God’s First Revelation to me on the Blessing of Many Children.

A couple of years ago after my two children were born; we decided that we would not have any more children, although I dreamt of four children when I got married. After all, babies are hard work and a lot of stress. Heidi-Mari was a colic baby, who cried for six months before we learnt that she was diary-, wheat- and MSG intolerant. She was now two and a half years old and I was looking forward to have a live again. Heidi-Mari and CJ (then 5years old) were in playgroups and they were happy to be between their peers and getting the right stimulation from woman who had the talent and passion to work with little children (or that’s how I justified it to myself) I would then be able to start working in my husband’s business again and bring in some extra money to lift the financial burden. I would also be able to start hobbies again and go to woman bible studies without a toddler around my feet.

Then two friends of mine got pregnant with their third babies! Oh my! I was hooked! All of a sudden I wanted another baby! I tried to reason with myself. If I got pregnant again, I would be stuck at home again for another three years! And who in her right mind would want to do that to herself. I already had a boy and a girl, our parents only had two children, and everybody else I knew, except these two friends. Then the financial side. How does one provide in todays live for three children? Not even the church promotes more than two children. I must be crazy, I thought!

Everybody I talked to (even our pastor who had three children) advised me against having more children. Especially having three children! The middle child syndrome… was one of the main reasons! You either have two or four children. But I wanted another baby so badly! After two months of roller coaster emotions, I decided to ask God for help. I decided to pray and fast for 40 days and ask God to either take the yearning for another baby away, or to give me peace that it is OK to have another baby.

I must add that my husband didn’t mind having another baby at all, although his business was taking a lot of strain from the declining economy at that time. I wasn’t on any contraception, since I just couldn’t cope on any of the available contraceptive pills. For all the years of my married live, I had a very regular cycle and we used the rhythm method as contraception, with great success.

In the spring of 1999, I started my forty days fast of certain foods in my daily diet. Every morning and any other available time, I would read my bible, pleading with God for guidance and promises from His Word. It was an amazing few weeks in my life. God visited me every time I opened my Bible, revealing Himself to me and giving me the most amazing promises… and before the forty days was over, I was pregnant! I was overjoyed! With all the promises God gave me, I could just look forward to this new life and rely on Him to sustain us.

Since Heidi-Mari was a very traumatic hospital birth, miraculously NOT ending in a caesarian, we decided to have a home, water birth with a midwife. It was the most enriching time to go into labour on that evening of the 23rd of August and giving birth to a little boy in the early morning hours of the 24th of August 2000! Everything was so peaceful and calm. No rushing to a noisy hospital, nor leaving my small children at a family member, no bright, white lights in a hospital room, no strange nurses storming into the labour room every hour for observations, no interference with my bodies natural instinct to giving birth. Two hours after my baby boy was born, I was lying in my own bed, in my own room; my children had met their new baby brother and were back in a restful sleep in their own beds. The midwife left for her own hour or two of rest before dawn and Christo and I had time to adore our newborn baby over marmite toast and sandwiches!

The whole family 90min. after Josua was born.

Josua and Ingred Essl, and our very competent midwife. I’ve learned almost everything I knew about having babies the natural way and breastfeeding my babies, from this special woman.

CJ and Heidi-Mari proudly next to their new baby brother.

This was only the start of God’s blessing on our life through this baby boy. A few weeks after our baby’s birth, Christo’s business went down and we lost everything. We had to move to a small two bedroom granny flat, we had to borrow a family member’s car and Christo started a new business from scratch. But my baby boy gave me hope and a reason to live! Every time when I thought I could not do it, that the pressure and stress was too much, I would take my tiny baby into my arms and just love him. God renewed my tired, discouraged spirit by this baby’s dependency on me every time.

Today this tiny baby turned 9years old – my Josua! God truly used him to lead us into the Promised Land and taught us some basic truths about the blessing of children.

Do I still think babies are hard work? For sure! Do I still think they keep me from having a live? Never! They are the key to the life God intended for me from the start! Today my seven children are playing around their brothers and sisters, in the safety of their own home, having their mother, using her talents and passion to stimulate them and allow each one to grow into the unique person God intend them to be! And what about providing for all God’s blessings? God provides and He sustains us.
I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed.
Ps 37:25-26

Thank you Lord for answering my prayers and hunger for your truths about children, over the past ten years, and giving me this rich and blessed live as a mother!


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Making Memories on CJ's 15th Birthday!

CJ’s 15th Birthday was a Memory Making Day. I’m realizing celebrating his birthday, as we know it now, will soon change. In three to four years from now, he will be a young man and birthdays will yet again take another form of celebration.

Monday morning CJ went with dad to his shop. At 11h30 I picked them up and we went to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in the Cape to celebrate his birthday at the Hildebrand Restaurant. We remembered CJ falling, at 3years of age, in front of the Restaurant, while we were drinking a cool drink, and broke his arm! But the Hildebrand Restaurant is such an excellent Italian Restaurant; we went back despite the accident, for years after that. We have never felt bloated after a meal at The Hildebrand and their service is the best we know in the Peninsula. Some of their waiters have been working there for over 35 years!

