Congratulations.
As a congregation we extend our congratulations to the Botha family.
Pastor Robert has made us all very proud to receive his Masters while holding down 2 jobs.
Pastor Robert and Gail's daughter ,Emma, has been made Head Girl of the Hatfield Christian School for 2011.
We praise God for his hand on the Botha family as they have faithfully served our congregation and their other committments with their whole hearts.
Botha family we are so proud of you all and grateful that you are a very special pastoring family. Well done. Read more!

Hear God in the garden

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
Song of the birds for mirth.
You’re closer to God’s heart in the garden
Than any place else on earth.
Taken from a poem by DF Gurney

My grandmother used to often quote this to us as children and when I read it again in a gardening book, it brought back wonderful memories of my family and the many gardens we have shared. It is certainly very true that working with the soil and being in nature makes a person aware of the creative power of our God.
As spring approaches it is as if nature is bursting with the energy that God created for it to show. David of the Bible was so aware of this as he wrote in the Psalms about the beauty of nature and many others down the ages have enjoyed nature and specifically gardening.
Psalm 8v 3: “When I consider Your heavens,
The work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,”

Psalm 19v1: “The heavens declare the glory of God
And the firmament shows His handiwork.”

African Proverb: Knowledge (spiritual as well) is like a garden; if it is left
uncultivated, it cannot be harvested.”

As the garden grows so does the gardener.

Gardeners are like doctors…they bury their mistakes.

Think small. Planting tiny seeds in the small space given you can change the whole world, or at least, your view of it.

A garden is a great teacher: It teaches patience and careful watchfulness, it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
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Everything Has Its Time.. In each season or time we are called to move in the most excellent way of unfailing, all forgiving, all enduring, eternal love.

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted.
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down
And a time to build up;
A time to weep
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silent,
And a time to speak.
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

Just by reading this there is a rhythm, a sway and a beat to the words that vibrates in one’s soul.
We need to discern and know what beat and rhythm we are swaying to. We need to understand the times we are in.
To realise God’s promises in our lives we must set ourselves to God’s beat. His beat is His rhythm, sequence, order, structure, and timing for our lives. If we miss His timing by moving too fast or too slow we’ll fall out of step, and that will affect everything else.
We are not flowing in His rhythm when we figure we can help God birth His promises with our own reasoning; when we get out of step because we are not listening to His voice; when we move to someone else’s beat or constantly seek other’s advice.
For every problem and situation we are praying about, there is a set time for its answers. When we see others flowing in their giftings, we may have to step back and support them, knowing that the same God who has called their season today will call ours tomorrow.
The writer of Ecclesiastes continues to say that ‘ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts…I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it.”
May our prayer be “ Lord, teach me the timing and sequence You have set for my life so I can dance to Your beat for me. May I know the assurance of your eternal purposes in my life and in the fruit of my service”.




Taken from a talk by Pam Ferreira, Ecclesiastes 3,1 Cor 13 and words by Ginger Lindsay.

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30 Second Speech by Bryan Dyson - Former CEO of Coca Cola


Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.
They are friends, family, work, health and spirit and you are keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls-Family, friends, health and spirit- are made of glass. If you drop one of these they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.
They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time.
Give the required time to family and friends and have proper rest.

Value has a value only if its value is valued.


Ecclesiastes 3

To everything there is a season.....A time to love...a time for peace.

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The 1st Shona meeting was held at the Eastlynne Community House on 28th March 2010.The attendance was 16 Adults and 5 children.There was a real sense of the presence of God as various people shared their stories of living as foreigners in South Africa. Even though some of these tales had some sad content, others shared words of hope and encouragemnt. Thanks to all who attended and helped.The next meeting is Sunday 25 April at 13:30.
If you know anyone interested to join in please contact Taka and Beatrice Sande Taka.Sande@bigenafrica.com
Enjoy the photos. Read more!

Hope

The world's view of hope differs greatly from that of the word of God. Paul in his epistles speaks of patience or perseverance of hope (1 Thess 1:3 ) and hope that never fails. (Rom 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint..). The writer of Hebrews compares hope to an anchor to the soul that is steadfast and sure. Heb 6:19. There is a righteous hope and a false hope. Optimism alone cannot save us from despair.However we can have a living hope that is grounded in God.
Out of Meditations by Selwyn Hughes
Submitted by Trudie Read more!

Christ, Our Life by Francis Frangipane

Christ, Our Life

For many, Christianity is simply the religion into which they were born. For others, although Jesus is truly their Savior, their relationship with Him is hardly more than a history lesson, a study of what He did in the past. For those who truly love Him, however, Christ is Savior and more: He is their very life (Col. 3:4). When Jesus is your life you cannot go on without Him.

There is a story of a man who, in search of God, came to study at the feet of an old sage. The master brought this young man to a lake and led him out into the shoulder-deep water. Putting his hands upon his pupil's head, he promptly pushed him under the water and continued to hold him there until the disciple, feeling he would surely drown, frantically repelled the old man's resistance. In shock and confusion the young man resurfaced. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. His teacher looked him in the eyes and said, "When you desire God as you desired air, you shall find Him."

Was this not the attitude of psalmist when he wrote, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God" (Ps 42:1)? You see, there is a place in seeking God where our heart goes beyond the limits of desire, where the actual issue becomes one of survival. I need Christ as a drowning man needs air and as a parched deer needs water. It is here, where we feel we cannot exist without seeking and finding the reality of God, that our deepest passion is fulfilled.

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