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Living with the Lord is something I can talk about for hours. But you know what I always find so exciting? You never know how things will turn out with God. We, with our human minds, can sometimes plan or have things in mind, but then He makes it happen in a way that you would never have imagined. Doors can open unexpectedly, people can cross your path, or opportunities can arise unexpectedly. These are always ways that God can show us the next step, the question is however: Do you see it? When we are open to His voice and guidance, He will take you places and lead you on paths beyond your own understanding. But the key is to be open and sensitive to His voice and not harden your heart to His wonders and signs. I learned that a hardened heart does not always mean that an unbeliever has hardened his/her heart against the Gospel of Jesus and the realization that we need a Savior, but that a hardened heart can also affect the believer. We can also allow unbelief into our hearts, which, to some extent, hardens our hearts to His voice and guidance. A hard heart does not allow all the good of God, and so we limit Him in what He wants and can do in our lives. “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” – Luke 18:27 Don’t limit God with your small thinking God’s plan for our lives is so much better than we have for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). We think of limits, boundaries and possibilities to a certain extent, but with God, everything is possible (Luke 18:27). When we think; “Ah, I’m too old for that”, look at Abraham and Sarah. When we think; “I can’t do that, that’s beyond my ability”, look at Moses. When we think; “No, I have too much on my plate, God cannot use me”, look at King David. When people humiliate or belittle us and we think; “I’m nothing”, look at Jesus. Feeling like Sarah There are so many examples in the Bible of people like you and me that God has used mightily. Only are we open to it, or do we limit God with our small thinking? We can think bigger, dream bigger because we serve a great God! And when we pray according to His will and His Word, it will be given to us, that is His promise. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:7-11 So I have learned that sometimes I limit God by thinking too small, even though the possibilities are limitless with Him, but; Do you want to see it and do you dare to take your foot off the brake?  God told me in January 2024 that I had to set up this blog, and that it had to be in English.  I started it full of enthusiasm with my eldest son, Sem. That child has great gifts and talents when it comes to ICT and entrepreneurship. My youngest son, Daan, also has that entrepreneurial streak, but more so in other areas. They are both fantastic, hardworking boys that I am very blessed with those two, #proud. Anyway, my oldest son set up this page; under my high standards of course, LOL.  I have been given limited access by the “chef”. I can do the things that are necessary and post my blogs, but he has not given me access to all technical things. “No, mom, then you just click on something and then everything is gone; that’s not for you.” LOL, he knows his mother well.  Anyway, we were still working on the design, and the website was far from being up and running when, one afternoon during my quiet time, God said to me, “You are going to preach My Word throughout the world.”  I had to secretly laugh because I thought, “All over the world? How”? And as I thought about it with a laugh, the Holy Spirit immediately pointed me to Sarah’s story and how God promised her a son at an old age, and how she had also jokingly laughed at that…I felt like Sarah.  “Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’  Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”  – Genesis 18: 10-14 I repented and remembered a lesson I learned at my Bible college, Charis Bible College, “Don’t limit God with your small thinking.” It took some time before this blog finally went “on the air” and we were online! Praise God. After the page had been online for almost a month, and we looked at where it was already being viewed, my son and I were both amazed! Within just a few weeks, the blog attracted a staggering number of visitors. and… all over the world. Countries where

Prayer, it, is an important part in the life of a Christian. It is the way we communicate with our Heavenly Father. Prayer should also be something we do throughout the day. Many people may think that when you pray and end with “Amen,” you conclude your conversation with God. Like hanging up the phone after a conversation. But the great thing is that we can always keep this ‘telephone line’ open. Every day, every moment, for the rest of our lives, we can keep this phone conversation going with our Heavenly Father, and we never have to “hang up.” This is also God’s desire, that we involve Him in everything, every moment of the day. From deciding which house to live in, which job to take, advice on raising our children, who will be your life partner, to the little things in life; finding your keys, whether to turn left or right or what you are going to eat that evening. He wants to be a part of our lives in everything. God is a God of details and of relationship; what is important to us is also important to Him. Our God wants to answer our prayers. He is a loving