Two beautiful F words

My one friend invited me to run with her in the mornings. She said she wants to get into road running again and if I would be interested to be her running partner. But I know she's lying. She's totally doing it for my sake. She's probably thinking healthy body, healthy mind. But who can get depressed when you have amazing friends like that! I'm so thankful for every single one of them.

By Noranne Dovey

Isn't it beautiful?
It makes me think of Tabitha and smile!

I'm also thankful for the amazing people I've met and became friends with through Tabitha's life. Some I've only met on facebook, but we have made a connection and hopefully we'll get to meet in real life one of these days. I've had people coming out of nowhere, stumbling across my blog by chance, (or maybe through God's hand), inviting me for coffee – my one newly found friend even painted beautiful pictures of us, for us. I must still get it from her! (She's also available for commissions!!!) 

One of my old friends, also put me in contact with one of her friends, who lost her twins 5 years ago. I'm looking forward to meet her soon! She is on her way to Cape Town at the moment to visit her sister, who had a baby 2 weeks ago, sadly also born with complications and still in NICU. His name is Benjamin Marais and you can read updates on his progress here.

Wessel's brother got to go home last week and is delighted to be home after 1 and a half weeks in ICU and just over 2 weeks in hospital. We went to see them this weekend. It's good to see him on his feet again! We thank the Lord for his speedy recovery! He'll rest at home for a while but hopefully he will be able to go back to work next year.

I had lunch today with another new friend, Sebastian's mom. What a roller coaster ride it has been (and still is) for her. Remember last time I mentioned the operation he had to get to insert a feeding tube. The operation was a success but he had a hard weekend after that, getting lots of fits and making his mother stress. They did another MRI scan on his brain and it seems like God did a miracle because unlike before, and after getting all the fits, there was no scarring and the blood clot had resolved! But the doctor said that realistically they still expect him to be disabled to some extent, just not sure what that extent will be, because he's been through so much and 4 and a half months in NICU is not something you just walk away from without consequences. And then on Monday they said he can come home on Wednesday (tomorrow)! We were SOOO excited! But today he had an obstruction in his bowel again so there we go again. Around and around...up and down we go! I'm telling you this is one of the hardest things I think anyone can go through. Please continue to pray for her and Sebastian. The good thing is she's come to know Jesus through this whole ordeal so once again this is proof how God can use our circumstances to work together for our own good! God is good!

Did I mention before that I love the Bible. We chatted about it today as well and every time I am just amazed at what an amazing book it is. The whole thing is grafted together in one big story that contains everything we need to know about anything and the theme of the book is Jesus. The whole plot from the beginning maps out God's redemption plan for humankind through Jesus. We know it to be true and God to be true because it proofs itself to be true. It knows stuff that no human being could have known, because it was inspired by God. About the planet, the universe, science, politics, both past, present and future. The prophecies are all fulfilled in Jesus. Not 80% or 90% of them, but all of them. Don't be intimidated by it. Explore it. Study it. If you're looking for the truth, you will find it. If you don't want to find the truth because you're afraid that you'll have to change and you don't want to, you won't find it. Cool hey?

One of the analogies I recently enjoyed is the one of bearing fruit. The Bible has the best metaphors in the world. Fruit is delicious and one tree's fruit can be enjoyed by everybody. Note that fruit is not everything we want it to be. Bearing fruit is not something you DO. Its a result of being planted firmly in fertile soil and getting enough sunshine, water and oxygen. (Being rooted in the Word of God and feeding yourself daily). Good fruit comes when you kill pests before it destroys your crop (sin). And in order to bear good fruit the tree has to be pruned in the right season (trials). Trees don't go around boasting about their fruit. Its just there and people are blessed by it. Its what comes out and you don't feel the need to boast about it on social media, because you know its by grace and not your own strength. Christians these days unfortunately are sometimes not measured by their fruit but by their works and so called 'achievements' that they believe they achieve for God through their 'ministry'. If they pray and fast everybody needs to know so that everybody can know how spiritual they are. If they help the poor they have to get the media to do a press release. The examples go on and on. What is fruit according to the Bible?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22,23)

This is how you recognise a fruit bearing Christian! Not by DOING certain things but by just being Christian. By the way, notice how all these things can only be tested when circumstances are the opposite. E.g. love is best revealed when someone is unloving towards you, joy is only evident when life is difficult and you can find your joy in Jesus despite of it, etc. Being peaceful when you're at the spa with Kenny G playing in the background while you're getting a massage is not a fruit of the spirit, you catch my drift.

Rather be a small tree that is still busy growing, aiming to bear real tasty fruit in a few years' time, than one with a lot of fancy shmancy kitch Christmas decorations, disguising the fact that there are no fruit on it in the first place!!!

Those of you still trying to figure out the two words – its Friends and Fruit.  :)