Marco Anthony Britz - YOU HAVE MY WHOLE HEART!

Dear Marco,

The past sixteen and a half years of marriage have been quite extraordinary!  Although we did and will continue to encounter trials and hardships of various kinds, I am so blessed to endure it all with you.  Starting out so young was scary for me.  I had a ton of growing up to do… in many ways I still do.  I want you to know that you have personally and intimately impacted my life in such great ways, life-changing ways that have inspired a transformation in me.  I am so much more confident in who I am, what I believe, and what I am capable of because you have spoken that truth into my life.  The trial you face along with your fight to overcome have enabled me, and blessed me more than I deserve.

There are many things that have influenced our marriage.  God has been the biggest contributor, as I believe He brought us together and daily encourages our relationship.  God is the glue that holds us so tightly together!  Other influences include friendships that have listened to our story and provided advice and prayer when needed.  They walked beside us, affirming us when we thought we were alone. There are strangers we meet who has an impact on our marriage as well, some negative and some positive, but I pray that we will continue to be strong when the negative tries to over take us.  As much as all these wonderful influences have touched our marriage, there is no one or no thing that has influenced our marriage as much as you have!

Your Godly character has led us into many different challenges which made us so strong, and into a leadership role where we have the privilege to serve side by side. No matter how many flaws you say you have, You  wisdom has influenced me and taught me a great deal about our God and how He operates.  Your walk with the Lord has positively affected the growth I have experienced in my personal walk with Him.  I love the fact that we can grow together and experience the awesomeness of God in our lives.

Thank you for allowing me to always pray with you when you feel weak.  Thank you for remaining in faith, trusting in God’s promises, and reminding me of them when I fear.  Thank you for praying over us and over our marriage consistently everyday. Thank you for loving our kids in a way I sometimes do not understand.  Thank you for serving me in loving-kindness.  Thank you for being patient with me when our intimacy lacks.  Thank you for never giving up hope when times are hard.  Thank you for being transparent with me, being open, and at times emotional.  Thank you for the good gifts you have given to me as a token of your love, and thank you for the effort you have put into being more romantic.  Thank you for forgiving me and trusting in me as your wife.  Thank you for choosing me.

Thank you for believing in my talent and my potential to lead other women.  Thank you for giving me permission to share our stories9on the train hehehee) in the hopes that other marriages are healed.  Thank you for pushing me to continue with my blog when negative comments shook me up.  Thank you for not criticising me when I do and say the wrong things.  If I did not have your support and help, I would not be where I am today.

I am an appreciative wife.  I am a blessed wife.

You are my best friend.  You are the closest person to my heart. 

I have such a deep love and respect for you.

You have given me a beautiful opportunity to be a mother and I am overwhelmed with joy.  I cannot wait to see your face when Keachia-Leigh graduates from High School and Wade Joshua leaves Primary School.  I have full confidence in you and I know that you are going to do everything to make sure your kids do well, by following the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 7:6-9

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.  But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery,…. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

I love you Marco Anthony Britz!  Forever, for always, you have my whole heart, no matter what!

Love, your wife, Leslene Allicia britz

She is the pillar

My heart is compelling me to write this piece…even though it’s not about me.

 She is having a miscarriage as I’m writing this and it breaks my heart to even think about it. I’m writing about her situation because I don’t want to forget how amazing she is especially with her current situation. This is the second miscarriage in less than a year.

I ask myself…”How does she do it?” One would think when you look at her, she has it all worked out when it coms to life’s issues. I’ve got news…SHE DOES NOT. She doesn’t have to have it all worked out because, GOD is doing that for her. I saw her status, and I quote “I’ve been here before. One day I will understand.” I spoke to her yesterday and she apologised to me for sounding so vague. I said that she doesn’t need to apologise to me, I should for being so weak. She has no tears to cry, but those that are standing by her side including me cry their hearts out.

There’s so much I want to say to her, but so does the other friends. I can say I am sad about her loss but so are the others. What do you say to a person who is grieving the loss of a second unborn child? I was chatting to another friend about the loss and she said thank you to me for being there while she couldn’t in the natural but definitely in prayer. I believe those mourning the loss are true friends. The word of God says, “Blessed are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

I am so encouraged by this woman…she is doing what David says in 1Samuel 6:30 “…because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” A mother who lost two children teaches me through her trial.