Father, a Father who wants your happiness and not your unhappiness (Jeremiah 29:11), a Father who wants to give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) and life in abundance (John 10 :10). “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”- Psalm 37:4 Power of prayer In this way, I have also experienced the goodness of God and what it is like to persevere in prayer. Because while God is a good Father and wants to give you all your heart’s desires, He also protects you when the things you desire and pray for may not be good for you or in line with His plan for your life. Not because He requires us to do His will, but simply because His will is the best and most beautiful for us. It is a place where all our gifts and talents are at their best, and He gets all the honor and glory. A place where people can see His greatness, love and faithfulness through us, and He is glorified. A place in which the Body of Christ is increasingly gaining the upper hand in this world, and we can help build that. It is a life in all its fullness, to which we are destined. By staying close to Him and keeping that “telephone line” open, you will increasingly recognize and understand His voice and direction. This may take some “training” but like any relationship, everything needs to grow; trust and getting to know each other. Every good father, who loves his children and wants the best for them, will want to give his children the very best. And if the children asked for a loaf of bread, he would not give them a stone (Matthew 7:9), how much more will our Father in heaven bless us. Our God responds to prayer (1 John 5:14-15, Matthew 21:22, Matthew 7:7) and we may make all things known to Him and come to Him as children (Matthew 18:2-5). When we pray in line with His will and put His Kingdom first, He will answer those prayers. Discovering whether what we are praying for is in line with His will is by spending time in the Word and getting to know His character. No, Slow, Grow…or GO! I have learned that God ALWAYS answers our prayers. Sometimes you hear people say “I prayed, but God didn’t answer”, My own experience is “God did answer, but you didn’t listen 😉”, sorry to burst your bubble. My own experience is that there can be at least four answers; “No, Slow, Grow…or GO”! We sometimes want to see the things we pray for happen immediately or receive an answer. When that does not happen immediately, or we simply miss the answer, we think that God has not answered or is not willing or able to give us what we are praying for. Doubts can arise whether we are doing it right or whether we have missed something. This can result in us giving up or letting go of our prayers and dreams. We also live in a time and society where everything happens in an instant. Do you need something? Search for two seconds on the internet, place an order, and it will be on your doorstep the next day. If you want something quick to eat, pop it in the microwave and have a meal on the table within a few minutes. Everyone is immediately accessible because everyone has a mobile phone, no matter how crazy you think it is, it is available. But our God is not of this world, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and He is outside of time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). So when we pray for something, we may have to wait months or years for it. Look at the many stories from the Bible, for example, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, King David and many others. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 This wait can be due to so many factors, and sometimes it doesn’t even matter whether you know or understand those reasons; what matters is whether you can let go of possible answers to your “why” or “when” questions and trust God and His perfect timing. You may get a “No”, in which case you can be grateful for His protection, and you can rest in the fact that He has something much better and more beautiful for you. Maybe you get a “Slow”, then it is not yet the time. Then listen to His gentle voice and guidance on what you may learn or do

“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” – Matthew 5:39 How difficult it can sometimes be to turn ‘the other cheek’ to people who hurt us. Injustice can sometimes be so painful. Man, when I think back to what I was like before I had Jesus in my life; I was someone with ‘hair on my teeth’ as ​​a Dutch proverb says for someone who is rather hot-tempered. The proverbial ‘short fuse’ was an understatement for me, I had no fuse at all! In the event of any setback, a nuclear reaction and explosion immediately occurred. Someone only had to do me an injustice and I wouldn’t eat them whole, LOL. I still remember a moment when, with my heavily pregnant belly, I went to get some ‘story’ from the person who was tailgating behind me. I stopped my car in the middle of the road, got out and walked to the lady in the car behind me to ‘kindly’ explain that if she was in a hurry, she should have left home earlier. I say it now with a smile, but it was quite serious. I had such a problem with injustice, and when it was done to me, I came to seek redress. I do not say all this with pride, but to show the greatness of God. The changes He brings in us are immense, as long as we allow Him to do so and give our battles to Him. From glory to glory I praise the Lord for the changes He has made in