The Plans He Has For Me

I sat in church the other night, and I must have suddenly become tired or hungry or something. You see, when I'm tired or hungry, I become a very nasty person - anyone who knows me will testify to this. And as I sat in church, during the minister's sermon, I was just suddenly attacked by a seriously bad attitude.

The minister was giving a message on seeds, good soil, bad soil, birds and weeds - you may be familiar with the parable. But at one point, the minister asked the question, "Do you know what God wants you to do with your life? And are you doing it!?" 

Enter the Bad Attitude: "How should I know?! I don't know what He wants me to do, and I've been asking Him for years!!? How can you ask me that?!" 

Wow. My inner thoughts were like a slap in my own face. I'm quite sure that the Lord didn't fall off His throne in shock - He knows my heart better than I do - but I sure nearly fell off my own chair. Did I just think that?! Why haven't I been struck by lightning yet? 

Having recovered somewhat, I couldn't quite get my mind back on the pastor's sermon, and so I sat and chewed on the question for the remainder of the evening.

I have been feeling for quite some time now that something *B*I*G* is about to happen. In my mind, I see the Lord opening a door that I've dreamed of walking through, a door that I never thought would open for me. A door that I never even knew existed for me! I have no idea what is beyond this elusive door, but when I think of it, I'm filled with anticipation, excitement and gratitude. I can't wait to see how He's going to use me! But then... I get back into my reality, my daily life, and it all seems so... well... mundane. Frustrating. 

For a few months now, I keep being reminded of Joseph and his multi-coloured cloak. He was his father's favourite, and a dreamer. He dreamed of his brothers bowing before him. Then he dreamed of his brothers and his parents bowing before him. He dreamed of being a saviour and a ruler of the people. He knew that, despite being the youngest of 12 brothers, which already made him less significant as far as birthright goes, God had something huge for Him. He dreamed *B*I*G*. 

Ultimately, Joseph's brothers grew to hate him, and his parents rebuked him for his seemingly foolish dreams. He was abused and sold into slavery, and spent the next thirteen years of his life waiting for his dreams to materialize. Thirteen years! I'm quite certain that during those thirteen years of slavery, false accusations and imprisonment, Joseph must have grumbled about his destiny from time to time. Just the same way my heart did in church the other night. 

You see, I think that deep down I'm just afraid that my dreams are just that: dreams. And that I really will just live an insignificant life, leaving no legacy, making no footprint on this planet, having touched no lives, and perhaps scraping into Heaven by the skin of my teeth at the end of a very mundane existence. And that is why the pastor's question hit such a nerve last night: Do you know what God wants you to do, and are you doing it? 

Jeremiah 29v 11-14

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 YOU WILL SEEK ME and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

People usually stop reading at verse 11, because all on it's own, that is such a "feel-good" verse. You don't really want to risk spoiling it by reading anything further. And yet, the first time that I read verses 12 and 13, I was absolutely floored. And then verse 14: "I will be found by you". WOW.

The minister's question made me uncomfortable, because I don't know what the Lord has planned for me, and until He chooses to reveal it to me, I am to wait, as Joseph waited. Thirteen years? Who knows. But what I do know is that the only way I will ever see my dreams come to pass is to look into His Face. It's extraordinary that He asks nothing more from us. No rituals. No demands. No animal sacrifices. Just for us to get to know Him. 

Seek My face. I will set you free. 

Seek My face. I will restore you.

Seek My face. I will make you a conqueror. 

Seek My face. I will unfold plans that you can only dream of. 

Seek Me. I will be found by you. 

And this is where it hit me: DO I know what God wants me to do? YES! Could it be that mMy ultimate calling in this life is to simply seek Father's face, and get to know Him? Everything else is secondary, and any *B*I*G* plans that come to pass are only the by-product of my relationship with the Almighty. That really simplifies things and takes the pressure off me, trying so hard to figure out what the Lord has in mind for me... as if I could dare read the mind of God.

It probably isn't the kind of answer that our minister was looking for, when he asked that thought-provoking question, but if I think about it: what an honour. If I spent the next thirteen years looking into His Face, getting to know Him, it could be the most adventurous, wonderful thirteen years of my life

Psalm 20v5:

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

~Written by Kirsty Coetzee

Letting It Out

"Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them." ~ Bruce Lee 


We make many mistakes in life, yet it's being honest about those mistakes which really makes the difference. It's easy for us to be honest with God about our mistakes, since we can secretly tell Him what we've done wrong, and we know that He won't judge, think or love us any less or different. The tough part is speaking about your mistakes to people. Since  we've felt judged before by our family, friends and most of the time strangers. We tend to harden up over the years, and are afraid to open up about our failures to our neighbor. We struggle all alone. Silent and hurting. For fear of what they might think or respond. We limit ourselves from receiving help!

