Welcome to my blog 
I trust you may be blessed as you look around and
that God gets the glory for everything you may read or watch or listen to.
When I first started out with a blog, I was very unsure of how people were going to react and so I chose to remain anonymous.
Now that I am a wee bit more experienced in the ‘blogosphere’ and have learned a bit more about how it all works, and I have met so many awesome, loving brothers and sisters in the Lord along the way, that I have decided to use my own name now too. So for those of you who know me as Jessie or Jess, I can remain Jess, but for those of you who would like to call me Steph, you may also do that – it does not really matter. To all of you that I have been so enriched by along the way, thank you and bless you – you have truly blessed me.
So who am I really?
I am first and foremost a child of the Most High God bought with a price – an incredible price. I am married with a 16yr old son.
I have been a Christian for 30 years this year, but have only truly known what it is to fall in love with our dear Lord and Saviour over the past 5 years. I finally became alive to Him. I knew there had to be more in this relationship with God than I had had up until that time. The problem was I never knew anyone, whose relationship with the Lord was really any different to mine. No one I knew had that special missing ingredient that I knew just had to be there. What was it? Where could I get it? I said to the Lord one day that if I could not have a real living relationship with Him, then I did not want to carry on in this life as it held no true meaning.
In Psalm 81:10 it says “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” And so I took the Lord at His word and opened my mouth wide, but had no idea what it was that would be required of me…
This yearning in me was the beginning of a few years of the most agonising searching out for God that I have ever done in my life. I lost so much around me, I lost my business, I lost my church, I lost friends, and even almost lost my marriage and then finally was faced at one time with losing my life. Yet through all the tears and agony and at times immense misunderstanding of what the Lord was doing, I knew unequivocally that the hand of the Lord was there, guiding and moving me where He needed me to be. Then one day as I was reading the life story of Oswald Chambers, Abandoned to God, at one point in the story, the Lord made it very clear that it was this that was missing. I had been trying to do it. I had to let Him do it in me. The ‘I’ had to go, so that He could fill me. I could not hold onto any part of me that was not meant to be there. I had to have only one master and up to that point I had been that master. Now it was time for the only Master to take the reins of my life.
And so began the journey that I am still on, of learning about dying to self, picking up my cross and following Him. I sat in the Cafe where I was reading my book, crying. I did not know what people thought, I did not care and neither did I care that I must have looked like a panda bear with my mascara all over my cheeks. I had finally found what I had searched so hard and so long for. This was all that mattered. I still have a copy of a letter that I wrote to my dad-in-law when the Lord showed me this.
To put it correctly, our dear Lord Jesus found me that day. Truly found me, and from that day on, I want to know Him more than I did the day before. I never want to stop finding out about Him and getting to know Him. He is completely without end and so must my seeking of Him out, be.
How can I explain practically what God has really done in my life when so much is done in my heart away from view? In the secret places. To most they might appear insignificant. To me they have been and still are life-changing. The Lord has taken away many of the things that used to fill my head up, certain hobbies and certain things I used to read or watch on TV or at the movies, have all been removed and replaced with Him and things of Him. None of it has been really difficult – it has been a natural progression I guess. The Lord is just so incredibly kind and loving and patient, is He not?
In Col 3:1-4 it says so clearly and it has happened in my own life that, 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
To say that God is everything, is one thing, to live God is everything, is quite another. For any of us to come to a place where we let go of our agenda for our life and let God bring in His without any reservation, to be used as a vessel only for His glory should be the heart cry of our whole being.
My sin is forgiven through the Cross of Jesus Christ and that alone. My relationship with the LORD is only made whole by the Cross of Jesus Christ and His Atonement and nothing more. If you read the 5 Solas on the right hand side-bar, you will see what I am talking about. I must become nothing that He might become All.
As in the words of Paul Washer – “He saved me. Isn’t that enough?”
Bless you.
You are truly blessed Steph, with a wonderful talent to express yourself both verbally and through your wonderful photographic vision. I’m honored to know you, and pray that every day you find even more blessings on your doorstep as well as in your heart!
God bless!!!
I am both overwhelmed and humbled by your kind response, Rich. Thank you for your visit and I hope it won’t be your last
Blessings to you too!
Steph
Definitely won’t be my last visit Steph! Your testimony here has been like a brilliant splash of warm sunlight and I appreciate the warmth and comfort your words provide in these pages. If you ever feel the need for encouragement know that you’ve got many friends out here who, working thru our Lord, are always here for you!!
Thank you and bless you Rich!
Dear Steph,
It amazes me that God has seemed to call so many of us in the same timing and message. Many were just like you, going through motions as Christians and then with me in 2005 He spoke, clearly. All I can think is that the time must be short and we are being gathered. Not in any physical denomination like we once thought but true unity in the Spirit, the true church. Many have been asked to leave our fellowships as they turn to other gods and cannot bear the truth, but God has also showed me where the true believers are in amazing ways. Stay strong in the Lord. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be in South Africa. My unsaved father lives there and I pray that he will find Christ. Thank you for your testimony dear sister.
Hi Tanja L.
Bless you and thank you for both your visit and your comment. It has blessed me so
This is the first time I have ever heard of a church asking people to leave – normally others are the one being asked to leave because they will not kow-tow to the ‘new revelation’ and movement or whatever, that is happening in a church. Praise God for Him having you in such an assembly and may He strengthen and embolden the leadership in His ways and His life in each brother and sister there!