me, LOL. I just don’t recognize that person anymore. The longer I walk with God, the easier it is for me to let things go, and the easier it becomes to place everything on Him and expect it from Him. Is it always easy and smooth, nope, but we are on our way anyway. From glory to glory. “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18 Taking ‘revenge’ does not have to mean that you want to do violence to someone, although sometimes you would like to stick some persons ‘behind the wallpaper’ 😉. It is also about not taking steps to defend yourself based on your own insight, sending messages out of anger, saying or thinking things that are not in line with God’s will. In difficult moments, we should ask ourselves: What would I rather have: God defending me or me defending myself? That is the choice that Jesus offers us and means in Matthew 5:39. So, ‘turning the other cheek’ is not a recipe for abuse, but rather a way to involve God in your struggle and defense. Many people believe that these instructions from Jesus guarantee that others will take advantage of us. That would be true if there were no God. But if we follow these commands of Jesus, God will be on our side. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” – Romans 12:19 When we fight back, we draw on our own strength and our own understanding. But when we turn the other cheek, we are actually calling on God as our defense. Once we understand this, it becomes clear that these instructions are for our own good.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-8 Release Gods best in your life Regardless of whether our anger may seem justified and regardless of whether we think we can change the person or the situation in our own flesh, If we don’t learn to step back and let God fight our battles, we will never see God’s best in our lives. When we “go to war” to defend ourselves, we prevent God from defending us.  I want to encourage you: when you are in a difficult situation and people have hurt you or wronged you, Jesus is our advocate. He stands up for you, and He fights the battle for you with all His love. The responsibility is yours to give everything to Him. Let go of control and take a step back. Give your battles to God, be still and know that He is God! “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;” – Psalm 46:10

I often heard around me about the anointing of God, but I had never really stopped to think about the question; what exactly is that? Until I attended a great event of The One in Him Foundation. I have written about this ministry before, and I will continue to do so, because what a great ministry this is! And what a testimony the founders of this ministry have. I highly recommend you order the free book “Good Enough” via the website (www.oneinhimfoundation.com) to read from which dark and gloomy world God has pulled them and where He has placed them now. He has sent these people to the poorest places in South America to reach the people with the Gospel, and with great success! Electrified The One in Him Foundation organized a two-day event where they had worship leader Elijah Oyelade come over from Nigeria to the Netherlands. I have visited many events in the past four and a half years, also several from The One in Him, but also from other ministries, from different speakers, from healing services to deliverance services and from business summits to women’s events, you name it, really a lot. And they were all always just as powerful. I can’t say anything about that, every speaker and every event has always been just as great. I have seen many people healed, delivered, seen the joy of the Lord, had teachings, you name it and I have seen it…but this time was a completely different experience. Never before had I experienced the anointing of the Lord so powerfully and in this way. As soon as Elijah started singing, the entire room fell into worship. I closed my eyes and completely forgot where I was, my focus was only on God. Now that is not something very strange, but this time it was different. I heard Elijah singing and I heard the entire room singing along, it crossed my mind several times that it could be like that in heaven too. So many people in harmony, together, on their knees, hands up and worshiping God and singing to Him. With my eyes closed and hands up, it was as if I was already there. Everything around me seemed to disappear, only God’s presence and the singing of the people. I felt the Holy Spirit moving through the room so tangibly, several times I felt tingling in my fingertips of my hands raised high. As if, the Holy Spirit took my hands for a few moments. Anointing is tangible, you can feel it. Just like you can feel electricity, you can also feel the anointing, and that was exactly what I experienced. Anointing destroys every yoke “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” – Isaiah 10:27 Sickness is a yoke, weakness is a yoke, sorrow can be a yoke, pain can be a yoke, the anointing destroys it. So the yoke is not only removed, but it is completely destroyed – beyond repair – by the anointing! It is God’s desire to destroy every yoke that holds you and oppresses you. The anointing is passed on when hands are laid on people. These evenings I saw this happen a lot, many people were prayed for and hands were laid on, people were delivered from demons, healed and people stepped forward to consciously lay down their old nature, their old way of thinking and acting and leave it behind at the altar and to clothe themselves in their new nature (Ephesians 4:22-24). “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22-24  Rows of people, including myself, fell in the Spirit. Completely blown away, I lay on the ground for minutes and felt God working through me!  