I want to thank those who’s by my friend’s side to keep on doing what Jesus says in John 16:13-14…”Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.” Laying down your life is not just hanging on a cross. Jesus knew what He was saying. When we leave everything and do His will for the least we are laying down our lives.

To my friend:

We grieve with you but we have yet to come to the realization you have come to with your first loss and that is that you will see your babies again one day. Thank you for being a pillar of strength on your time of need.

I want to bless you with: 2Cor 5:8 and a poem from my heart

“Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

"The world may never notice if a rosebud doesn't bloom

or even pause to wonder if the petals fall too soon

but every life that ever forms or ever comes to be

touches the world in some small way for all eternity

the little one we longed for was swiftly here and gone

but the love that was then planted is a light that still shines on

 and though our arms are empty our hearts know what to do

 every beating of our heart says We will remember you."

 Revelations 21:4

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

 In His love

Leslene

Hillsong - Endless Light - with subtitles/lyrics

He(Holy Spirit) set me straight…

I don’t know if you guys have it but we definitely do. You know that a big cockroach that walks around outside your house and sometimes comes into your home? My husband calls them “homeless” LOL!!!

My husband has this thing with crawling stuff. Whenever he picks up his face cloth he shakes it a bit. Well, this morning I found out why. He shakes it just in case one of the “homeless” is on his cloth and my goodness, when he took his cloth, shook it a bit and one homeless fell in to the toilet. So what he was expecting all the time just became a reality. Job 3:25 says: “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.”

Whatever happens in our life is awesomely confirmed by a scripture in the Bible. So I would say it’s so important to know and live the Word of God and before anything happens in our life we will know exactly what the word says and we can then cancel the negative out according to the word and change it into the positive. Cool hey?

Anyway, back to the “homeless”. When my husband told me about the “homeless” I immediately received revelation. I told him that if he can only take that fear of seeing that crawler and tap in to the supernatural realm, see what’s desired in our household or someone else’s home and speak it into existence. He looked at me and didn’t say a word.

Immediately the Holy Spirit tugged at my heart saying: “you have so much to say to your husband, what about you? You have all the faith in the world when it comes to other people’s needs (which is not a bad thing), but what about your families needs? You pray with and for others and they receive instant breakthrough, don’t you want that for household as well?) I was so shocked and I gave the word back to God, coz that is what He says we should do….and besides; I don’t want to think of myself and forget about others. I said that Job prayed for his friends and the Lord restored his fortunes (Job 42:10). I also said that I want to imitate Paul where he says in Galatians 2:20”I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

God asked me the question: “Yes, self must be crucified but how much faith do you have for your family’s needs? You don’t have to be scared to ask me anything for your family because I look at your heart.” 

The lesson that I have learned from this morning’s experience is, THAT I SHOULD NOT LOOK TO MY HUSBAND AND WHERE HIS FAITH LEVEL IS, BECAUSE I LACK IN THAT AREA AS WELL.

Be encouraged to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. I’ve got my mind made up that my FAITH will increase for the needs of my household and I will not feel guilty about it because God will look at my heart.

In His love

Leslene

The Heart of C.L.A.Y - 7th & 14th July 2012

It is all about changing lives around you on a daily basis. Whether we help someone by giving them a smile, a hug or helping other groups...this is what C.L.A.Y is all about. Our lives have been changed when we allowed Jesus Christ into our hearts...we are here because we are called to go out there and do what God's word says..(The Great Commision.. Matthew 28:16-20)
C.L.A.Y had an awesome experience helping Kit-A-Kid raising funds. I believe this will not be the last. Janine Leith of J-9 Events(awesome woman and friend of God asked us to help and we now know that Saturday 7th & 14th July 2012 was predestined by God. It was to show us what is to come and that we should be ready to do His will. Helping Chad Abrahams and his team was an awesome experience. Humbling... and seeing how many people have a need out there. We believe counting the lost time spent by helping others no matter how low the job may seem is no issue for C.LA.Y at all. In actual fact, we cannot count the cost of humility. Ephesians 5:16 says: "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."  
The Lord, God has given C.L.A.Y the tongue of the learned that we should speak a word in season to those who are weary. He awakens us morning by morning with a listening ear.(Isaiah 50:8)
God is the Alpha & the Omega...The Beginning & the End of C.L.A.Y.

Photo's of the awesome time we had





They Come...They Go

Have you ever noticed how people come and go in your life? I sure notice these things. It is so profound to me. The people that leaves might be the ones that does not accept who you are because of your renewed mind, it might be ones that you don't accept and they decided to leave. Either way...I see so many of them coming back into my life. I am asking God the question, "why is this so?" God laid out so many scenarios for me and I totally understand why these things happen.

