NHCF Blog

by Caryl MollI spent a large part of my childhood growing up on a small farm in the Limpopo valley. They were wonderful years despite my parents struggling financially. Some of our harvest - tomatoes, peanuts, milk and cream - was sent to the market, but mostly it went to supporting our household and the workers on the farm. At one point in the farm’s early history, it was vibrant and flourishing. Crops were bountiful and were supported by a perennial stream which came off the mountain. We had a prominent waterfall which could be seen some kilometres away. It was the focal point in our landscape. Sadly at one point, the Department of Forestry planted Bluegum/Saligna trees on top of the mountain (off our property). The effects of their long tap roots were devastating at the time – practically removing all of the farm’s water supply. My Father was fervent in maintaining the farm and set about drilling boreholes to support the land. But this wasn’t enough…Before our eyes, the beautiful landscapes of lush produce and green vegetation disappeared. The fields turned into waste-land and the bush started taking over. The once flourishing tomato fields were left to our memories.  Nothing was working, so my father had to seek alternative employment in the nearby town. He left his beloved land during the day to provide for us all. We could all feel his sadness.Luckily, however, we remained on the farm. Mostly we’d live off the small vegetable garden and the orchard. Occasionally we’d slaughter one of the cattle for meat (another story). Water was very scarce and we weren’t wealthy at all. But God’s provision was always there. My parents worked hard to support their three children. There were always ‘leftovers’ from the harvest and these were handed to friends in the village too. Everyone always shared.But there was one most significant memory which I’ll keep forever…Every day, when my Dad returned home after work, he’d shrug off his shoes and socks, put on his ‘farm clothes’ and go to sit under the Louquat tree on our front lawn. There he’d enjoy a special mug of ‘farm coffee’, made with creamy milk from his few cows.Although the coffee was steaming hot, he’d wait for it to cool while putting the small sprinkler on the lawn. Then he’d sit down on the old garden chair and turn towards his beverage. As the coffee cooled, a thin film of cream would congeal on its surface. My father would turn his attention to it and carefully dispense a spoon of sugar in a small heap on top so that the film of cream. Slowly the film would delicately wrap itself around the sugar – in a small parcel. He concentrated hard as he carefully collected it up with his teaspoon.  The expression on my Dad’s face as he brought the spoon to his mouth was one of sheer pleasure. He’d break into a wide smile and visibly relax into his garden chair…

by Luke KincaidDiscipleship is essential to genuine spiritual growth. I have been reminded of this truth over the past week while interacting with some of our youth and as we cover the topic of discipleship on Saturday afternoons. Sitting down with fellow children of God while discussing and growing in our faith is an essential element of being a disciple. It is clear that the early church placed much importance on discipleship: 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. - Acts 2:46-47 “Everyday”… that is the most challenging word for me in this short text. It is so important that we spend time with fellow disciples as much as possible as we are way stronger together than when we are apart and I have been encouraged to experience this first hand.I love these words from Jeff Vanderstelt:“Once we start to realize that discipleship is an everyday, all-of-life process for our own lives, we’re halfway to understanding God’s call. The other half of that call is seen most clearly in the great commission, where God calls his people— all his people—to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Part of our own discipleship is “paying it forward”: seeing God not only work in us, for our own discipleship, but also seeing him work through us, for others’ discipleship. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us that a primary way we grow into maturity in Christ is through “speaking the truth in love” to and with each other (Eph 4:16). God didn’t design discipleship to primarily happen alone.” So I challenge all of us this week, even in the midst of our current chaos, to look for opportunities to spend time with fellow children of God and benefit from discipling one another. Much Love,Luke