What a joy these evenings were! I didn’t want to leave! I wanted to stay in this worship and presence of God, because I had been in the same kind of ecstasy both evenings, and “coming back” to the here and now was a big downer. In awe The second and final evening was over, but God’s presence was still palpable in the room. Volunteers and team members were slowly cleaning up, while one of the band members was still playing quietly on the keyboard. I stayed in the room for a long time, I couldn’t leave. I didn’t want to leave God’s presence. Together with a few others, we stood in awe, enjoying God’s glory. When people turn off their minds and open their hearts to receive, God’s anointing can flow freely. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) which also applies to God’s presence. If we don’t feel anything, that doesn’t mean He isn’t there. Feeling something shouldn’t be the starting point, either, but your faith and trust in God’s presence. That being said, you can definitely feel God’s presence physically. Along with a feeling of immense peace, there can also be tears, joy, happiness and laughter. We read about these kinds of experiences in several places in the Bible: In Genesis 17:1-3 we read that Abraham fell flat on his face when God spoke to him, LOL. The apostles in Acts: Acts 2:1-21. King David dancing half naked through the streets : 2 Samuel 6:14. Jeremiah also had strong physical reactions to the power of God: Jeremiah. 23:9 And what about Daniel: Daniel 10:7-9. That evening of the event, God’s presence was so strong and palpable in the entire room, that besides an electric tingling feeling in my fingers, I also felt an enormous peace and tranquility and, that it seemed as if I had

Sometimes there are days you just don’t have the words to pray. Maybe you recognize that? I usually notice it when I’ve been too busy with other things for a while and God kind of parked in the waiting room of my life. I know that I need, and want to make time with Him, but suddenly I am consumed by the things of the day. Or to be honest, sometimes I just don’t make time for Him myself. Then I want to exercise, because I haven’t done it for a few days and I feel bloated, or just calling my friend or that nice television program, is just a little bit more important. Not the best way of course because I know when I put Him first, everything else runs much smoother. In His presence When I finally do make time for God after a few days, it can sometimes be that I have no words, or they are the same words over and over again, as if I were reading a script. When I first started walking with the Lord, I was annoyed and at a loss when these things happened, and God only seemed further away.  The enemy gets into your head and makes you feel guilty, which can make you feel ashamed of God. . What he wants is to keep you away from prayer. For he knows that prayer is powerful, our God answers prayers (Matthew 7:8)! Now, after much trial and error, I know that fortunately God is not going anywhere, but that it is me who is slowly drifting away, and is swallowed up by the things of everyday life.  I have learned when you find yourself in a time where you just don’t have the words to pray, there are many other ways to come back into His presence. You can set up beautiful worship and sing along and worship Him, or find a quiet moment and sit at His feet. But what always works for me to come back to the realization Who is really important, is gratitude. “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:8 Expressing how grateful I am, and counting my blessings is a powerful prayer!  Once I start listing all the things I’m grateful for, I often can’t stop. The list goes on and on. Expressing what He has done in my life and all those times He was there, my children, my husband, our home, my work and colleagues, dear friends and family, warm clothes or that delicious cappuccino pumpkin spice. Sometimes it’s small things, but with gratitude we worship our Lord because ultimately all good things come from above (James 1:17). “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17 Just like in any other relationship, in some moments, you will talk to that person more than other moments. I once heard the comparison to a marriage, one moment you may speak to your spouse more in a day than at another. So may it be with God. Of course, it is very important to be in contact with Him daily through prayer and the Word, but sometimes you can have those days, right? Then things turn out a little differently than usual, or we get caught up in all kinds of activities. We don’t have to panic, God is with us and is not going anywhere.This knowledge can help you be more gracious with yourself, after which it can help you look at the many blessings in your life and thereby magnify and worship Him. An attitude of gratitude will soon bring you back into His presence.  You can find God’s winks in the little things, they do not necessarily have to be supernatural miracles, The fact that He woke you up again this morning is already one!

