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Tag Archives: hope

Learnt from Lockdown

08 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by Gaynor Kast in Uncategorized

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baby, COVID-19, family, hope, life, Lockdown, love, pandemic, promise, South Africa, thankful

When the rumblings of the COVID-19 pandemic started making its way into our lives via various media channels, it was hard to ignore. Then the heart-breaking and often horrendous stories linked to it were a lot to digest on any given day.

And still, I went about life fluctuating between a degree of calm and peace and sudden anxiety – always weaving their way into what was until then a relatively measured life. It was not until President Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa) declared a three week lockdown period that I was suddenly gripped by fear and rolled into survival mode instinctively.

For someone who loves mapping things out, setting and meeting deadlines and steering the charted course, the start of the lockdown was difficult. I remember rushing into the supermarket before the lockdown kicked in and although I had a list of essentials to buy, when confronted with all those aisles of groceries and toiletries i went into a flat spin.

The neatly typed out list was deleted and I found myself throwing things into the trolley that I would not ordinarily buy because I was hit with the “what if…” thought. What if the lockdown is extended? What if supermarkets don’t open for the longest time? What if I run out of x, y, z?

Looking back now, I can’t believe I was “that” shopper. *Hides*

The other thing, as someone who enjoys her own space, it was the first time I was super thankful for having company in the form of my mother.

The reason she was visiting is because four days before the lockdown my brother and his wife welcomed the most precious baby boy into the world. Connor Luke Kast made his grand appearance at a time where things like chaos, confusion, fears, anxiety and depression were slowly but wilfully starting to wrap itself around our nation.

We had a Heaven sent antidote.

They say that a baby is a blessing and while I believe it, it wasn’t until Connor came into our lives that I fully grasped the real meaning of that comment. I desperately want to paint a picture of how I felt when my eyes spotted him for the first time, but, words will not adequately describe the pure joy. I never thought I could love another human the way I love my nephew. My heart literally feels like it’s exploding at the thought of him.

He is perfect. He is ours to love and nurture. He is without doubt our biggest blessing.

We got to see Connor in person very briefly but those moments are deeply imprinted in my heart.

We depend on pictures, videos and face time calls to bond with him. Not ideal but what can we do?! Bias aside, on the days when I feel like I’m going to drown with heaviness and despair (oh yes, I too have my down days) the thought of Connor gives me an instant boost of hope. A hope and a promise that just like the sun rises and sets each day, so too will this pandemic end.

When it will end we don’t know. But, what I do know is that we can and must keep hope alive… for ourselves and for Connor’s generation and those after.

Remain hopeful.

Remain thankful.

Spreading Christmas Love…

24 Tuesday Dec 2019

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caring, Children, Christmas, compassion, Durban, family, Friends, hope, kindness, love, Loving, Moments, Pay it forward, sharing, time

Christmas is a season of renewed hope, joy, peace and unconditional love and these are the very seeds that the ladies from Yataghan Foundation, sowed recently. The team took to the streets of Durban to spread some festive cheer with less fortunate children and their parents.

Leader of Yataghan Foundation, Karen Wallace, said: “It’s our privilege and an honour to be able to reach out to those in need. Sharing a meal and a special treat with children who are ordinarily ‘forgotten’ at this time of the year is priceless. The hugs, the big smiles and the general excitement on their little faces is heart-warming.”

She added: “The stories the world over is full of doom and gloom; and while it’s easy to be caught up in that negativity, there is hope. For as long as we have the grace to go out and be a beacon of hope and love, our team will continue to serve the people of Durban and wherever there’s a need.”

Wallace and her team take to the streets of Durban almost every weekend to share a meal and an encouraging word with those who have no shelter. Their mandate is very clear – pay it forward, one meal and one moment at a time with unconditional love.

As you celebrate with your family and friends this Christmas, pause for a moment and consider reaching out to those in need. After all, this is a time for caring, sharing and giving… unconditionally!

It’s the most wonderful time…

14 Friday Dec 2018

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blessings, Care, Christmas, family, Feast, festive, Friends, heart, Holiday, hope, joy, laughter, love, peace, share, smile, time, world

… of the year. Indeed it is a time where family and friends gather to feast on all things festive. But, for some, it’s the loneliest and saddest time too… for various reasons.

