to my dear art-lovin brother

This morning i had an interesting conversation with my av-friend.
I hate feeling so, so...like there is nothing i can do about the state he finds himself in. I wish i could flick my little pencil-wand and take all his problems away. I wish i could flick the same wand and turn his troubles into joy. BUT that aint my department...i will leave that up to God. This conversation sparked an idea for a super artwork. I have been working on pieces of a series for weeks and this morning i saw it come together on one page.
So i dedicate this to you Mr.F...(i'll post it once it is finished!).
Until then...LOOK UP! (Past the ceiling and see that God is in this crazyness too!)

This will probably be the last post for this week...we are sailing to Albany tomorrow and they are expecting BIG waves! Oh Lord help me not to shoot any fury 'animals'!

I think it has been a week since my last post. Sorry for pulling a dissapearing act.

After the very 'special' wedding on Saturday i enjoyed a nice off day on Sunday. Monday we started a conference for the line-uppers. It has been a week filled with interesting topics, weird questions and a great opportunity to get to know the leaders that we work with.
I guess you would like to see pictures of the wedding?



Above: The Captain reading scripture to the couple.
Above: Ship's company praying blessings over the couple.

Above: (From left to right) The bestman, the bridesmaid, the groom, the bride, the wedding coordinator (me) the best friend who cooked for the wedding, the professional weddingplanner who helped the clueless coordinator.

Above: Me and Lenhert after the wedding. The decorations were beautiful but you can't see it in this picture. I don't think i'll ever do this again - plan someone else's wedding. I'll leave that up to lenhert! It was a great experience...

a quick note

i am still alive...i am jumping on this adrenaline rollercoaster!
I can't wait to decorate for the wedding tomorrow.
I will post the pictures when i actually took some.

:-)

Repeat...

I posted an artwork last week...
i feel the same this week.
Waves
waves
and more waves!
I feel overwhelmed by all these ideas and demands for my friend's wedding.
I pray that God will take over and put this wedding together
like He did the programme last week.



I am still:

overwhelmed.

a look into the future...

It is promising to be an eventful week...

I am planning a wedding for a close friend. This is the first time (that i know of) that a shipling will get married on the ship. I have never done something like this before and i don't really know what i am doing...
BUT praise God that He is ultimately in control!
Watch this space, God will do wonders this week.

An answered cry...

Psalm 40:1 says:

" I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

and he turned to me and heard my cry. "

Tonight's event was amazing...

after a crying session before God this afternoon He...God just...

He answered my cry!

There were so many discouraging things that happened before the time.

People who pulled out (we needed about 20) at the last minute.

Participants who didn't show up because they were stuck in traffic.

Liezel (me) forgetting to bring the lifejackets for the 'lifejacket race'!

Pick up time was earlier than expected so we didn't get time to practice.

C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

BUT GOD...

I prayed so hard. Got so many people to pray with me and for me and God used it.

He gave us time to practice before the BBQ that took place before the programme and helped me to work out how the programme should flow.

Our programme flowed like the Nile couldn't!

God spoke through those sharing testimonies...

The drama was excellent.

Amazing team work on all accounts.

And the lesson?

* God answers our cries in due time.

(i had hoped something happens and this programme is cancelled or i couldn't make it...)

* There are SO many great and flexible people onboard.

* I have such great friends...

* God = A-MA-ZING

Cry out...

I just had a nice cry...

Yes CRY not try - i am an avid rugby follower

(a bit difficult when you live on a TV-less ship)

and not a great rugbyplayer, but that is not the reason for my crying.

I found myself in a nice situation similar to a bomb explosion yesterday afternoon.

It felt worse because of all the pent-up emotions of saying goodbye to 3 amazing friends.

The situation involved miscommunication (which is a big part of life) a needed miracle (and i am not in the business of miracles...that i leave up to God) and LOTS of prayer.

Yes sounds like mission impossible - just without Tom Cruise!

So the scheduled event will take place tonight.

I will go with 24 volunteers to put on the best programme a group of random but willing people can put on.

I am in need of a miracle...God knows how much i cried about this.

(By the way, i recently found out that this is my coping-with-stress-mechanism.)

Only God can use us, weaklings who aren't really as prepared as i would like to be, who are willing to go and serve and who are going because we would love to glorify Him through this.

Back to the artwork i posted this morning:

It is about the state i find myself in...about life being too much,

us realising it and then crying out to Jesus to help us out.

Father help me tonight...

God just used an amazing person to give me this verse:

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 4:6-7

Here we go...

going for GOD!

first of the HEartwork...

'Cry out'

September 08

Done with fineliners.

Please comment and let me know what you think about it.

Also PLEASE do not copy this. Copying is stealing...and why would you want to steal someones heart?

the lonestar...

Today one of my best friends onboard left the ship.

After his two years onboard this battleship, his time has come to move on to bigger and other things.

It was a sad day...i will miss him so much.

He is the type of guy that can make you laugh when you don't want to...