The shortest day, also called the winter solstice, entered our dark little Netherlands on December 21st.It is a day with the least amount of sunshine. On this day, the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, resulting in the fewest hours of daylight and the longest night. This also marks the beginning of winter; short days and long nights. At the same time, this also symbolizes the turning point towards increasing daylight, although it will take more than a month from that moment before we will notice anything of it. The days are mostly short, dark and cold. I leave home in the dark to go to work and when I drive home in the dark after a day of work, I ask myself the question; “Has it even been light today?” LOL. This natural phenomenon reminds me of life in this broken and fallen world, the darkness can seize you from time to time. The sadness, pain or brokenness of the people around you, or perhaps in your own life, can then overwhelm you. The darkness and gloom is long and a path to light seems far away.Your days can feel dark, cold and lonely. “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”- John 8:12 Exchange your cargo Yet, there is a Light to be found in our world, although it is not of this world. Jesus is that Light (John 8:12) and a life with Him can lighten your dark moments. The situation does not necessarily have to change immediately, but with Him, it will be more bearable and His peace and joy will carry you through those moments. It is a command from Jesus Himself, to come to Him with our problems, with our sorrow and with our pain and brokenness because when we do that, He will give us His peace and rest (Matthew 11:28-30). “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 You may bring everything to Him, as it were you exchange cargo, you give Him yours, and He will give you His. Step by step He will then lead you to the light, to a place of rest in the midst of your storms, in the midst of the darkness. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5 Child of The Most High Like everyone else, I have had dark days. Days when, just like on this shortest day in December, there was little or no light to be seen. Worries or sorrows can grip you, moments when heaven seems brass, prayers unanswered and God seems miles away. In those moments, it is all about walking by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and not about what you see, hear or experience. Knowing your authority in Christ, that you are a child of the Most High, and knowing that God will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5). “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” – Mark 11:23 Storms will continue to come as long as we are here, that is also what Jesus tells us (John 16:33). Yet, it is possible for us Christians in the midst of those difficulties to experience joy, peace and rest. Jesus even gave us the authority to speak to our mountains (problems) ourselves (Mark 11:23). Knowing that you are a child of God and are placed with Jesus above all powers and principalities in the heavenly places and are seated with Him at the right hand of God is crucial at those times (Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 1:20-21). It gives you the power to resist all those problems and difficulties that you experience in your life at that moment.  Perhaps you are currently in a period in your life that is similar to the winter solstice in the Netherlands; dark and cold; I want to encourage you to search God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation about the position in which you are as a child of the Most High (Ephesians 1:17). “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”-Ephesians 1:17 Above all, hold on to your faith, hold on to Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him, for He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He will guide you through those days filled with darkness, and He will bring you to the place of rest (Psalm 23). “1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23 

Miracles and signs should be considered normal for a Christian, it should be an everyday thing. A life with Jesus is truly a great adventure, I have come to realize that. No day is boring or the same. Every day God speaks in some way. Beautiful, special, bizarre or supernatural things happen daily. One day it is “WOOOAAWW-things” and other days smaller or funny things. God is a God of detail and will often show His greatness not only through grand, spectacular miracles and signs, but also through smaller, almost unnoticed things. Keeping your eyes and ears open for His presence is therefore necessary. What I have noticed is that miracles and signs are often a result of obedience to what God asks of you. And what He asks can sometimes be very crazy things, LOL. The year of crazy things In the summer of 2023 I got out of a relationship and remained single until early summer 2024. I took that time to recover, but especially to build my relationship with God. I have written about this before (https://comeseeaman.com/the-author-of-your-love-story/ ) because a very special time began then. God gave me a promise very soon after the relationship ended: He had someone for me, a man after His own heart and a Biblical marriage. As the year went by, I healed old wounds, built my relationship with God and waited quietly for God to bring me the man He had promised me. June 29th, 2024, He made our paths cross and so the rest of the year became a year of “crazy things” and lots of adventure, LOL.After our first date together, we stepped into a tsunami of confirmations and blessings and therefore knew immediately ‘you are the one’! A bizarre sensation! Within a few dates we knew, we are getting married! We started working towards this on every level. Preparations for the wedding day and our future together were made, and he officially asked me to marry him 😊. We knew right away that we would live in his house, this house was not yet “finished” and so we started to build it together to make it completely our home. The idea of ​​leaving my safe “Jerusalem”, I postponed for a while. It was a house that I had also received from God in a special way seven years earlier after a very difficult time of a divorce. In this house and in this place I found my peace and was