An unexpected Gift - I love sweet surprises!

A big THANK YOU! To Gracie of "A Touch Of Grace" for kindly giving me a lovely award:

The whole idea of receiving an award, to me, is to keep giving it on. It's a way to say thank you to other blogging friends and honour them for their beautiful work.

I like to honour six ladies with this award. Please find their names and the links to their blogs at the end of this post.

First of all, I like to share some thoughts of some challenges I had today, and maybe it might serve as an encouragement to some of you dear readers:

Today was a 'funny old day' as they might say here in the UK, a day when 'pressing into a higher power' aka my precious Lord and Saviour was more necessary than at other days. A day of discouragement, I should say. A day when the distant cousin of Goliath ‘visited’ with all the intimidation, mockery and belittling with the sole purpose to make one not feel ever good enough.

I guess most of us have these people in our lives who seem to have that special assignment to suck all energy out and pull us down, often coupled with a need to control and manipulate with emotional blackmail as well ....

These situations can be painful, emotionally. But pain, the experience of hurt, is a fact of life, as Jesus put it: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I like the Message Translation for this scripture: “I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world.”

The Apostle Paul continued with that ‘theme’ (again from the Message Translation):
“We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling short changed. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” Romans 5:3

Yes, pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional! Suffering comes when situations beyond our control happen, when our life conditions don’t match the expectations or the model of what we hope our world to be, and we feel powerless to change it. However, that is precisely the time to remember: suffering is optional; we can chose to be of good cheer and peace, pressing into His Grace, because His Grace is sufficient, and He has conquered the world and all this misery. We may feel the pain, but we must rise into His rest and peace and not yield to the debilitating temptation of suffering. It is a choice!

So, how do I exercise that choice? I turn the volume up with anointed worship. Today, I needed to get into a warrior prayer storm first ... ya knows what I mean!! ... and that determined what style of worship I chose. It’s a labouring, striving therefore to enter into that rest (Hebrews 4:11), and yay! It’s so good when one pushes through that membrane or veil of hindrance to just ‘dissolve’ in His goodness and love! His plan of Love is bigger than our understanding of what’s going on. Thus we’re not powerless; we can, by choice, move in a different realm of reality. The Greater One in us has taken care of it; Goliath’s head (spiritually) rolls!

Well, it was, thus a lovely sweet surprise to find, this evening, Gracie having given me this unexpected gift of the award, but her words characterizing me as "a well traveled woman who is very wise", left me humbled with gratitude!

Oh, I nearly forgot .... In order to receive this award, there are some rules, apparently. I must reveal 6 things that you may not know about me. Well, I started putting this list together and it started to grow and got longer and longer. It became 6 Areas About Me that You May Not Know

In the end, I decided to add it to the page:

More About Angelika     

below    

a whole list of things about me (Random Titbits)

you may want to read it there, if you wish.


However, I will quickly note down 6 things about me I might not have detailed in the above link (and then this post will also meet the requirements, too ... smile).

Just a little reminder, if you want to watch the YouTube videos full screen, click on the bottom right hand corner of each video .... and of course, to see the photos in their original size, just click on them.  :-))


(1) I'm a passionate romantic

I could so easily forget about all work and just snuggle. I am a skin 'addict' I love touching skin, massaging and caressing skin, with fragrant oils, feathers, or a deliciously tantalising raindrop finger massage -  and just loving on the owner of that skin ....

(2) I love music and sensuous dancing

  .... especially Tango. There's something about a non-public dance, in the livingroom or wherever ....

(3) I love music, culture and art

To those who know me, it's no secret, I am a huge Al Di Meola fan! Hence chosing this video comes as no surprise.
However, my music interest spans very wide. Not just jazz (esp. Latin Jazz Fusion), but also classical (esp. baroque) and many, many more styles. Not keen on rap, hip hop and country (sorry).

(4) I love travelling seeing the world, experiencing different cultures. Kind of ties in with the previous point.

     especially Southeast Asia and beyond ....


(5) I love my friends and enjoy entertaining at home

I should really take more photos of my table decorations. Here I created a blue theme. I absolutely love creating a relaxing and welcoming ambiance, an oasis of tranquility and beauty!

(6) I am a worshipper, eventhough it appears on number six on this list, it is actually my number ONE priority of importance in life, the crowning glory - Intimate Worship the dance of eternal Love with the Eternal Lover!

OK, that's all about me for the time being. Now to my six friends.

I like to give an award to Tara at "Godly Business Women Living the Joshua 1:8 Life" Empowering Christian Women in Business as Ministers in the Market Place.
This has special relevance for me, and is very close to my heart. Some of you know that, although I am an ordained minister, I am also a qualified Business/Organizational Psychologist (apart from a Relationship Psychologist). It is so important that we take the "7 Mountains" for Christ. What are the "7 Mountains" or spheres of influence? They are:

1. Spirituality and Church
2. Family
3. Education
4. Government and Law
5. Media and Communication
6. Arts and Entertainment
7. Business and Finance

So, thank you Tara for training and coaching women of excellence in the market place!
(my request to you, write more, please!).

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Are there any of you who are really feminine and ever so often need a a relaxing breather to exhale? Well, hop over to Rosy at Rosy Inspirations to where the award goes next. I just love that place, thank you for creating this oasis of calm and nurturing!

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The next Lady I would like to honour, I do not know her name, and do not know if she would except the award, I'll try. Her blog is called "Being Women of Influence - Encouraging Women to use their Influence for God's Kingdom"  Please visit her blog and be inspired!


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Next I'd like to honour Mary at "One Perfect Bite" her cuisine is absolutely exquisite, plus she gives recipes. (Mary, I like to mention that you inspired me to set up my own food - cookery blog. Essentially for my kids as I neglected to teach them to speak German properly and I have so many German recipes Angelika's Kochbuch . All I need is time and more time to translate all those recipes into English). Anyway, those of you who have not had a chance to peruse Mary's amazing culinary delights, please visit her blog.


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I would also like to honour Rev Deb of Bread Breakers Ministry it's a virtual church in a blog with solid Bible teaching and encouragement.


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And finally there is Gina, who likes to be remembered as an "Old Lady Wannabe" of "Chats with an Old Lady - Embracing the Privilege of Titus 2:3-5" It's a great blog full of thoughtful inspirations and encouragement



Joyfully,