I started life in an anti-theist family. To both my parents God was only a swear word and anyone who was a believer in any god was weak and useless as they needed a crutch.

Nowadays they also would have been known as child abusers but in those days the leather strap was normal and I did not feel loved unless I had at least one hiding a day. I was never naughty, just misunderstood, that is my version and I am sticking to it.

To my parents I was hell on wheels.

School, homework and chores were there to be avoided, if at all possible, and sleep was for those who had nothing better to do. My music teacher abused me and my mother could not understand why I did not wish to become the next child prodigy, besides all that practise was boring, there were better things to do, fight with the neighbourhood kids, or just run around in the African bush. (it was safe in those days)

I was rebellious and stubborn, If I was my own mother I would have given me away at birth.

I was sent to boarding school as the standard of education dropped in the local schools after independence. I hated it initially and tried to run away. Home was only two countries away, but since when did reason come into these things. I cried when I left. Some people are never happy!

My parents divorced when I was thirteen, not a good time, and being at boarding school did not help, though it protected me from the worst of the fights. My poor younger brother suffered the brunt of it. he is five years younger than me and I am nearly three years younger then my older brother.

 My father was a drunkard and all I can say is my mother gave as good as she got. Us kids hid.

I went to an Anglican boarding school and got into lots of trouble there too. Misunderstood again. I had a nominal knowledge of the God of the Bible and an aversion to church (every day and twice on Sundays, morning service before breakfast and kneeling for what felt like hours. Now THAT is abuse).

I could not accept that I was put on this earth to just to breathe and die. There had to be something more.

I started searching. I experimented with things that are best left alone and as a result suffered more than is normal, crazy how we try to destroy ourselves.

To me God had to be something better than what we have on earth, or He is not a God. The one religion I avoided in my search was Christianity.

My mother had taught us to sail on the dam, and watching everyone loosing houses, farms, insurances and pensions and some of my friends

GOD won’t ask the square footage of your house, but He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

GOD won’t ask about the clothes you had hanging in your closet, but He’ll ask how many you helped clothe.

GOD won’t ask what your highest salary was, but He’ll ask if you had to compromise your character to obtain it.

GOD won’t ask what your job title was, but He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

GOD won’t ask how many friends you had, but He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

GOD won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

GOD won’t ask about the colour of your skin, but He’ll ask about the content of your character.

GOD won’t ask why it took so long to seek salvation, but He’ll lovingly take you to his mansion in Heaven, and not to the Gates of Hell.

GOD won’t ask how many people you forwarded this to, but He’ll ask if you were ashamed to pass it on to your friends.

This scares me at the moment.

I started sailing dinghies at the age of seven, then I graduated to Ocean sailing when I was 19, I started racing but I was always a cruiser at heart.

I turned professional at the age of twenty one. I guess I “came of age”. I have never looked back. I am now nearly 53.

I have led one of the most blessed of lives as I have earned my living with my passion. I think the Lord kept me at sea as it was the one place I had to rely on Him.

Before I became a Christian I spent a lot of my time at sea praying anyway. There is no atheist in a yacht in a gale. I would sometimes cry with fear (never let anyone else know) but I knew this is what I wanted to do and being a pig headed stubborn person I wasn’t going to let fear stop me doing what I wanted to do.

Fear is after all a safety device. Tells you to be careful or that you don’t know what you are doing so you better learn. Once you have learnt, the fear disappears. Like first time you drove a car.

When I accepted Jesus as my saviour (see pages “The Start”) most of the fear left. Not all fortunately as I believe a certain amount of fear or apprehension is good as it warns you to be careful.

I now had someone who cared and would look after me through all the situations I got myself into. I am happy to say I have been able to see His hand on my life and His care for me shines through all the troubles and tribulations I get myself into.

If you feel scared out there, especially when starting, join the club.

I have been fortunate in that I have been part of a few miracles which I hope to share with you on this page and I hope you will share yours with us.

It is a mighty God we serve.

just trying to see what happens if i write post, your tesimony, is correct in the pages section.

I have now created a new post and at the bottom of the page selected the general catagory, changing the catagory places it in a different location, one of the three that we have setup.

Then save and publish

Hello. We do hope that you are well. Thanks for your communications over the past week. All is well here. Just pushing along the boat. We are working on the front beam and steering system at the moment.

This week we have a short inspiration with plenty of challenge. Often in the daily grind of things and dealing with difficult people and situations it is natural for us to accumulate habits and attitudes that are not in line with the loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, positive fruits of the Spirit of God. We wish you a wonderful week.

Lots of love to you

Andrew and Hanna

Create a Bridge Between Your Spirituality and Your Work - From Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work, by Marc Carlson

To create a bridge between your spirituality and your work means that you take the essence of who you are and what you believe into your daily work life. It means that if kindness, patience, honesty and generosity are spiritual qualities that you believe in, you make every effort to practice those qualities at work.

You treat people with kindness and respect. If someone is late or makes a mistake, you try to be patient. Even if it’s your job to reprimand someone, you do so from a place of love and respect. You are as generous as you can be—with your time, money, ideas and love.

Work is a perfect environment to practice your spirituality. In any given day, you have so many opportunities to practice patience, acts of kindness, and forgiveness. You have time to think loving thoughts, smile, embrace others, and practice gratitude. You can practice being a better listener. You can try to be compassionate, especially with difficult or abrasive people. You can practice your spirituality in virtually everything you do.

Supplied by Andrew and Hanna,

Missionaries, in South Africa.

I hope that you will be able to make use of this site, and that it finds its place in the hearts of all the Christians out there that need some information. I know that if the Lord has inspired you to start this then it will be a blessing to others.

Love to all Wolf

I hope that you will find this site useful in connecting with other christian Cruisers.

The Lord is my Shepard, I shall lack for nothing.

We know that he leads us by the still waters