allowed to start over with my children. Even during and after a relationship where I got in to after my marriage, I held on to this house for years. This was my safe haven, my place, my home and giving that up for someone was a “no-go” for years. And when this relationship also ended in the summer of 2023, I praised God that I still had my own safe home. However, with the meeting of the man that God had given me in the summer of 2024, everything was completely different. We knew immediately that God wanted us together and if we wanted to go on this new path with God and with each other. Letting go of my own house was a logical next step. We wanted nothing more than a life together and with God. So, that day arrived. Together we sat behind my laptop and filled in the details online to cancel my rent. Pressing the send-button did not go by itself, LOL. But eventually I took the plunge and sent the form with which the cancellation of my rent became a fact. I cried like a little child, and my sweet husband comforted me with the words: “this is also a step of faith”. Once I caught my breath, I discovered that I had just given up my house for someone I had known at that moment for only fourteen weeks!! And I immediately calculated that we would know each other for twenty-four weeks at the upcoming weddingday!  Reckless and thoughtless With our human peanut brains, it can seem like God asks us to do the craziest things sometimes. I mean, marrying someone you’ve known for twenty-four weeks is pretty crazy, right? LOL. From a worldly perspective it seems reckless and thoughtless, but our God is not of this world, and He leads from a completely different dimension. Following Him is anything but reckless and thoughtless, but rather ordered, things are accompanied by peace and quiet and never chaos or strife. Even though what He asks of you seems idiotic or not at all smart to your human mind, you still have a deep peace inside, and you know in the depths of your soul that what He asks of you is not so crazy at all.Exciting, yes! But crazy, no. Like little children “People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” – Mark 10:13-16   Jesus also describes here that we as adults may also be like children and come to Him. Children are pure, honest and sincere, open and often have no fear. They trust a person without question. Trust is a sign of surrender, of faith that the other has the best intentions for you, and children can follow someone in complete trust. In this way we may also come to God; pure, honest and sincere, open and without fear, following Him with complete trust in Him. When you read the stories in the Bible, you see that God sometimes asks very strange things of people there too. Things that you sometimes really don’t see the connection or link with the human mind. Things that the world

“Be proud of yourself, follow your heart, love yourself”. These terms dominate the media pretty much every day. I continue to find it fascinating how God’s Word is so opposite to the world!  The words “pride,” “self-love,” and “follow your heart” all sound very loving and wise. Yet, according to God’s Word, it is anything but that. God’s Word teaches us to be humble, not proud, and most importantly, not to follow your heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Pride is not of God (Romans 12:16, 1 John 2:16, Proverbs 11:2). For everything in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world. – 1 John 2:16 Humility is the exact opposite of the worldly path of exalting oneself at the expense of all others. God’s Kingdom is based on the principle of “humility for honor” (Proverbs 29:23). Jesus shows us this clearly. He was humiliated and written off by the world like no other before He could then receive all the honor from God the Father. Jesus is our example in everything, He is a ‘master’ of humility! God’s kind of love is selfless, as also evidenced by Jesus’ own actions. Pride is the only reason that conflict arises (Prov. 13:10).  The world teaches us to take good care of ourselves, “you have to take good care of yourself because no one else will do that for you” is the standard response here in the Netherlands. Yet, the Bible teaches us to put other people before ourselves and to serve others. Something I am still learning about myself. I sometimes find it difficult not to get tense and make sure my children and I have our ‘food and drink’ first before I give (I am learning 😊, Praise God). We may know that God always takes care of us, as a child of God you never have to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34).  We are blessed to be a blessing to others, and in the meantime God will make sure that we do not lack anything (Matthew 6:25-31). The world teaches you to “look at what you can get and what you have”, while the Bible teaches us to “look at what you can give and how you can be a blessing to others”. Pride “Pride” is a term you hear all the time, the entire month of June is even named after it! But when we read God’s Word, it is something that God detests (Proverbs 8:13). It is what brought down Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:17). What I found fascinating to learn is that pride does not necessarily have to be haughty. Pride is not just a form of “look at me being great and good,” pride is actually also when you put yourself down.  When God’s Word says that you, with Christ, are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37), yet you say “well no, not me, I can’t do that”, you are in fact proud #sorry 😉. Because when God’s Word says you can; you can! With this form of so-called humble (trying to be) (consciously or unconsciously), you place your own “I”, your insight, above what God says about you, and so you are in fact proud.  If God’s Word says something about you, then we may, in all humility, accept that as the truth because God’s Word is the Truth. Everything that deviates from that is pride, because you put your own truth above Gods. This was an eye-opener for me too! I myself was also sometimes inclined to look at myself negatively; “oh no, I can’t do that, that’s not for me”…..but God taught me I was being proud. I put my truth about myself above what His Word says about me!  