my highway to zion

Email inbox cleaned out. Check. 2012 Journal overview. Check. Mandatory New Years FB post. Check. Blog update. Eeek. When did I go from be super-blogger to hardly ever thinking to come on here and update this once-loved world of blogging? I could put it on my new years resolutions list, to blog more...alongside my "keep in better contact with friends and family over the world, exercise, start eating better, simplify, etc" But instead, Im just going to start with this blog, today, and see where it takes us! I hope you enjoy 2012 in review... I mean, let's start with what is really most important in life: coffee. You think I'm kidding? Well, maybe I am supposed to have lots of pious and missionary-ish things to say, but coffee really is a pretty significant part of my life. It feels familiar in my hands, which helps me in life. It's warm when Cape Town winter invades my rickety, old apartment building, my Toms as Im walking to the train station, or my ...

The father of Rachel Joy Scott, one of the young children killed at Columbine 12 years ago, wrote this appeal to United States' H ouse Judiciary Committee's subcommittee last week. The words are the most accurate summary of what is the root of any and all violence, in America and beyond. "Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was am...

One heck of a road we've walked with our four latest Living Grace graduates. I can honestly say they might be my favorite group so far, but I always say that :) Im so excited when these Friday's come, because I know Im going to see a whole lot of real tears and real gratitude, and real inspiration as incoming clients get a snapshot of what they are in for should they stick it out through the duration of our program. Our team at Living Grace is SO dynamic at the moment, its just a thrill to go to work! Special thanks always goes to Jesus, my favorite, my hero, my bff. He comes through like a bomb as they say in SA. Three cheers for sobriety! xoxo

Most of you know that Penny (middle) and I have walked a very long road. A long, hard road that I've not always been sure what to do with. Penny is a product of many different environments, influences, and authorities as her life has been tossed around so much over the years. I sometimes envisioned/feared that as she hit her late teens, she was going to suffer terribly at the hands of her past. Well, I know life is a journey and things change, but just for today I want to share about how encouraged I am from my experience with Penny last Saturday night at the Passion Concert at Cape Town Stadium. The show started with a bang. Lights down, flashing colors, loud music and people jumping around. Penny loves parties, so I think this sort of felt like a Jesus version of some club scene she had scene on TV. But as the night progressed, Penny's enthusiasm grew exponentially. To see my little friend with hands raised, shouting and screaming the name of Jesus, singing songs loud and...

two weekends ago, all of the staff/volunteers of living grace hosted a table at a spring tea, organized to be a fundraiser for our recovery program. we are hoping to buy outdoor furniture for our deck upstairs that overlooks the indian ocean (sounds like a rough life, aye?!). the response was outstanding! not only did we raise a ton of bucks, but we also put up a needs list at the end and people are just pouring out the blessings on us.  next month we are hosting "ride for recovery", a motorcycle ride around the peninsula. peter is leading it, and we hope to have 100 bikes signed up!  here are some photos of the spring tea. this is my table, packed to the brim with homemade brownies, sausage rolls, fruit kabobs, a strawberry tart i like to brag about, dates wrapped in bacon (salivating as i type that one!), and the traditional peanuts and chips for my colored father john roberts who joined our table :-P the spread at table AWESOMENESS! auntie joan giving out ...