What a special time we had together. Relaxing and enjoying each others company, talking about special moments over the past 15years.

CJ could chose whatever he wanted from the menu and he ordered Calamari rings for a starter and a half portion seafood platter for the main meal. The reason he chose these dishes are because we, as a family, don't eat any shell fish. We eat only fish covered with scales. Since this was a very special occasion and he loves seafood, we made an exception. We believe the Bible is right when it forbidden the Israelites to eat shell fish (for health reasons – not spiritual reasons). They are the ‘vacuum cleaners’ of the ocean and therefore are not the best to consume.

Since CJ ordered such an extravagant main meal, our very competent waiter, Tony, asked if it was a special occasion for CJ. After hearing it was his 15th birthday, he congratulated CJ with his birthday. Tony Yates is such a gentleman.

When it was time for desert, CJ received two deserts. The one he ordered and another desert with a sparkle and the waiters sang Happy Birthday CJ! He enjoyed that a lot – my CJ is a real sweet tooth and always asked me to bake him some cookies!

After our delicious meal we took a little walk around the Waterfront. But it was freezing cold and we made it short!

CJ and Dad with the Clock Tower in the back ground.

We even saw a “real” pirate ship coming into the harbor!

This was such a special time together. Thank you Lord for granting us such memory making moments!

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CJ's 15th Birthday!

Today, the 17th of August, my firstborn is 15 years old. I can still remember the day before he was born. I was 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant. My husband’s bible study group was supposed to start a new bible study book that week and since I had nothing else to do, than waiting for this baby to be born, I offered to go into town to fetch the books from the Christian book shop. As I was driving home that afternoon, my tummy big and very uncomfortable behind the steering of my small red Volkswagen, I promised myself that I will not getting behind the steering of my car again, before this baby was born. That evening the women’s bible study was at our place and as one of my friends walked through the door, she gave me one look and said, "you’re going to have a baby tonight!" Just like that. Every one within hearing distance stopped their conversations looked at her, asking her how she could tell? She said it is easy, just by looking how big Linnie’s nose is, she could tell!!

Well, at two the next morning, my waters broke and CJ was born after a very long labor at 17h30 that evening.

He was a healthy 3.4 kg baby boy and according to the grandparents on both sides (who became grandparents for the first time) he lifted his head an hour after he was born.

Since that day, near every due date I secretly, try to “measure” the size of my nose, but after having given birth to seven babies, I can still not see the bigger nose!

The most outstanding moment of becoming a mother was when the hospital nurse (CJ was born before I knew of home births and water births, I didn’t even know it is possible to give birth with a midwife!) brought my newborn baby for his first feeding, around 22h00. I remember looking at this tiny little baby, whom I knew, but still I didn’t know him at all, and his big dark eyes looking back at me, listening to my voice, trying to figure out from where he knew me! It was just one of those moments in time you never forget.

Over the years I remember so many firsts! There were so many joys, and just as many moments of tears. Growing into motherhood is hard! There are so many opportunities for mistakes. And over the years one thing I’m sure of is: “God use children to make mothers His perfect brides-to-be for the Day of His return.”

Before I had children, and even after two children I couldn’t quite understand the verse in 1 Tim 2:15 “Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.”

Wow! I am now starting to understand this verse. I believe there is no career in the world, which can teach woman faith, love, holiness and self-control like motherhood! Motherhood constantly asks self sacrifice, it keeps you on your knees and oh my, the most challenging one for me – self-control. So I praise the Lord for this beautiful son of mine who came and opened my womb fifteen years ago and led the way for more to come. He led the way in so many ways and I therefore believe God’s grace is so much more on the firstborn, since a mother still needs to learn so much, while raising her firstborn.

I’ve already written a few times on how God will not let your children miss the callings on their lives. CJ is now only 15 years old and we can’t say for sure what God’s calling is on his live, although we have a pretty good idea, but we do know he has a gifting in working with horses. Yesterday, as I was looking through his baby album, I found the very first picture of CJ on a small pony just before his first birthday. It was the birthday party of a friend and Christo took the picture.

On Saturday he took part in a Show Jumping Event in Stellenbosch. He jumped the 80cm and 90cm competition classes.

Both times he got first prize!










How could I ever have dreamt my tiny baby would win show jumping competitions at the age of 15?

Well done my son and happy birthday! May the Lord use us and many more Godly people to teach you and instruct you in His ways. We love you lots!

Swine Flu - Mother do you panic?

My husband wrote this article on the Swine Flu. Go read it, get all the facts, be prepared and don't panic like the rest of the world.

Daniel's First Birthday Cake!

