Apart from our main Above Rubies base in USA, we have 15 other bases for Above Rubies around the world. Our previous Director for Above Rubies in South Africa, lovely Linnie Lues has now retired. Therefore I'd love to introduce to you our new Director in South Africa, Chamonix Boland. Chamonix writes:
Dear Above Rubies readers and precious mothers,
It is a true honor and great excitement that I sit down to write to you.
As a teenage girl and young adult I would wait with great expectation and anticipation for the next issue of Above Rubies due in the mail any day. The first thing I would do was to read Linnie’s newsletter. How I admired her family. And then I would read each story in the magazine with such longing for my motherhood journey to begin.
I have always wanted to be a mommy. From a very young age that is all I can remember ever wanting--to have sweet babies. It is such a joy, such a blessing, and oh what a privilege. But it is also a great responsibility and is challenging at times. That’s why I treasure Above Rubies even more than ever. Each encouraging word and article breathes new life, hope, and enthusiasm into my motherhood journey.
I feel honored to be a part of this ministry to the mothers and families in South Africa and surrounds.
I am a homeschooled girl. My dear mother is Martie du Plessis from “Dymanis.” For those of you that don’t know, Dynamis is a ministry that empowers families and helps parents that would like to home educate their children. My mom and I began this journey many years ago, and we traveled through South Africa on a regular basis. I continued my home schooling, learning, serving, and growing while my mom assisted families. God is always at work, connecting people for His purposes! This is how we met Linnie Lues and her family.
I am a passionate lover of horses and am blessed with 16 beautiful four-legged babies and married to a cattle farmer, my strong and steady Justin Boland. We live in the beautiful highland mountains bordering Lesotho in the Eastern Free State, just outside Clarens.
I married young at 21 in 2008 and God blessed us with babies soon after--Nicholas-Christion (7), Evangeline-Faythe (6), Caleb-Eathen (4), Maia-Hope (2) and Benjamin-Fergus (1). And hoping for more! I have had beautiful births, the first three in hospital and the last two were home water births with my dear midwife Sue King, although our Benjamin was unplanned unassisted.
I am passionate about Child Birth, Labour, and Breast Feeding and passionate about assisting mothers emotionally with their birth and nursing journey, either as a doula or with Lamaze breathing, focus, and relaxation techniques. I follow Le Leche League breast feeding guidelines when assisting lactating mothers. This is a passion I choose to share with other mommies because it is such a blessing to birth powerfully and nurse well. It marks the first on your journey as mother, to submit your body as a sacrifice to God through carrying, birthing, and nursing His children with joy and gladness!
We also assist on Justin’s family Guest farm, “Sunnyside Guest Farm,” with everyday mundane running of the business tasks, maintenance, and reservations as well as help look after Justin’s Granny (86) who runs the guest farm and lives on the property.
We home school our little blessings, although they mostly just live life with us, sharing in our many daily tasks pertaining to farm and guest farm life, working alongside us, serving their family and others. Now they too will share in this marvelous Above Rubies journey that can encourage and bless others and impact future generations of mothers and fathers!
We look forward to this special journey with you, and as Linnie says, become partners with you in Above Rubies SA as we join hands to keep Above Rubies coming to South Africa!
CHAMONIX BOLAND
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.aboverubies.co.za
Cell: 083 740 3827 (signal on the farm such a problem so when trying to get hold of me, a text message or whatsapp may be a better option).
And now Chamonix has five happy children!
Yes, you can. Not in your own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As Moses wielded his humble rod before Pharaoh, he received resistance, ridicule, and rejection. Yet in spite of this mockery and derision, he wrought mighty miracles--some of the most outstanding miracles the world has ever seen.
It’s amazing, isn’t it, to look out on a New Year that unfolds before us? We have no idea what it will hold. We ourselves enjoyed blessings and extreme challenges last year. What will we face this year? How wonderful that we can face each new day with absolute trust in our Heavenly Father.
I'm a little behind in birthdays this week. It's hard to believe that my little baby, Serene Charis was 40 years old this last week--4th January. Notice the thick flannel "nappies" we used in those days. No disposable diapers then! I folded them on the baby and fastened them with a safety pin. And then washed them each day and hung them out on the line. It was lovely to have the sun naturally disinfect and bleach the "nappies." What an amazing blessing Serene has been to Colin and me, to her beautiful family, and to the whole world! How many more thousands and thousands will yet be impacted by her life?
Where do you go when you need help and support? Where do you go when you don't understand why you experience hardships and problems? We usually resort to people for help, but the Bible tells us the ultimate source--the SANCTUARY.
How does God want us to live in this deceived and evil world? What should our lives look like to the people around us? What kind of a testimony should we have in our speech, conduct, and dress? As I thought about the answers to these questions recently, I was amazed how abundantly God shows us the way. He does not leave us in the dark. I found so many ways God has given us, but thought fifty would be enough for you for a start!
Isn't it the most boring thing in the world to get into a rut? You're stuck. You're going nowhere. This often happens in our marriage relationship. We go from day to day in the same old fashion. We are quite happy with one another and there are no problems. But there's no spice.
I love discovering the rhetorical questions in the Bible. We read in our Bible reading this morning, “Who teacheth like him?” (Job 36:22). Of course, there is none who teaches like God. All wisdom, understanding, and knowledge comes from Him.
I look back on last year with overwhelming thankfulness for God’s great faithfulness and goodness to us.
AN IMPORTANT POST FOR ALL PARENTS TO READ!
Judas Maccabee and his brothers continually fought battles to save Israel and every time they faced armies far larger and stronger than themselves. But their trust was in God.
Hanukkah is also called the "Festival of Lights" because of the relighting of the Menorah. This was a huge thing that happened that day, because the Jews knew that God had commanded the lights in the Holy Place to BURN CONTINUALLY. They were to never to go out--and they had been out for a long time! God said it was a statute that must continue for all generations (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4).
A brave mother watched her son being killed. No, not just killed but cruelly tortured. They cut out his tongue, scalped him, cut off his hands and feet, and then maimed and helpless, fried him alive! In the same manner, they tortured and killed her second and third sons. The third son cried out, "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out, "We are prepared to die rather than
Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? Because "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate, the gates burned, and even shrubs were growing in the courts like a forest! But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar
Are you reading the Scriptures I posted for you? If not, you can still print them off. Go down a few posts and you’ll find them. We loved talking about the Scriptures we read last night, especially how Jesus Christ is the One who lights every person who comes into the world.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God was never reticent to speak the truth, even in the face of death. When he came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, he walked in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him.
We are coming to the end of another glorious Christmas Day as we celebrated family togetherness and the birth of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. As we end our big Christmas Dinner we always have sharing. Whoever wants to may give a toast to someone they want to appreciate or speak of revelation on their hearts. The sharing this year was very insightful. Later in the day, after dessert, we ended with a family concert. We love to give opportunity for the upcoming talent amo
* Jesus didn't come with pomp and ceremony. He came as a babe. Luke 2:12 tells us: "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a BABE wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Yes, a baby! God chose the One who will rule over all kings and nations to come as a baby. No wonder the devil hates babies, for this is the way Jesus came.
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