I think we’ve all tried to bargain with God before, even if it’s subconsciously. “God, if you will . . . , I promise I will . . . .” It’s so much a part of human nature that some atheists and agnostics do it when they find themselves in desperate circumstances. Chris’ message this week addresses this because God has so much more in mind for His relationship with you. And who ever keeps up their end of the bargain anyway?

This is a message that changed me. This is something God has been doing in me for the last several years, and I’ve been able to teach it many times to moms around the world in the last few weeks. Just last night, I taught this to an international mom’s retreat through Zoom, and got to encourage women fro Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, America, Canada, South Africa and the UK. The spoiler alert is…

I was unsettled at the beginning of the week, looking for comfort, peace and something to make me feel good as we began another week of level 4 lockdown. I turned to God again and again, while simultaneously turning to my own abilities, lists, plans, comfort food, coffee, and on and on.

My man brought another powerful and vulnerable message at church yesterday. He sliced through the baggage of guilt and shame many of us carry around and offered a hopeful, healing alternative. This one comes from God’s Word and his very personal walk. Check it out here!

It's still raining! We're still in lockdown! We're getting creative - and using A LOT of exclamation points!!!

Day 1 of this rainy lockdown was verrrrrrry long. That night, I knew things were going to have to be different - for the good of the people. Life looks different right now, so we have to live it differently. We have much larger workloads than than we did during our first lockdown, and both kids have very different interests and needs. And also... RAIN.

My husband bared his greatest life struggle in his sermon on anxiety this Sunday. He was even more candid than I expected with the painful details of his battle and the toll it took on our marriage. The first 5 years of our 5 3/4 year marriage were the hardest of our lives. We were hard-pressed on every side, literally facing life and death.

Yesterday, Chris bared his vulnerability before his church and the entire internet. He gave an account of his anxiety that was so real and so raw, it shocked me. And I was there for it all! I am so proud of my man, and his story is one worth sharing. If anything, it might let you know you’re not alone on your darkest night. WATCH THIS!

Covid cases are escalating wildly again in South Africa. Borders are closing. Boundaries are being drawn in every area of life.

I submitted our last set of documents to our immigration lawyer yesterday to apply for mine and our youngest's visas. Here's to hoping Home Affairs doesn't close again and borders won't stay closed too long! We'd hoped we were at the end of our 6-year stint without seeing family, but we will just wait and see.

A story about the story: I wrote this article last week for Help Club for Moms, which is why it sounds a little more generic (appropriate?) than most of my other personal stories. BUT I wanted to share it with you here and tell you this one frenzied moment I begin with - and the way God met me in it - has intrinsically changed me. Forever. I think I said the same thing to Chris every night when we got into bed last week: “I’m becoming different from that one moment. I think God is doing something in me.” Isn’t He good? So, as you read today, I want you to take heart that God can change everything about you in the moments when you don’t even like you.

was learning that He created and commanded order from the very beginning. Check out Genesis 1 and 2. Literally, the very beginning. This week, I poured deep into the Biblical narrative of God’s created order. I spent 3 evenings teaching moms about it and felt like I was just scratching the surface.

I'm an (excessive) planner. Every moment, even every meal is pre-determined. They rarely happen exactly as I planned, but I plan for that too. I have to admit... this week has had even more unexpected twists than I planned for!

Tuesday night’s presidential address threw a spanner in the works! On top of 3 Help Club teachings this week, we’ve been busy re-configuring Sunday mornings and all the other days in between. It’s honestly thrilling to lean into where God is and let Him be God. We’re just the vessels, and it looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time online!

God started his salvation plan even before Jesus even set foot on earth. This week, Chris told the story of Abraham, and how it was the beginning of God’s great love story. He said, “Count the stars, Abraham. You will have more descendants than this.” No part of Abraham’s life was pointing to God’s promise. In fact, it seemed like it was too late. But God.

He is. And He always will be. All you have to do is choose to believe. He does the rest. Isn’t that GREAT news!?!

My life's direction has pivoted more than once while knee-deep in hurricane floodwaters. I have fervently prayed for more water as Cape Town faced "day zero", when we would run completely dry during a record-breaking drought. We need water to live - not too much, not too little.

One of my favorite parts of the week is called Southpoint Prays, when I livestream from Southpoint Church’s Facebook account. It’s a safe, encouraging space for the church to rally in the teaching Chris shares, take it a step further in practical application, and pray together. It’s been amazing to watch the church rally for prayer and find a sense of belonging virtually.

With the very deepest, greatest, furthest, widest kind of love, Chris stood on stage on Sunday and said, “We are all doomed!” He preached a powerful message with a hard to grasp truth. We have to realize we’re lost to be found. The GOOD news is that when we realized we are doomed without Jesus, His restoring loving, power and His fullness rushes over us like a tidal wave and changes everything.

I've been breaking social norms for the last few weeks when people ask, "How are things going?" Instead of the anticipated "Fine," I've been exclaiming things like, "Shockingly good!"

If you've been reading the Call to Worship or my blog for a while, you might know our family has been running fast and hard after the things God has spoken to us - only to hit wall after wall. For years, we've armed ourselves with verses like Isaiah 40:31, yet I still grew weary from running and faint from walking.

This is going to be so fun! Chris has just started a series at church that Is bringing us all back to ground zero. He asked us, “Who is Jesus to you?”

That’s where it all begins. Even if you don’t believe in Him - that disbelief started somewhere - and shapes much of your worldview and life decisions. At the end of the day, this short lifetime always turns us to what’s beyond today and tomorrow.

A dear friend bared her weary soul to me this week and said, "I don't even recognize myself anymore." Another storm and another crisis had rocked her family's world. Her soul was taking a beating. She wasn't responding the way she wanted to. She couldn't find the strength to be who she wanted to be. She could hardly stand the juxtaposition of hope and hurt.