A thousand golden suns.

Carla: sister/shmodel  God, who knows the heart.  Acts 15:8  As humans,  we were made to not only coexist on this Earth but to do life with each other, support, help and be supported and helped. This is even more true for us women. Who better to understand you than one that sees you out of an empathetic point of view? Because they get it - they have been there too. Nobody gets a woman better than a woman. But how much stronger wouldn't the comprehension and even the support be if we put God right in the middle of it? He gets us better than anyone else, He made us after all. Recently, I have truly discovered the value and power of having Godly women who journey with me through life. It hasn't even been in the grand or horrid times that I have really recognized their influence (although it has been present in these times too), but rather in the really mellow and completely normal moments of life when you have the need to just tell a silly something or eve...

Eenmal 'n PUK, altyd 'n PUK.  For the last two weeks, I have had the opportunity to get an inside look at the Registration and Orientation (R&O) programme through interpreting from Afrikaans to English for the first years in my residence. Being a first-year last year, that was the only perspective that I had of the introduction process but as an interpreter, I was granted a full-access pass.  This pass granted me access to the perspectives of all the parties involved, the HK (house committee members) as well as the first-years on the receiving side as well as my own perspective as a relatively new senior in the residence. It has provided many laughs and a great experience where I learned to love and appreciate my residence and my university even more.   I saw the HK put on a brave and strict face for the sake of brewing a deep and well-earned respect and the first-years shake in their boots at the prospect of having to face the ...

A week in the Free State  Having planned this visit for the whole quarter, by the time Elbie and I hit the road for Vrede (her hometown) we were both excited and filled with anticipation for the following week that I would be visiting her. And by no means what so ever was I disappointed. I could write a book about my week in the Free State but for the sake of time and convenience, I'll share a few of the week's highlights. 1. SNOW!... in November So coming in right at the top of my list is seeing the snow. Not only were we able to see the snow but it was actually snowing! My hosts set the bar for the rest of the week pretty high when we ventured towards Clarens and Bethlehem on the second day of my visit to go find the snow (just take notice that it is November).   After driving the whole afternoon and seeing nothing but the cold yet beautiful towns that we drove through, we finally found the snow at the top of one of the mountains in the Golden Gate nature...

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.  Hebrews 10:24-25 Tolwe doesn't have much, but one very significant activity is the weekly gathering of the local crochet club. This is a group of local ladies who put a day of the week aside to get together and work on projects together. In the October holiday, I joined my mom for one of their gatherings and here I experienced the fellowship that they shared. Sure the main reason they gather is to exchange the newest techniques and what each one conquered in their crochet work in the week that passed but much more than that each lady has such a deep care and love for the one sitting next her, wool draped over her lap and glasses on the tip of her nose. In between the hard concentration (reading a pattern is apparently not as easy as it seems) and the crochet jargon, they giggle and t...

It is easy to take a birthday for granted. Another year, another celebration. But is so much more than that. It is an opportunity to show our gratitude for a year that has passed, a year of life that we could be a part of. And it is exactly this gratitude and thankfulness that I experienced on my birthday this year.  There were no extravagant parties or balloons but I was completely overwhelmed by love and care by every person in my life. Every message, phone call, and Facebook post reminded me that the people in my life see me and appreciate me and that on its own was enough for me.  I didn't receive overly expensive or over the top presents but those I did get were given with such thought and love. That meant so much more to me that any price tag ever could. A journal in which I could scribble my heart's words, an Antjie Krog anthology which is inspiration enough to write my own, a basket full of Woolies surprises and a cake to share my celebrations with those closest...

Fudge guarding the pool. Growing up, I was always blessed with the privilege of having dogs running around the yard. From a young age, we were taught to care for the dogs and yet to discipline them too (just like kids). These four-legged furry friends have made a tremendous impact on my life (they frequently decorate my social media), so as a tribute to all the dogs who left their paw prints on my heart I have compiled a list of the dogs that stole a piece of my heart and will always be a part of our family. 1. Nugget - The big friendly giant  There is a reason why Great Danes have the word "great" in their title. Nugget was named after the black shoe polish because he was pitch black with a white stretch on his chest. He was giant in heart and stature, instilling fear in every soul that crossed our threshold, only up to the point that they realized he would lick you to death before doing any damage. He sounded like a horse when he galloped around the yard and a...