by Calven CelliersOne morning this week I watched as my beautiful little Livvy played in the garden. She lovingly explored all the different flowers, a wide variety of colours, shapes, sizes, and scents. As she stood and gently inspected some white daisies, I was reminded of a childhood game that many of you are no doubt familiar with … He (or she) loves me; He loves me not!As you hold a daisy in your hand, you slowly pull off one petal at a time saying, “He (or she) loves me; he loves me not. He loves me; he loves me not.” With each proclamation of your heart throbs love for you (or their non-love for you), you pull another petal from the poor little flower. As you know, the point of this silly game is to arrive at the final petal on a “He loves me!” because that is of course the universal “sign” that the other person actually loves you. As we mature and grow, we all realise that this game is quite ridiculous and naturally childish, yet I cannot help but think that in some ways many Christians still play it! Somewhere along the way we’ve reduced God’s love to something as random as hoops we must jump through in the hope of earning God’s love.Christianity is, to the best of my knowledge, the only world religion where someone (Jesus) comes along and pays the penalty for you. Other religions focus on what you have do to earn your salvation, while Christianity is about what Christ has done on your behalf that guarantees your salvation. Many Christians, however, don’t live in the reality of this acceptance and grace, instead they portray a story based on performance and conformity. The path of trying to please God and earn His love is a tiresome system incapable to change human lives but tragically capable of exhausting and devastating them. When I think about all of the mistakes that I’ve made, and how I’ve made a right royal mess of things at times, I sigh a sigh of grateful thanks to God for taking my brokenness and shame and breathing restoration and redemption into it.“God won’t stop loving us when we mess up. The central message of the Bible is this: God doesn’t love you because of who you are or what you’ve done but because of who He is and what He has done.” (Rick Warren)Being secure in the love of God for you is essential to healthy Christian living. God’s love is fundamental to our identity as His children, because if we aren’t rooted and grounded in the unconditional love of God, we will be like untethered buoys being tossed about in the sea. It may seem elementary that God loves you, but there is no force more powerful than the love our heavenly Father has for us, His children. So great is His love for you and me that He sent His only Son to die that we might live through Him.In the Gospel of John 17: 25 & 26 Jesus makes a statement…

by Caryl MollMany years ago, when my children were small, I discovered this little treasure while browsing in a book store one day. I was intrigued. It stirred a deep creative spark in me. I peeped inside…It was a simple book with pretty blank pages ready to be filled. A journal really, with writing prompts at the top of each page for a mother to write up her story. Each page offered a question. Some questions were simple; like ‘What is your favourite recipe?’ or ‘Tell me about your first kiss…’ Other prompts were more complicated questions, like: “When did you first hear about Jesus?” and “What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?” The intention of this book was for us mothers to leave a written legacy for our children – things we’d like to tell them, or emphasize, or to fill in the gaps of our lives before we pass on. But think about it; this leads to another question…Why would we want to do this? Why do we want our children to know certain things about us? Why do we want to transfer such knowledge to them?The answer is simple. It lies in our innate need to protect our children; to help them avoid the pitfalls of this life, so that the hard consequences of mistakes won’t fall on their shoulders. We want them to flourish and be happy. It’s every parent’s wish.The reality, however, is that our makeup as human beings ensures that we will all choose and chart our own course in this life. We will make our own decisions and will also make some horrible mistakes along the way. Sometimes we’ll choose a completely stupid direction even whilst knowing the potential dangerous consequences. Life is about choices. And yes, we can make some really stupid ones!I eventually purchased this little book and set about writing in it. It is by no means complete and I’ve discovered that my ideas change over the years. It does, however, share some of my life experiences. It’s a gift to my children … and possibly to my grandchildren one day. My writing is open and honest and candidly imparts some of my accumulated “knowledge of life” over the years. It shares my love of God and the life He has given me. It’s part of my overall creative effort to leave something positive and of value for those who live after me.  I know that my advice given in my little book may not be heeded. The choice is always up to them….they can take it or leave it.Similarly, when I study the book of Proverbs and the amazing advice Solomon left us, (inspired by God himself), I am reminded of my own book.  I am also reminded of the love I have for my own children and my need to protect and guide them. This is exactly the same sentiment in the book of Proverbs. Its purpose is to impart wisdom and discipline for understanding and…