As we go through the motions of this holiday season, I would like to encourage us to be more mindful of the next person – whether known or a random stranger. Sharing a simple smile, marshmallow, singing carols or taking the time to listen, will do someone out there a world of good. Even better still, it will reignite a sense of dignity and worth to a soul whose focus is purely embedded in pain.

From me to you… I pray the pure joy, eternal hope and perfect peace that the birth of Jesus Christ offers the world is always stored in your heart and home. May your days be peppered with ladles of love and laughter. Be safe.

Blessings always xox

love and christmas

While you are waiting…

27 Tuesday Feb 2018

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choices, Durban, encourage, Focus, God, hope, life, love, moment, Nature, peace, Praying, purpose, Sea, seasons, Serenity, smile, thank you, Thinking, Waiting, Water, Waves

 

 

When I woke up yesterday, I had no idea how my day would pan out. Usually, there’s some sort of “plan”… so if I need to tweak it here and there, it can be done without any hassle.

But, I found myself driving to the beachfront. There’s been tons going on around me – some matters less complicated than others but still enough to rattle the free flow of this thing we call life.

It was only when I pulled up into a parking bay, that it dawned on me that I’m doing something so out of character. I smiled and reminded myself that I’m not a robot and so it’s okay that I get to choose to be present. That it’s okay that I do whatever it is that makes sense to me in that given moment. As long as I’m not inflicting hurt or pain on another, it’s perfectly fine.

It was a beautiful, balmy day in Durban and apart from the odd cyclist, jogger or couple on a walkabout, it was still. The kind of day that felt like it was ready to wrap its arms around my exhausted soul.

The smell of the ocean and soothing sounds of the waves made me feel like this specific piece of paradise was created just for me. I closed my eyes for a few minutes in pure gratitude. And through the salty tears, all I kept hearing was a gentle voice, whispering “be still and know that I am God”.

I smiled.
Blinked.
Looked around.
Smiled again.
In that moment, I knew what that meant.

It was in that moment that I found peace. Again.

Added to this was a fishing rod that I spotted. My eyes were fixed on that rod.
What was it about that fishing rod? It’s not like it was the first time I had ever seen a rod.

In that moment I realised that when we are in a waiting season – or transitional phase – it’s important to stay anchored to our true and Sovereign source of hope and life, God.

If you are reading this, and find yourself in an in-between phase in your life, I’d like to encourage you.

Don’t give up. Don’t you dare contemplate quitting. The tables will turn.

Stay true to your purpose.
Stay true to your core values.
Stay true to living in love and hope.
Stay true to the Rock of your salvation.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

This heart of mine…

03 Friday Mar 2017

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blessings, courage, day, fabulous, favoured, gratitude, heart, hope, life, light, love, Morning, Ocean, perspective, purpose, Smiling, strength, sunrise, thank you, time, Water, Waves

Do you ever wake up with your heart smiling? There’s no specific reason other than just oodles and oodles of pure gratitude.

That’s how I started my day…

Soaking up the soothing sight of the vast ocean and feasting on the brilliance of the day unfolding through what seemed like a perfect sunrise.

With each ray I spotted, I got thinking and gave thanks for the countless blessings in my life. Try it sometime… after all, perspective is everything.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

gratitude

No ordinary month…

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

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Autumn, courage, fabulous, faith, family, favoured, Friends, gratitude, happiness, hope, life, love, March, miracles, Moments, Patience, people, Perseverance, perspective, Purporse, strength, time, wisdom

New month.

New season.

New song to sing.

May you choose to step out in faith and walk on water.

May your heart and mind be filled with perfect peace, wisdom and understanding.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

march1

The promise of…

19 Monday Dec 2016

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2016, Belief, Charles Dickens, fabulous, faith, family, favoured, Fortitude, Friends, High note, hope, lifetime, Moments, Promises, Resilience, seasons, strength, thank you, time, Treasure

If I had to use a quote to sum up 2016 it would definitely be from Charles Dickens:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us..

 

I’m sure you will concede this was no ordinary year; it was challenging and yet fulfilling on so many levels.

And here we are… still standing… hopefully stronger and wiser.

But…

It’s bound to end on a high note.

 

Have a delightful Christmas punctuated with loads of love, laughter and memories to treasure for a lifetime.