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." ~ Oscar Wilde

I've done this more times than I can remember. Over and over, I tend to revert back to my defenses. "It works" I'll tell myself, "nobody knows, and anyway, I'm sure nobody cares either!" I keep them all inside, and watch them evolve, piece by piece into massive monsters of repression and hatred. They always come out in the end. One day, when I'm not expecting it to. With all the suffering that I had to go through along the way, just to feel it explode nonetheless.

"The Lord directs the step of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by hand." ~Psalm 37v23-24

Life is worth so much more than holding on to our mistakes. Our faults and failures. Speak them out. Post them online if you have to. Just get them out. Be prepared for the repercussions, because there are people who will hear of your mistake and hold it against you. Don't be afraid of your imperfections. It is your flaws that makes your life unique to YOU! You'll feel free, and the load will be lifted.  It is when we lay down our pride, our shame and speak out what we did wrong, what we are sorry for, that we begin to open up room for forgiveness and freedom to flow. Someone around might just hear about your struggle and feel relief, that they are not the only one who went through that storm. A relief that you brought, a light of hope through your courage.  It starts with us taking that risk, no matter what, and letting it out! 

Bringing Your Side

There are relationships in my life that need work, there's a lot of pain, hurt and distance that requires healing. "I've done enough!" I'll say, "I've done my bit, now they must do theirs!” is what will come out, in an attempt to reassure my choices and actions. This is me, all Caught up in my pride, with a loss of peace and direction, stubborn and selfish. Seeking reason, instead of solution!


“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” ~Revelations 3v20


There have been countless times, where God has brought His side. Extended out His hand to me when I was lost and tied up in darkness. He would try to meet me half-way, waiting for me there, only just to see if I will come. Most times I didn't, which didn't once discourage God to turn away and give up on me. What I've found in my life, is that God doesn't just wait for us at the half-way mark, He'll go all the way, His half, as well as ours. He'll walk all the way to our door and knock, in the hope of us answering. Not just wait on the road, for us to come to Him. Too many times I would wait for the person in the relationship that I would be struggling with, to meet me half-way, to put their side in. What God has taught me, is to always do more. My savior always shows up, whether I want Him to or not, He comes to my rescue. Shouldn't I do the same?


"We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces whiles regret weighs tons." ~ Author Unknown


The cost for reconciliation is always worth the struggle. I speak from experience when I say this, that you don't want to be the person saying to yourself, "I should've done things differently. If only I had tried harder.” I've been in that position in the past, and it hurts when there's nothing more that can be done. "All I wanted, was just one more day, to make things right." Unfortunately that privilege won't always be there, we need to grab onto it while it is. I urge you, and I'm speaking to myself too, that we heal that hurt, mend that relationship, and we need to do it all today. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, let's not take that chance, and wait any longer!

Hungry For Prayer

The hungry. Those who attempt to fall asleep at night, trying to fight off the pains that scream from the inside. They battle daily for just something small to take away the agony. They struggle from one person to the next, asking, begging, hoping that this would be their lucky strike. Praying that the next person they ask will have it in their heart to help a brother out. "Please help, I'm starving!" He says. His words are said with desperation, with an almost  expectation to be rejected. Since so many have already turned away and looked beyond his situation. He smiles. It's a forced smile. A smile that perseveres through the harshness of reality.

"Hunger knows no friend, but its feeder." ~ Aristophanes 

I was blessed to see the world through the eyes of a fellow brother, suffering on the side of the road. He was playing his guitar, against the wall, waving a cup and asking for donations. It was early morning, and busy with people. I sat across this street musician, smiled and waved. We shared some words of greeting, names were exchanged. I was eating some maize meal, that I had just bought from the supermarket. "Why are you eating it dry?" he mumbled. His words were difficult to understand. I realized then, that he had a type of disability with the way the he spoke. "I'm quite low on money." I responded, not expecting much of a reaction from my newly met stranger. There was a pause. "Let me give you some money to buy some milk, and i can join you!" he very excitedly half shouted, as his eyes lit up and his hand dived into the half broken donation bag he carried with him. Still making sense of all that was happening, I proceeded to go to the supermarket to get us some milk. We shared the maize, now flowing in the luxuries of added milk. There we were, two strangers enjoying our breakfast on the side of the road. It started getting really busy at this point. People arriving from all directions. A man drove up on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Parked a few metres from us. Got off, walked straight up towards me, laid his hand on my head, and said "God, please help this man find a job." As he was walking away, I asked him to please pray for my new found friend too. Which he gladly did. I thanked him, and he left. This was wonderful, as it now sparked flowing conversations of God as the provider and protector between my new friend and I. He even proceeded to take out his bible. "I going to read this later," he said with a confidence and gratitude to the events that had just taken place. 

"Prayer is more than something we do. It's something that God does through us." ~ Ben Jennings

I was glad to be apart of this mans life, and grateful to have him apart of mine. A valuable lesson, and unforgettable experience was shared. The power of obedience and stepping out and praying for those that God calls us to, is a very important task, that we should not take lightly. It might just change that persons life.