The anticipation for Daniel’s first birthday started to build up on Thursday, when we baked the cakes. We decided to make a train cake and needed a rectangular cake and a Swiss roll. Years ago I had to do two years practical classes in nutrition as part of my education. I remember very well my first attempt to bake a Swiss roll. Since I had NO experience in the kitchen as a young girl, it was one big flop. From that day, now more than 20years later, I’d rather buy a Swiss roll than try to bake one! For Daniel’s train cake I was forced to bake the Swiss roll myself. One of the party friends is a diabetic and I wanted to give a part of the Swiss roll to her as her treat, since she’s not allowed to eat any icing sugar or sweets.

On Thursday morning I pulled out my university recipe book and started to read everything about a Swiss roll. The most important characteristic of a Swiss roll is that it contains no shortening or chemical raising agent, like baking soda or baking powder. The raising agent is air whipped into the eggs. The trick is to get as much air into the egg as possible and to stabilize the egg to keep the air inside, so the end product doesn’t shrink after the baking process. You also want a very delicate texture. A little cream of tartar and/or lemon juice is the secret to trap as much air into the whipped eggs as possible. You also need to use very high quality flour, but I use spelt flour, that does not contain as much gluten as wheat does. I chose a recipe to separate the egg white and egg yolk, whipped them separately (result more trapped air) and added a little baking powder.

Here we go:

Swiss roll with baking powder

Ingredients:

160 g spelt flour or 120 g baking flour
5 ml baking powder
pinch of salt
4 eggs (separate white and yolk)
12,5 ml lemon juice
2.5 ml cream of tartar
25 ml water
160 g xylitol (200 ml) or sugar
125 ml St. Dalfour Thick Apricot jam

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a medium baking tray with ungreased baking paper or well-greased waxed paper, allowing the paper to extend over the edges.

2. Using an electric beater, beat egg whites on high, until stiff peaks form, but not dry. Gradually add 100g of xylitol (or sugar) and the cream of tartar, (dissolve in the 25ml of water) into the egg whites, until glossy peaks form. The mixture should resemble a thick stable foam and the mark from a spoon dragged through the mixture should not disappear.

3. Beat the yellow yolk until thick and pale yellow. Beat in rest of xylitol (or sugar) and lemon juice, until xylitol is dissolved.

4. Gently fold the yellow yolk into the stiff egg whites, with a metal spoon.

5. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift again in layers, into the egg mixture and very gently fold the flour in with a large metal spoon until well blended.

6. Spoon batter onto baking tray evenly and smooth out to the corners with a pallet knife. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden and springy to the touch.

7. Sprinkle a clean tea towel with water, and roll to dampen all over, place onto a worktop. Turn the cake onto the tea towel, remove the tray. Carefully peel off the paper.

8. Spread the sponge lightly with apricot jam and roll immediately into a tight spiral with the aid of the tea towel, starting from the longer side. Roll up and allow to cool, while wrapped in the cloth.

9. When cold remove the towel and trim edges if necessary. Swiss Rolls are best eaten on the day they are made; as they contain no fat, they quickly become stale.

Our Swiss roll was fairly successful and I was proud of myself, as were the children.
CJ had a ball taking the pictures. He went through a tough patch, losing a friend that is emmigrating to Australia. Since all the children are around me every moment of the day, I could sense he needed some tender, loving care and I involved him in what interested him most – taking pictures and releasing him from school work for the morning.

Next we mixed our well tested chiffon cake, baked in a baking tray and the little ones had a ball licking out the mixing bowls.

During the rest of Thursday, Heidi-Mari and Josua decorated a Happy Birthday Daniel banner for the party. We got the idea here.








On Friday morning we cleaned the house and in the afternoon the decorating of the train started.

The night before, Christo and CJ laid out the construction of the train, with the different pieces of cake, but I was so tired after putting Daniel to sleep, I couldn’t give enough attention to the details. On the Friday afternoon, CJ worked at the stables and with Christo at work, I was in trouble. I started the cake, but by the time Christo and CJ arrived home, at 18h00, I was in a total panic and I knew the construction of this train was not right.

Christo immediately gave the right instructions and within 20 min, the train was ‘on track’.

But then we started with the carriages and again we had some trouble. We planned to make the carriages with chocolate wafers.

The problem with wafers is, that it dries out within an hour and then the wafer separates from the chocolate and falls apart. By 20h00 both carriages were falling apart.

Christo had to make a quick trip to the Spar to try and find another solution. I had to put Daniel to sleep and was exhausted and discouraged. It was the first time a cake just didn’t come together.

Since I was so tired and Daniel lately didn’t fall asleep so easily, I fell asleep next to him (I think even before he slept). By 21h30 I awoke, to find two perfect carriages, made of zoo cookies and a beautiful and colourful tree, made of gum sweets.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Christo, CJ and Heid-Mari had finished the cake and even cleaned up the kitchen. I just had to make the final border around the cake, fill it up with food coloured coconut and put on the birthday candle.

What a relief – the cake was finished and thanks to my dear husband and two older children, even more beautiful than I expected!