I'll miss you Ben.

crazy friends...

Above: One of our friends Ben (the one in the blue shirt) is leaving the ship in a couple of days. We decided to go off the ship to have some chocolate goodies to celebrate his time onboard.

The picture above clearly shows what happens if one gets too much chocolate...

Above:
5 friends...(left to right:) myself, Bridget, Ben, Daniel and Harmen

Shooting Cats (not real cats)...reviewing lunch?

Shooting Cats:

This is an Afrikaans saying that means you are getting rid of food, throwing up, vommitting, calling george.

So why would someone write a blog about this?

We are currently sailing to Geelong Australia. This voyage has been gut wrenching. The ship is jumping from wave to wave and our stomaches and meals are following... At the moment I am living on seasick tablets and water as my stomache does not want to keep anything down. I spent the majority of yesterday feeling sick and 'shooting cats'. This is not such a great adventure as many people think. To be honest and fair...not all voyages are like this. Sometimes it feels like the ship is barely moving and the sun shines and there is a holiday feel about the ship. This voyage is not on of those. There is currently a 'sick' feel about the ship...functioning at 40%.

Please pray that we will survive this voyage and not get to Geelong more tired and sick.

Please pray for the mothers that are still breastfeeding...

Enough about the sickness...i need to go...

explanation for 'gatvol'

Saturday was a tough day...
I woke up and had the most beautiful beginning. A walk in the rain, under an umbrella coz it is cold here in Sydney, but still a great time to reflect and pray. We walked all the way from the wharf to the Harbour Bridge until we could see the Sydney Opera House and turned around to be back in time for breakfast and devotions...
Devotions was great with a nice Bible teaching.
It's at this point where i hear you say - how is this tough...
Well the whole day went pear shaped after devotions.
We had a meeting to discuss a big programme that was going to happen later in the afternoon. My programme was the first 2 hours. I invested a lot of time in the programme and really felt comfortable with it. Yesterday 4 hours before the programme would start, the-powers-that-be decided to change EVERYTHING. (See yesterday's blog). After i cried for some time i re-did the programme and had lunch. (Praise the Lord that i didn't over-eat! No comfort food - although i have to admit it was tough not to give in...) Then the tornado hit. We had to set up but another programmw was running in the main conference hall so we couldn't get ready yet. We had about 20 minutes to set up and sound check until the doors would open. The rest was a blur. I ran around looking for people, trying to communicate through broken radios, trying not to lash out at any innocent by standers and trying to keep from comfort-eating. The programme ran 45 minutes late...GREAT.
After the programme i went to practice with our onboard african choir. (As i am an afrikaner and love to sing in choirs, this is a great outlet and time to bless others.) We had so much fun laughing and singing and praising.
Thinking back i realise that it wasn't actually all that bad. Just the part where a leader acted...not so nice, that part wasn't nice.
But all is good. I had a great evening of singing, ironing my african outfit (it took me 30 minutes) and drawing. I'll start posting the artworks soon.

gatvol ramblings

'Gatvol'

For all you english speakers who don't understand afrikaans it means:

"fed-up".

That is EXACTLY what i feel right about now.

THEY just changed my whole programme on the day i am supposed to run it!

Not just two or three things...the WHOLE thing.

I have to start from scratch.

My problem:

The Bible tells me to respect and submit to my leaders...

Today i find that an impossible mission.

How...

How do you respect someone who calmly embarrases you in front of 5 other people?

How do you respect someone who doesn't respect you?

How do you respect someone who doesn't respect others?

My Prayer:

Lord i find it pretty difficult to sumbit to this leader and to respect him.

Father you see my heart and you know that i want to stuff my face with food in order to feel better about THEM changing my programme at the last minute.

Father you see how angry i am and how i think food will make me feel better...

Father...i need You to help me now...

help me to love...

and please help me not to over-eat.

huh? i dunno....

Well i have had enough...on one side i have the one who is - angry? confused? tired?

and

on the other side a heart that ain't behaving like it should.

Does this confuse you?

Join the club coz i am more than confused!!!!!

What to do?

evidence of our break...

The pictures are actually from the last day to the first...but next time i can post it in the right order. It was such an amzing break with 4 stunningly fantastic people.

Thanks guys..and girl.

Above:

On our way back from break we took the train on the final leg of the journey.

I just couldn't resist taking a picture of the reflections.

Above:

(From the left:) Bridget, Harmen, Ben ad Jukka playing 'Settlers'.

Above:
Harmen, myself and Bridget decided to take funny pics.
Here we can be seen chasing the birds away.


Above:
This is actually the first picture...
I love this setting on the camera.
You select the number of pictures you want it to take and just press the button put it down...and ta-da!

Good question?

Why do you look at me like that?
Why do i catch you staring at me?
Why?

Why do i avoid eye-contact?
coz it hurts so much...that's why!
Why did i not take your hand?
false hope and a sore heart...that's why!