the living God! That is the justice of God to the single person."

Moses talked with God face to face, as with a friend (Ex 33:11, Num 12:8), Dt 5:4, 34:10). In what seems like a paradox, God tells Moses that "no one can see My Face and live. (Ex 33:20-23) Yet, Jacob said, "I have seen God face to face. John said, "No one has ever seen God" (Jh 1:18)
Until we die a physical death, none of us will be holy enough to directly see the face of God. But, I believe that God can open our spiritual eyes to see his Face shining on us.

He desires for us to seek his face, his presence. God created us to have fellowship, intimacy with him - face to face. Jesus promises us in Joh 14:23: "We will come and live with him". He doesn’t dwell in a temple anymore. He dwells in us. We are his temple. ( I Cor 3:16) His Shekinah glory dwells in us! The word, Shekinah, comes from a Hebrew root meaning "dwelling" or "resting". It is not in the Bible, but was derived by Rabbis to refer to the presence of God among us.

What a glorious comfort and joy: the eternal God, Creator of the universe - living in close quarters with me - on a daily basis. An ever present friend, counsellor and Father. Truly, "there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" (Pr 18:24)

All these glorious blessings (intimacy, acceptance, approval, God’s presence, revelation, life, prosperity, even salvation) are locked up in the simple phrase, "Lord, make your face shine on us". It is a wonderful prayer to pray for loved ones, lost ones and oneself on a daily basis.

Ps 105:4 - Seek his face always!

Refiner's Fire

Friday I was starting to feel a little bit down. During my quiet time God encouraged me as I was reading from Ps 118.
As I became quiet, I saw myself standing in God’s fire. The amazing thing was that the flames didn’t hurt me at all, and my heart was totally at peace and contented and my spirit was saying, "Burn your fire, Lord; purify me." I was happy to be cleansed, purified and made beautiful in God’s eyes.

This was very encouraging to me and reminded me of Isa 43:2 "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." as well as Mal 3:2 "He will be like a refiner’s fire.. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver ... refine them like gold and silver.."

Then, as it turned out, my memory verse for the day was 1 Pet 1:7 "These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes, even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory & honour when Jesus Christ is revealed."

I knew that, whatever situations in my life I was experiencing to be limiting or frustrating, were being used by God for his purposes in my life, that He was in divine control, and that the end result would be for His glory. That is enough for me. The Lord, once again, has proved to be my strength, my song and my salvation! All praise to him!

As the Rain ...

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return from it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields
seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my
mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10,11

I love gardening. I love putting things in the ground and seeing them grow. You plant and plant and then, one day, you walk through the garden and, oh, the joy! - there’s a new leaf on that little slip. Or there’s a flower forming on that plant that you planted weeks - or months - ago. A sure sign that something has been happening all the time, even though you weren’t aware of it. The plants just keep on growing, as the rain drenches the soil around their roots and the lovely sunshine warms them. You don’t see it while it happens, but suddenly, one day - you see the results!

Some time ago the Lord just connected this gardening experience for me with his word in Isa 55:11. That is exactly how it is: We sow his Word in prayer, we speak his word over situations, and we don’t see the effect. But He is working. Then, suddenly, one day: there it is: the result of our prayer! When I pray and I don’t see anything happening, God reminds me that I don’t see plants growing, either, but they are growing, nonetheless. And the results will surely come!

Eternal Light

After a relatively spiritually dry period in my life, where I was isolated from friends and fellowship, God made a way where there seemed to be no way. Hy made a way for me to get wonderful fresh spiritual input and stimulation. He had been sustaining me so beautifully that I hardly noticed that I was going through a semi-desert, but once the mist cleared and I could see new horizons, it was like my soul was just flooded with the richness of His glory and grace, and I wrote this poem to celebrate it.

There’s a light in my soul -
warm, secure, comforting.
Your oil burning -
being filled, replenished -
moment by moment,
new every morning,
illuminating
world upon world
of your glory.
The radiance of your face,
the YES of your Spirit -
a light-stream from
the Eternal Source,
saturating me
with your
extravagant
LOVE.