The Bible is a mirror of how we may look at ourselves, through God’s eyes. So we may just accept what He says about us, this is the Truth and not what the world says about us or how we look at ourselves. Do not follow your heart What I find absolutely ‘beautiful’ is the term ‘follow your heart’. What a cliché that is. Cliché and cheesy. It sounds pious and when you throw this out into the world, everyone will agree. The world just doesn’t teach you that your heart is deceitful. That is only what God’s Word teaches us (Jeremiah 17:9). Our heart cannot be trusted at all, so to trust your heart, to follow your heart is the stupidest thing you can do, LOL! Your heart can feel one way one moment, but a month later, you will think completely different about it.  Why are there so many broken families? Everyone just follows their heart; if it doesn’t go well, we just break up. One moment you are in love and everything seems great, until those rose-colored glasses come off, and you see each other’s shortcomings. One moment the grass seems greener on the other side or with the other employer, you follow your heart and after a while it all seems not to have been the best decision. Now, making mistakes is human, of course, but when we let God, and not our hearts, guide us in every decision, you will find that this will save you from many pitfalls. Your heart is often guided by emotions, and emotions can be as changeable as the weather. God’s Word and God’s character, on the other hand, are an unshakable foundation. Unwavering, unchangeable and reliable I want to encourage you, let God’s Truth and God’s Word be the guideline in your life. Let every person and the world be a liar, but what God says about you be the truth (Romans 3:4). Give your heart and your dreams to Him. Involve Him in every decision, both big and small, then you will see, He will give you direction. He will ensure you stay on the right path to reach your God-given destination. Do not go along

Sometimes it can seem like there are not that many of us Christians. At least, when I look at my surroundings, as a Christian, I can sometimes feel like an ‘odd one out’, as a Dutch proverb says, when you have the feeling of being an outsider. Most of the people around me, sadly don’t believe. Family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues… in fact, most of them unfortunately do not know the love of Jesus (yet😉). The media likes to go further by saying that the churches are emptying out. Yet, I know in my heart and in my head these are lies and I recently experienced that too. Let me take you through my experience with “Opwekking”! In shock “Opwekking” is a three-day Christian “festival”, so to speak 😊. Since 1971, this event has been organized in the Netherlands during the Pentecost weekend, and thousands of Christians come together. I had never been there before, but it had been on my wish list for a long time. Every year, there was something different on the schedule that made it impossible to attend… until Pentecost weekend 2024! Completely unexpectedly, my friend and I managed to get tickets for the second day of “Opwekking”. Of course, I had often seen photos and videos from other years on social media, among other things. But you just don’t get a complete picture of the event, as I also found out that Saturday, the 18th of May. After a car ride of an hour and a half, I arrived at the site, where many volunteers where ready to guide the masses of cars to their parking spots. This is where I got the first shock, LOL. Once the car was parked, I walked with the crowd towards… yes, where exactly? I didn’t really know 😊. My friend was waiting for me at the entrance and had already texted me, “Just follow the people”. So, like a blind sheep, I just followed the people. We met at the entrance and walked further into the terrain together, and the closer we got, the more overwhelmed I was! What A Crowd!! Hallelujah!! I seriously didn’t know where to look and as my friend walked happily chatting next to me, every word she said went in one ear and out the other. I walked with her like a headless chicken, LOL. There were tents all over the immense site where all kinds of seminars were given for young and old, for families or for children. There was something for everyone. I didn’t know where I wanted to go first or where to start. But first…coffee I really had to take it all in; I was not prepared for this: thousands of Christians in one area (Officials indicated +/- sixty thousand visitors spread over three days)!!!  First a cappuccino! We got one from one of the many food/drink trucks, and sat down on the large lawn.  The immense cross reached high into the sky adding a shade in the grass. It was a sunny and warm spring day. Beautiful worship filled the terrain, and tears filled my eyes. What a glorious image this must be for our Lord from His throne in heaven! So many of His children, enjoying each other and His Word. I quietly said, “Lord, so many people have gathered together for You! A tent full of hundreds of books about You, so many written words about Your goodness, Your faithfulness and Your love for us. So many lessons to learn and dreams about You.” Jesus lives! I was really touched. Thousands of people danced and sang along with the worship at the top of their lungs, including many young people. What an encouragement I found this! Seeing so many teenagers dancing and singing for their Savior, praying together and for each other, and enjoying His presence.  The youth are our society for the future, and what do we want our society to be like in the future? If we want a society with Biblical values ​​and norms and where God has a place again, we must start with our families, our children. Seeing all those young people like that gave me hope, and after seeing everything that day, the lies of the world also disappeared: The church is more alive than ever! Faith is still current! The Bible is the most read book And JESUS ​​IS ALIVE!! This is what the world needs: God in our midst. God in our society. I want to encourage you: you are not crazy, LOL; you are not the only “Jesus freak”. There are thousands, millions with you! On that one single day, in our little country, the Netherlands, I was allowed to see a small glimpse of the fact that there are many, many brothers and sisters. Even though, like me, you may sometimes feel lonely…. You are not alone!