God Knows Pain

"You may never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have" ~ Corrie Ten Boom

God knows pain. He had to watch from the side, as the world tore His only begotten son apart. He sits daily and sees the world fall into sin, suffering the consequences of wrong choices. Broken and barely alive, Jesus was placed on the cross. There even came a time when God had to turn away, as His son entered into His final moments. Till today, there doesn't exist a word to describe a parent who has lost their child. In the midst of hurt and torment, Jesus was all alone, and he was in pain, a pain that He chose willingly. To pay the price that would bridge the gap, and provide us with support in times of need.We can truly say, that 'Jesus took His last breath, so that we may experience the breath of God in us.' He experienced immense pain, without God. So that we wouldn't have to.

"God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, 

                                                                                         but SHOUTS in our pains." ~ CS Lewis 

An emotion that we've all experienced, tasted its' bitterness, and felt the sting of what it had to offer. It is seen as an enemy, a feeling of discomfort and heartache. We question the reasoning behind. Some might argue and debate why such a feeling even exists. We overcome one pain, only to be met by another soon after. It seems to be a never ending cycle. One that can only be changed by looking at it from a different perspective. Pain should not be a feeling that we run or hide from, worry when we anticipate a trial or hardship up ahead. Rather we should embrace and see the deeper meaning, the purpose behind the current circumstance we find ourselves in. It is in the midst of the pain, that we truly see what we are capable of, and in doing so, we discover what God is capable of achieving through us. Life doesn't stop when we are down and hurting, bruised and in agony. It carries on, with or without you on-board. What I have found in my life, is that though the world continues, God stops for a second, to come to your aid. He kneels down beside you and offers you His hand. He waits there with you, and when you are ready, helps you to stand up. For it is when we are weak, that He is strong. 

"Our problems are opportunities to discover Gods solutions." ~ Unknown

Vision For "Above The Flame"

Everything in life needs a vision. A purpose and motivation for its' very existence. What it is trying to achieve and by what means. The name is an important role in ones' vision, as it sets the tone of the entire project. It is the core foundation, and all that follows, is an extension of that first point. It creates the atmosphere, which surrounds all that is to come. This is the Vision, for "Above The Flame".

We're living in a world of darkness. A place where light is scarce and fear is around every corner. This place we call our home, is full of adversity. Situations change daily, people become hardened. What was once respected as the correct way of living, the righteous way to life and success, is now being pushed aside, under the table and away from us to see. The easy road is being taken more often, the road of quick fixes and instant gratification. Disregard for oneself and others, you could almost say has become the norm in our society.

The world might have become a different place, but we know our God is still the same. It has been polluted with lies and deceit, for which He has provided us with the truth. This truth needs to be spread, and that responsibility lies in our hands.

"Rising above the flames of life!"

As the description of this project states, we as a nation are to rise above the flames of life, the trials and the hardships. To conquer and to spread the love of His grace, freely given to us, and meant to be given to others. "Above The Flame" is dedicated to helping build the kingdom of God, well preparing the way for Jesus Christs' second coming. To come in all His glory and majesty, to set the captives free. It is a token of appreciation, for all that has been done for me, by my father in heaven. An offering of thanks and praise.

My hope for "Above The Flame", is that it would bless all those who read its' contents. That it may be a guiding light in times of confusion and heartache. A lighthouse for the lost at sea, and a shelter of security for those already saved. I pray that God would bless my words that I place into the pieces I write. I am merely just the messenger, and I give God full authority and control over this project. May His will be done, through the words that I lay down on the pages to come. Amen

The Tree Climbing Stupid Fish!

"If you teach a fish, that it can climb a tree... It will spend the rest of its' life, believing that it is stupid!"
~ Author Unknown

There's massive power in what you speak. You ultimately possess the potential to make a person reach their utmost and highest level of living. The being they were ultimately meant to be, full of life and energy. Filled with a desire for more, and a peace and joy that out weighs all struggle.

On the contrary. What you say can be a raging fire, a fierce and destructive force. Burning hopes and dreams to nothing more than ashes. Destroying confidence, self-worth, and happiness. Replacing them with hatred and depression.

We play an important role in the wellbeing of those around us. Our words resonate long after they have been spoken. In a sense they are a living life force. They carry with them an energy, a frequency of influence which comes with massive responsibility. An opportunity to bring out the best or worst in someone. Be aware of what you teach to those around you, just as every snow flake eventually leads to an avalanche. What you say, might be the final piece to break it off.

"Happiness isn't something you experience, its' something you remember"
~ Oscar Levant.

Be that happiness that they remember. Let your words echo a wave of beauty and love. A shining light, in a world crammed with harshness and dark outbursts. All being thrown around with no consideration of their impact they are having on the receiving individual.

Try speaking  life into the ones you're in contact with. A compliment here, a praise there is all it takes to make a change. The next time you're faced with a tough situation, and there's a temptation to fight back. Rather take the high road instead.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.."
~ Proverbs 15v1

This will save you a world of pain.

To conclude. Always place yourself in your neighbors shoes. You just might be the "tree climbing fish" one day, feeling "stupid" from false teachings someone has spoken over you?