| First Published in Kouga Express | Before I came into this world, my parents decided on two names. If I was to be a boy, I would be called André, after my paternal grandfather. But if I turned out to be a girl, I would get the name Vicki. They were very specific about …
My early years were spent climbing trees with friends, going to the park with friends, and riding bikes with friends. My whole childhood was filled with friends – friends that I made on the street, friends at children’s church, friends in school, friends at friends’ houses, etc. Everywhere I went, I collected friends like I …
We kicked off the weekend with an alumni meeting, then an Encounter Evening at Global Leadership Academy. The next morning we did Treasure Hunt on the streets of Jeffrey’s Bay. On Sunday afternoon, we had a gathering at Grant’s place. It was a weekend filled with Spirit-led moments, radical encounters, prophesying, worship, etc. Herewith, a …
During Encounter Night on Friday 24 September, I was stirred by Holy Spirit to prophesy over the fathers in the room. But quickly other things caught my attention, and soon I completely forgot about it. I was reminded of it again when I attended Wave Point’s service that following Sunday. Pastor CJay shared with us …
It was a morning in paradise. With the sun shining on my face and the turquoise ocean in my view, I truly felt blessed. My mom and I were collecting shells on the beach, something which Jeffrey’s Bay has a wide variety of. As a newcomer, picking up shells is still a highlight for me. …
The Year I Start: I am 15 years old, and I start to write. Yes, the words flow out of me, and they bring healing – but only up to a point. I sit at my desk, pen in hand, paper in front of me. I have a mental picture of someone – or something …
‘Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time.’ Isaiah 57:1 Ever since my mom and I moved to Jeffrey’s Bay about seven months ago, I’ve often found myself thinking of my father. He grew up in Adelaide, a small town about 300 km from Jeffrey’s Bay, and he had fond memories of …
| First Published In Kouga Express Newspaper | A few nights ago, I awoke from a startling dream. I sat upright, and checked my alarm clock. It was four a.m. on the dot. ‘Great,’ I muttered out loud. ‘Now I’m going to struggle to sleep again.’ As I tried in vain to go back to …
| First Published in Kouga Express Newspaper | Some things can be replaced: a lost key, sunglasses, a cosy jersey. Other things take more time to get restored: money, old houses, broken-down cars. Even relationships can get a second chance once new life is breathed into them. But time can’t be restored – or can …
It is a Friday afternoon, and I am part of an encounter session at Global Leadership Academy. Peaceful music plays in the background, but I do not have peace. I am restless, fidgety, overwhelmed. I have too many plans, projects, and ideas that I still want to tackle. But there’s so little time, and I …
| First Published in Kouga Express | As a child, I didn’t like it when people saw my hearing aids. I did everything I could to hide it: I wore my hair down as often as I could; I even braided my hair sideways. When people saw my hearing aids, their demeanor towards me would …
‘Everywhere I go, I’ve been praying for the people: ‘Lord, restore their wild heart. Restore what religion called rebellion, what culture labeled too radical, and what tamed them from being the undignified lovers they were called to be.’ Right now, I pray that over you too.’ Nate Johnston Lately, I’ve felt something rising up in me. …
‘Because of the purity of your hands, God will rescue the ones who are not innocent… Through God’s grace in your life, the guilty will escape.’ Job 22:30 As a child, my hand was safe and sound in my mother’s hand whenever we crossed the street. ‘Look left, then right. Then left again,’ she would …
Four months ago, my mom and I moved to Jeffrey’s Bay. But before we made the big move from Bloemfontein, we came to Jbay for a weekend to scan and survey this land of Canaan. We looked at houses for rent, made queries about wi-fi networks, tried out the local restaurants. The first thing I …
| First published in Kouga Express | One of the most fascinating passages in the Bible is the one where Jacob wrestled with an angel. I have so many questions: Why did the angel come to Jacob? Why did he come at all? Why did he strike Jacob’s hip? Why did he leave him crippled …
| First Published On This Engrained Heart | We each have five senses for a reason. Our eyes – it helps us not to bump into things. Our ears – help us to follow conversations. Our tongue – to taste food better. Our nose – to stay away from smelly stuff. And lastly, our sense …
Three years ago, my mom and I moved back to Bloemfontein. We landed right in the middle of a severe drought. After experiencing an abundance of afternoon thunderstorms in Johannesburg, it was a huge adjustment to find ourselves in the middle of a Free State desert. Water restrictions were everywhere; even my grandmother had long …
| First Published in Kouga Express | Sometimes the thing we are afraid of doing is the same thing we must do. On the other side of fear is our destiny; it’s where endless possibilities await. When we give in to fear, we give up on our future, our voice. Recently I did a motivational …