I remember so well the moment I gave my life to Jesus. That is not so strange, because that was only four and a half years ago. What He has done in my life in that short time is extraordinary….  “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.” – Jeremiah 29:11 We can sometimes think that we have our lives pretty much together, I thought so too for a long time. Until I gave my life to Jesus, and He completely changed me from the inside out. He gave me new desires, a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) and new dreams. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26 All these new desires and dreams were at odds with the life I was living at that time. Although I still thought my life was pretty much ‘all set’, I gradually discovered that God had very different ideas for my future. “But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.” – Leviticus 20:24 Not only did He change me from the inside out, He also slowly broke me free from this life so that I could build a new future with Him as my rock-solid foundation. It was a process where I only gradually figured out what was going on. He led me on my way to a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8, Numbers 14:8, Leviticus 20:24), a land together with Him where the old has passed away and the new has come. This was, and still is, a process. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 Bits and pieces Our whole life we ​​will be shaped and kneaded, just as the Bible also describes how we are the clay and God our potter (Jeremiah 18:1-6, Isaiah 64:8). Looking back on the past four and a half years, I see how God has also kneaded me and my life. My life, before I knew Jesus, was a hodgepodge of old wounds, bits and pieces from all kinds of periods that flowed into each other, old wounds that I (apparently) still carried, unfinished business and processes that were still ongoing, practical things that I still carried with me from my divorce in the relationship I entered into after this divorce, friends from different periods of my life and the start of my new life with Jesus. “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 For years, my life was a jumble of my childhood-formed character/my divorce/past relationships/my new life with Jesus. Work to be done, God must have thought, LOL. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” – Proverbs 3:5 Still, I thought I had it all together at that moment, but don’t lean on your own insight, right?😊 (Proverbs 3:5) I had a relationship, my own house, my job and later my relationship with Jesus was added to it. One big ‘Hallelujah’…. I thought. Although we can sometimes have an image of our life and our future and how good it may seem at that moment, God really knows what we need and what is good for us. He made us, He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is the One who has placed all our gifts and talents in us. The more you get to know Jesus, the more you get to know yourself Living in a broken world clouds our view of all these things. We all have a backpack, pains and traumas, that is inevitable because we live in brokenness. All these things shape and knead you and leave traces in your actions and your character. The image we have of ourselves is often not the true image. It is what is gradually formed in our lives by the things we experience, what people tell us, or the lies we believe about ourselves. However, the truth about yourself lies in Christ, and as long as you do not know Christ, you do not know the true truth about yourself. The more you get to know Jesus, the more you get to know yourself. All your gifts and talents lie in Him. And so we can sometimes think what we want for our lives and how we think what is good for us, the true truth about our lives lies in Him. Seeking and finding Him is therefore also finding yourself. A never-ending process Over the past few years, God has been breaking me away from everything I thought was good for me and showing me that it wasn’t all that good after all. He started working with me; starting with changing all my heart desires, I started loving the things He loves more and hating the things He hates. He shined His light on unprocessed traumas and helped me clear them. Practical matters that were still ongoing from the old life, He cleared for me because it was impossible for me to clear them myself and a miracle of God was needed for that, LOL. He pulled me out of a relationship that I thought was good for me, but ultimately wasn’t good for me at all. He kept my eyes on Him and I became more and more rooted in His Word, and so, slowly but surely, all the old disappeared. Everything I ever knew from a life before my life with Jesus, disappeared. “See, I am doing a new thing!” – Isaiah 43:19