adventure # 18: the purpose of prayer

Hello dear friends and fellow adventurers

This week's adventure is all about regaining a place of intimacy with the Lord. 

Monday

Watch the video. 

Tuesday

After I prepared my video on this topic, I came across this quotation by Graham Cooke: -

"Real warfare in the Kingdom of God is always concerned with a battle for intimacy."

Where are you in your battle for intimacy with God? Can you see that the enemy is throwing everything at you to rob you of this? But..what do you say?!

Wednesday

Spend some time today just worshipping and thanking God for who He is and for the BIG, unchanging graces He has given you - like eternal life, a home in Heaven and forgiveness for your sins. You can use the playlist below to help you. 

praise and thanksgiving playlist

Thursday

Nothing, nothing, nothing in this world has the value that intimacy with God does. Every circumstance in your life has the ability to produce greater intimacy with God for you, if you let it. 

Friday

Are you facing a sadness, a difficulty, a mountain? Pray for the goodness of God to come down, because we really do overcome evil with good.

Saturday

Allow me to introduce you to a dear brother in the Lord, Micah Turnbo. I just love his fresh, unfeigned approach to the things of God. 

Sunday

Go. to. church. 

Until next week, be blessed. Avante! 

Winter wanderings

WIND, RAIN? WALK!

Apparently the mayor of Cape Town and a special task force are trying desperately to persuade people other than Capetonians to visit Cape Town in winter. Its true. I heard it on the news. It's going to be good for the local economy. But, wait a bit, who cares about the local economy? Who on earth chooses to live in Cape Town because of the economy!? I object to this promotional scheme. Winter is the only time of the year that we get Cape Town to ourselves. Besides, everything's cheaper once you visitors have left. Oh sorry..didn't you know that?  

Winter is a strange dichotomy between comfort and fortitude for Capetonians. As the vigorous rains and truculent north-westerly winds of winter approach, Capetonians develop an almost irresistible urge to 'get out in it' - to pull on the galoshes our grandparents used (we're sentimental about things like that) and rain coats and go tramping through the dripping, slippery-floored forests for mushrooms (which we bring home, fry up and pray they don't wipe out the whole family). The more storms lash the Peninsula, the more roads are flooded and trees uprooted, the more gleeful we become and the greater the urge to 'get out in it' becomes. 

Of course, we do also love snuggling in front of fires with mulled wine and bowls of tomato bredie. And staying in bed for days on end, nursing a cold. But that's normal, isn't it? The instinct to hibernate is gentle, it doesn't descend with the feverish demands that the 'get out in it' urge does. Tis a strange thing indeed to be born on the southernmost tip of Africa. 

In the Cape, we refer to winter as The Green Season. This year I decided to take full advantage of the lower rates of The Green Season and book 3 fantastic mini getaways that would help me feel as thought I was celebrating winter in a meaningful and chic way. And here they are:

adventure # 17: your prayers are honoured

Hello dear friends and fellow adventurers

Today I'm introducing a short series on prayer, starting with what prayer looks like from Heaven's perspective.

Monday

Watch the video. Here it is for your convenience.

Tuesday

Read this short explanation about being a child of God

Wednesday

Give some thought today to how differently you would think and feel and behave if you were always aware that you are the beloved child of the kindest and most powerful Person in the Universe. 

Thursday

Watch this simple, sweet testimony about prayer. Allow it to build your faith in prayer. Now spend a few minutes talking to Jesus. 

Friday

Enjoy this 10 minute teaching on believing prayer by Cindy Jacobs.

Saturday

I take pleasure in introducing you to a fantastic gift to the Body of Christ. 

Sunday

Go to church and enjoy praying with your brothers and sisters. 

Until next time,

Avante! 

Hibernation projects

READ. WATCH. SORT.

Hibernation projects. They’re the kind of projects you probably wouldn’t tackle in summer because they lend themselves to long, dark winter nights, to a slowed pace of life, to snuggling indoors and to a less energetic but more contemplative season. Here are 4 projects I'm going to tackle this winter - I hope they inspire you to get more about of this season than just a new way to moan about how cold it is. 

1.  Read a classic 

Can there be anything nicer in this world than snuggling up on your couch with a hot drink to hand and a good book to read? No. But there isn’t always time for that little luxury, is there?  But winter gives you time, winter slows time and whispers…read...read. One way to feel better about the fact that you're spending hours in a supine position with a book in your hand is to tell yourself that its 'improving', so..read a classic. If you're not sure what to read, here's a cute little quiz you can take that will help you. 

http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/03/quiz-classic-read-next/

I’m going to read Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier and The Gambler by Dostoyevsky. What are you going to read? 

I already have a video about reading classics up on my Youtube channel so I’ll put it in here in case you never got to watch it. It's in the form of an interview with Fiona Veitch Smith, the editor of my first book, Sharkey's Son  and an author in her own right. 

2  Sort something

I follow the Kon Mari method of decluttering and sorting. Have you heard of her? If not, here's a link so you can find out more about this little Japanese dynamo, Marie Kondo

I'm going to sort out my huge box of muddled up photographs. Do you have anything in mind? 

3.  Binge watch a series 

Why not? I'm not suggesting you take a week off work to do this..just spend every evening or every weekend evening..watching one of those series that really makes your life feel better. I know, I know..some series start out so promising but before long have morphed into an immorality feast. Here's a link to the Top Ten Clean TV Shows

4.  Select a Bible study 

Winter is a great time to do a really meaty Bible study. Here are some links to Bible studies you can do that I would recommend. 

King's Cross Training

This is the ministry that my husband and I pioneered. Check out our courses here

And finally, do watch my Hibernation projects video below.