Here’s to a promising and gratifying 2017. (Picture credit: Jarryd Kast in Busan)

 

christmasinbusan

 

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

 

 

Pensive mood…

17 Friday Jun 2016

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Charles Dickins, Communication, Connections, heart, honesty, hope, Lips, love, Nature, peace, Pensive mood, relationships, Transparency

It is what it is… and quite frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

dickinsheart

A timeless tradition…

23 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Baubles, blessings, brother, Buon Natale, Children, Christmas carols, cooking, Craciun Fericit, Eggnog, Eguberri, fabulous, family, favoured, Felica Kristnasko, Feliz Navidad, food, Froche Weihnachten, God Jul, gratitude, heart, hope, Jesus, Joyeux Noel, Kitchen, life, love, miracles, Mother, Nadolig Llawen, peace, people, perspective, purpose, season, Sister, sky, time, Tinsel, Traditions, Trees, Turkey, Vesele Vanoce, Wesolych Swiat

I don’t know about you but I’m counting the hours…
I’m still at work trying to finalise the odds and ends, spring clean my office, ensure my new note book and pen is set aside and ready for 2016 (I’m OCD like that), the reality is that all I can think of is Christmas Eve.

You see the memories I have of this time of the year all comes down to this one moment, the one night before the actual day. On Christmas Eve, Mommy Kast is up at the crack of dawn and her action plan gets into gear. Come to think of it, that’s probably where I get my meticulous planning (read: OCD tendencies).

The house is cleaned for the umpteenth time from wall to wall, floors are sparkling and sliding doors are shining so much that you could easily walk through. Yes, it’s that clean. And boy oh boy, let one of us try a trick and take a shortcut, then the lecture begins…

By the afternoon things start to slow down but not until the eggnog is made. At this stage, all I want is peace and quiet (read: a nap) but my sister, Taryn thinks the house is far too quiet and turns on the Christmas carols… from Boney M to Mariah Carey, BoyIIMen, Luther Vandross, the list just goes on. Before we know it, the sing along begins and the trip down memory lane begins…

As evening approaches, the pots and pans come out, and it’s not long before the different aromas waft through the house. Mommy Kast is queen of the kitchen and our role or contribution is to wash the dishes, keep the conversation alive. Just typing this is making my taste buds go into overdrive. I can’t wait to tuck into the Turkey, especially the stuffing (it’s one of those recipes that have been passed down over the years). Or, the prawn curry that somehow just has that Christmas taste.

I must point out that while all three children are quite capable of holding our own in the kitchen, and do offer to help, we’ve come to accept that all cooking will be done by our precious mother. No discussion. No debate.

What I know for sure is that:

Times change…
People come and go…
But family and the traditions we once frowned upon are everything.
Whether it’s the Christmas tree decorated with baubles and tinsel from when we were aged 3, the blinking lights or Tazzy bombs (what my sister calls her gifts to us), they mean more to us with each passing year.

My one Christmas wish, and I’ve had this forever… is that once, just once I am able to experience a white Christmas. On this side of the world, it’s often a blistering summer day. Not that I’m complaining. Some snow would be nice. Just once.

Let me end with this:

“Dear Special Person,
As the minutes tick closer to Christmas Day, my prayer is for you to cherish the peace and goodwill of this significant time. As you gaze toward the sky, may the star remind you of the hope and love we are assured of through Jesus. As your heart delights with sheer gratitude and you share the Wonder and glory of this season (Luke 2:13), let miracles unfold in your life like never before. Appreciate those near and dear to you. Blessings and much love x

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

nativityscene2car

Love in action!

17 Thursday Dec 2015

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Carols, Christmas, fabulous, family, favoured, heart, hope, joy, kindness, laughter, love, Love in action, Old, peace, Singing, smile, strangers, time, Young

I love, love, love this time of the year.
It brings with it a sense of peace and unconditional love that the rest of the year cannot lay claim to.

It’s like every worry, every fear, all indecision falls away at Christmas.

It’s about spreading goodwill, love and laughter to young and old, family, friends and complete strangers.

I’m what my siblings would describe as “old school” and have to say I wear that badge proudly.
Some things just aren’t the same when they are put through the remix mill… I’m sure you will agree 🙂

Today, I want to share Christmas carols that I hope will make your heart smile and more importantly, see you reaching out to those who cross your path during this season.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Stay fabulous and favoured xxx

photo

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