One example: I had a friend and we clicked instantly, but not knowing we are both so head strong when it comes to making decisions. It caused us to grow apart and we ended up blaming one another. The friendship ended... it had an up side though, God spoke not just to me I believe but to both of us. The amazing things is, we are friends again, well not the way we used to be but more like minded with the things of God. We NOW know how to communicate and the awesome thing is... WE CAN FINALLY ENCOUARGE ONE ANOTHER when a situation arise. I believe that is what friensdhip should be all about and not being in my face all the time or me being in your face.

"Seldom set your foot in your neighbor's house, too much of you and he will hate you", is what Proverbs 25:17 says.
The word of God makes it so clear when it comes to people, but yet we make the same mistakes over and over. There are such a thing as boundaries you know? Digging into the word of God, we will definately know when and how to put up boundaries when it comes to friendships. Ask me, I know exactly what I'm talking about.

A lesson well learned and to remember:

Don't try to be in your friend's face or allow them to be in yours too much, especially if it's not fruitful. It can harm the relationship. I can boldly say, "I have friends which I love dearly, but boundaries are a must."

Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another." #let us be cool/awesome/loving/listening/mindful/prayeful friends and put our trust in the Lord to help us in our relationships.

In His love
Leslene



Measuring Up - Renee Swope (Girlfriends in God)

This article inspired me so much, I just had to post it on my site not to loose it.

"When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV)

Do you ever compare yourself to other women and feel like you don't quite measure up? Maybe you feel like you're not as smart, pretty, fun, organized or as good at _______ as they are.
It is so easy to think that if we had more or knew more, we'd be secure. But the truth is, even people who "have it all" still struggle with feelings of insecurity. The Bible opens with the story of a woman who had everything but it still wasn't enough (Genesis 2).
God had established Eve's worth as His child and the crown of His creation. He also gave Eve every woman's desire: intimacy, beauty, security, significance, and purpose. Yet Satan conjured up feelings of insecurity by getting Eve to take her eyes off what she had and focus on what she didn't have.
Boy, can I relate. Like Eve, I've heard Satan's whispers telling me I'm not all I could be — or should be. One day I was reading her story in Genesis 2 and I noticed that his questions and suggestions were intended to plant seeds of doubt in Eve's heart. He wanted her to doubt God and herself.
The enemy's whispers tempted Eve to try to "be" more and "have" more by seeking significance apart from God's provision. He convinced her something was missing in her life and that the forbidden fruit would make her be "like God."
It was a foolish comparison, but all comparisons are. Yet don't we do it all the time? If only I was like her...if only I had a house like hers, a husband like hers, a job like hers...if only my children behaved like hers...If only _______, then I'd feel significant, satisfied and secure.
In today's key verse, Paul warns us that those who "measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, are not wise" (2 Cor. 10:12 NIV). Comparison will always leave us feeling like we don't measure up. We can try to do more and be more, yet it's never enough.
If only Eve had focused on who she was and what she had as a child of God. If only we could too.
Yet Satan wants us to focus on our flaws and feelings of inadequacy, then exhaust our energy figuring out how to hide them. But we don't have to go along with his schemes. Instead we need to equip ourselves to recognize his lies, refute his temptations with truth, and focus on God's acceptance, security, and significance. Then we can thank God for His provision and His promises that remind us of who we are in Him:
I am accepted...
Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.
I am secure...
Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39 I am free from condemnation. I can't be separated from God's love.
Philippians1:6 I am confident God will complete the good work He started in me.
I am significant...
Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Author and psychologist, Dr. Neil T. Anderson says, "The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior (and beliefs) will begin to reflect your true identity!"
So, the next time we're tempted to use the measuring stick of comparison - let's commit to measure UP ↑ by focusing upward on Christ and who we are in HIM!

Lord, thank You that in Christ I'm chosen, holy, and dearly loved. When I'm tempted to measure up according to the world's standards or my foolish comparisons, help me recognize Satan's lies, refuse his temptations and rely on your truth about me instead. Remind me that such confidence as this is mine through Christ—not that I am competent in myself to claim anything for myself, but competence comes from You. In Jesus' name, Amen. (Colossians 3:12; 1 Peter 5:9; 2 Corinthians 3:4-5)