​Four years ago God sent me to live in England for a year.  I still remember standing in the airport after passing through customs. 19 Year old and teary eyed, I said goodbye to my family for a whole year (Ended up visiting them somewhere in the middle though). There I was, heading to a country where I didn’t know anyone and they didn’t speak my home language.
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​Everything before me was completely unknown, but somewhere in the midst of the unknown I felt inferior. This was what it felt like to step onto the water – so unsure if I would be able to walk, but oh so willing to try.
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​This is not your typical church-girl topic, but that’s exactly the problem. I’ve been meaning to write this ages ago, but honestly; I was a little afraid. Many of you know that I myself am an unmarried Christian girl – so what qualifies me to write this article? Plenty of grace: grace, grace, grace.... And that’s about it.

​So why write it now? I’ve seen too many young people fall for lies about sex. I honestly believe the reason many people fall into sexual sin is because it’s not something we talk about openly and honestly enough. When I started Queen in Gold the dream was to answer questions everyone asks, but no one seems to answer. It’s time to start sharing the truth again, friends.

​​This morning I watched a woman die. She had been stabbed. I was the one who found her. In fact, I heard her screaming just before. A few moments later I was sitting beside her when she gave her last breath.

The journey I’m on

A few weeks ago I asked God what we were journeying on. It didn’t feel like there was anything He was currently teaching me. That Friday a friend and I were planning to go to a worship night at our church. Due to an accident causing really bad traffic, we were more than an half an hour late.  I didn’t see the point in going anymore; thankfully he was a little bit more determined.

I am so excited to be sharing this beautiful grace story with you. If there's something I learnt it's that God really desires each one of us to know Him intimately. He also desires to use you right where you are! 
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In this interview, Mienke opens up about finding Christ and how He's changed her life within the beauty industry.

​​My family has one of those kettles that make a really loud shrieking noise when the water is boiled. Sometimes when I’m in  a hurry I have to press the “off” button a number of times before I actually press it. The trick is to remain calm, even if there's a loud noise screeching in your ears.

So while trying to switch off the kettle earlier today, I thought of how someone would say “Please remain calm...” in emergency situations. Ironically, most people don’t.  

Today we're talking about stress – what causes it, why it’s bad for you and how to deal with it in a healthy, biblical way. How do you remain calm even if there's a kettle screaming in your ears?