I will pray for your father’s salvation. I have been praying for my parents for more than 27 years and although my dad has dabbled around the edges, still has not come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as Lord, my beloved mum ignores Him completely rather looking to the East to one small degree or another. Praise our Lord that He is mightier than all of this and knows the outcome of it all. That is a joy indeed!
Bless you too Tanja and you are welcome to drop by any time and say hi
Hello Steph.
I am very new at this blog bit, and I hope that I will be able to build a site like yours, but if God wills then it will happen. You mention that you are not into “heavy things” but I see quite a few “Heavy things listed on your site! I hope to be able to read it all some time and then I will know you better. If you have visited my site you will see that I am a bit old too! Had a few close encounters in the last few years, prostate cancer among then but that is all in the past now and so we look into the future be it in this life or into the Kingdom, that Jesus bought us for. Thank you for you introduction, I understand what you are saying but do not have the ability with words that you do. May God’s blessings be with you always, Charles T.
Hi Charles:-D
Thank you for your visit here – you are most welcome.
I started with a Blogger (Blogspot) blog which was really easy to work with, almost 2 years ago and decided to move to WP to allow me to have individual pages for different topics (my tabs at the top of my blog) I have two very dear brothers in England whom the Lord has joined me together with on the Faith Defenders’ site (logo top left of my page) who have helped me more than words can ever say. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to go it alone on WP as it is far more technical than my basic knowledge (and it really is baaaasic – just ask them!
)
Being a bit old is good – one thing is for definite – that we are all going to become a bit old then a bit older then…. you get the picture
unless the Lord decides to take us home when we are just a bit old.. 
. Age is of no relevance in the Lord. It is where we are in our relationship with Him that counts far more. My closest sister in the Lord is almost 70 and there is no age difference spiritually between us. We are sisters. She just can’t jog as fast as I can 
I am sure you are learning lots about blogging already
and you will find that most folks are kind, but you get the odd one who is not. I was quite shattered when I go my first angry-letter and was at quite a loss initially as to how to respond. I eventually did reply – graciously – and amazingly got an apology on line from him. But this is not often the norm and sadly sometimes its the Christians who are the most ungracious!
One thing I have yet to master with the Lord is the way that I sometimes write things is not always the tone in my heart /voice – sometimes the writing comes out sharp when it is entirely the opposite. I am not an English Major or anything fancy just a daughter of the Lord sharing His life in her with everyday, simple, English words. You don’t have to be clever to do that. Just willing to be a vessel as He leads you.
I pray the Lord will guide you and lead you as you go and that you will learn to wait on Him for the writing you do. Be very encouraged!
Bless you too Charles,
Steph
Dear Steph,
I must have mis-phrased. I meant to say that we have been asked to leave or have left at the Lord’s leading not willing kow-tow. This sounds like what you are experiencing also. Currently I am not attending a physical church, but am blessed to be a child of God and am trusting in his leading for each day wherever that may be. Thank you for praying for my Dad, I will also pray for your parents. Thank you for your kind response dear sister, have a wonderful day.
Tanja
Hi Tanja
I can still pray for them though just in a different way 
Hey, no problem – it was certainly a wonderful unique thought while it lasted
Too often folks are asked to leave a church because they can no longer tolerate the heresy that is being spouted from the pulpit and make it very clear, but God is so faithful and He will remove His children one way or another when the time is right. The sad thing is, those who are following the heresy with their eyes and hearts closed, see us who follow the Bible as the enemy who cause division by speaking out against what they are doing, instead them of going to the Lord and His word to check it out and understanding that it takes love to speak out the warning in the way that is needed and that it is not done as a judgement.
Bless you and thanks for coming back to set me right
Steph
Hi Steph,
Have enjoyed reading on your site.You have a gentle and sweet spirit.
I believe I come off harsh with the tone of my speech also.The many years
have dampened it some. I have long past overcome religion. and the truth is
or seems harsh, but it is a two-edged sword, and it cuts, but it is as you said
takes Fathers love to speak it.
I was reading some thing one day that said Truth is a hard master and
costly to serve, but it simplifies all problems.
Having a love of truth is a wonderful gift from the Lord. You have
that and I know God will lead you into more of Him. Blessings to you.
Pat
Hi Pat
Welcome and thank you for your lovely uplifting comment – I am both blessed and humbled by it!
Yes the Truth is a hard master indeed and it costs you everything eventually. You can tell the truth in His love and it will ‘hit home’, for want of a better expression, as it is meant to – that is the Lord’s business. We just need His leading and be prepared to obey Him regardless of the cost to ourselves. I guess the Truth does cost you everything, it has to as we can keep nothing of ourselves, for ourselves. The joy is that the Lord does equip us to face and deal with all we need to in our life, if we will but accept that we are to become nothing that He can become all. It really does as you have said so truthfully, simplify our life.
May the Lord bless you too dear sister
Stephanie
Thank you Steph,
To be as Jesus, full of GRACE AND TRUTH, is worth the price.
I put you on my favorite link so I can come straight here,and read
more often. Your web page is so real and refreshing, and the photo’s
are beautiful. The Lord continue to reveal Himself and His Truth to you.
Love in Christ,
Pat
Hi Steph,
You have, I believe, visited my blog in the past. I have only just read this page in your blog and I am really inspired by the heart behind the words.
May the Lord continue to bless you and shine His face upon you.
Hi anewcreation
Yes I have visited your blog in the past and popped over there now and with great excitement, have just left you a comment too
Thank you for your words here. I am greatly blessed and encouraged by them.
May I add a link to your blog – I feel so many sisters (me included) and brothers would be blessed by a visit to it.
Bless you
Steph