The whole world struggles with disease. Medical insurance, government funding for healthcare, and public health plans are high on political agendas. Often, the greatest fear is not death itself, but the suffering and illness before death. Then one hears of someone who passed away in their sleep or was suddenly struck down, and secretly hopes that this will…
Author: Ansophie Joubert
Writer and speaker in women's ministry.
279. There is a prophet
The value of a story can never be underestimated. So many of us are the product of words, spoken and written. Shelves full of books and the thoughts of others in sound are the colour and richness of our lives. Good memories of childhood often revolve around storytime—the good ones and the bad ones, the questions that arise…
278. The Scale of God
Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,And are counted as the small dust on the scales;Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. (Isaiah 40:15,17) The “affairs of the nations” that strike like a blow in the…
277. Pazienza, yes patience.
It is a virtue, right? It is one of the essentials for “right living, not so? The saying about patience that can endure so much comes from a poem by Dante (Paradiso Canto XXI – The Divine Comedy), written in the early 14th century. Without speaking Italian the words are almost comprehensible in the musical rhythm of his…
276. Did you listen well?
[Old year 2024 – welcoming 2025] The echo of Christmas is still fresh in our minds. Christmas decorations are everywhere. The nights are long and the days short and cold. We are all enjoying leftovers and relaxing after the big preparations for a Christmas gathering. What a joy it is to be able to come together! We clean up…
275. A word of burning coal
[Christmas 2024] On a dark night in a small village in the heart of the world, our world was fundamentally changed. Nothing of what had been would ever be the same again. The vast majority of humanity didn’t even take note of the moment when heaven touched earth and angelic song called shepherds from a field to…
275. A blazing trail of light
The first day of December 2024 is over. It has begun, as it does every year. A celebration in the Christian world that honors the essence of our existence. A celebration that includes everyone—no matter how broken or commercialized it might be—there are few parts of the world that are not adorned with gold, silver, and…
274. Pilgrimage to Christmas
It’s mid-November, and my first Christmas event is already behind me. This was not intentional, but rather dictated by the availability of large venues that can accommodate, in our case, 200 women. On Saturday morning, we gathered at the country club in our city for a late breakfast, Christmas carols to sing along to, and a speaker…
273. And then…
This past week, I received a lot of feedback on the last Pebbles about forgiveness. I shared what I had to go through myself. Some things had accumulated and built up. Thoughts multiplied, grew, and almost took on a whole life of their own. I know the teachings about forgiveness. Knowledge is nothing and helps nothing if it doesn’t take root in…
272. The whole caboodle
Evil comes in waves. It catches you off guard, like a rogue wave suddenly breaking through the rhythmic beat of the sea. The wave that sweeps your feet out from under you is a bundle of disappointment, insult, hurt, and rage. The sins of others in your life tear your heart apart in an instant with words that wound,…
Pebbles of Perpetuity 