my highway to zion

If you look at the Smeddle calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen, you will see lots of abbreviations.  "LG" could stand for "life group" or "living grace".  "Jubs" is short for our church Jubilee.  "PM" will be miss Penny Marco's engagements, and for 11 weeks twice a year, our Tuesday nights will say "RG". RG is short for Redemption Groups.  One of the many ministries of our beloved Jubilee, RG is a small group support model developed by a man named Mark Wilkerson, the aim of which is to get people into community where they can journey to a place of healing in various areas of their life.  AND YOU THOUGHT MY LORD OF THE RINGS POST WAS RANDOM! Well, you were wrong, cause each Tuesday, Simon and I get to be the Sam to a room full of Frodo's.  We get to walk with men and women out of the pain of carrying a sinful burden, into the freedom that comes as they shed the weight and receive the shalom peace of God. F...

I know there are many people in this world who would say that reading is a luxury.  In a busy day and age where success, parenting, and just the humdrum of daily life responsibilities can clog up our free space, there are definitely certain things we must forsake for seasons of our life.  Even things we love--for me, reading would be at the top of that list, along with sewing, baking, and trail running--sometimes get lost in the realities of life, choices, and results. For some reason, I write this entry with a dash of guilt sprinkled in…i think of all my young mom friends who comment on how life has changed for them.  I feel like maybe i should enjoy reading for their sake, instead I should also find reasons to not have the luxuries they have temporarily lost.  But let's just be honest:  I am not a young mother and I don't foresee myself becoming one in the next short while, so "Read on" I say! And eat that 7th cinnamon roll of the weekend while you are at...

Last week I got the chance to go on my first safari!! It was so cool, and sooooo cold!  We were wrapped up in blankets and hats and gloves and hot water bottles.   Thanks BBC for treating us to a special day we may not have treated ourselves to otherwise :) xx

On Friday we graduated another batch of clients from Living grace! I was sad to see these people go. Each one has touched our lives in a special way. One in particular has overcome the most unlikely odds.  Diagnosed with a host of mental impairments, we as staff met often to discuss if we were finding middle ground between empowering him and maintaining our standards. I praise God He came through for this guy and I trust he will continue to do so. Living Grace runs an amazing and essential program in Cape Town.  So proud to be part of it!

The last few weeks of life in South Africa have been very hard.  The grief has come in like a tsunami that bit me out of nowhere and left a mess behind. It started rather obviously, actually.  Early one Monday morning while driving to work I saw an amazing sunrise over the Helderberg mountains.  I had one of this deeply profound moment of knowing God loves me and others with the most perfect love.  It was such an overwhelming feeling that I phoned Simon when I got to work to tell him about it. As I hung up the phone, a message came into my Living Grace whatsapp group, marking the first of many tragedies: --one of our dear clients had hung himself the day before, leaving his newlywed wife and their 2 month ok'd baby behind. --another client, due to become a proud father over the weekend prior had watched as his beloved gave birth to baby, blue and brain dead from malpractice at the government maternity ward they were delivering in.  The baby, Caleb, died that nex...

Today, Penny passed the exam for her Learners Permit! Penny continues to defy the odds she comes out of. The first one in her family to reach the 11th grade. The first to get a learner drivers permit. The first to stay on a path that will open up door of life and possibility and joy. I am proud of this girl. This young woman (18 in March). Today she is my hero!

😉I love when God smashes into a moment and shows His amazingness! I have such a cool story to share with you all, and it happened last Friday night. Simon, Penny and I were driving about an hour outside of Cape Town, to a little French mountain town called Franschhoek. This is where Simon's aunt and uncle (Jo and Gary) live, and where I would live too if I could find a justifiable reason to do so…it's such a lovely place! We arrived at their house in time for dinner, but as soon as we walked in, Jo grabbed Simon's attention and convinced him to come into her music studio and listen to some new worship music she has discovered. Penny and I settled in for the long haul, cause we both know that Jo and Simon love being together and worshipping God. She typically plays the keyboard, and Simon will sing along with her while playing guitar.  They are both such gifted musicians, but both are busy with other endeavors and only get a chance to lead worship on occasion.  Jo herse...