I was muttering to myself again that it is 'Piranah week', you know when everyone wants a piece of you and then I drove by the Panorama Cemetery that I pass everyday on my way home. That used to freak me out but I have become used to it now. Then I was reminded of the words from the rap song, "Every day above ground is a good day."
The joys, the tears, the stresses and the wonderful moments are all part of what makes up this amazing human experience and although we all wish we could be on holiday year round, that just isn't life. Life is living each moment and cherishing it for what it means to you, much like grieving reminds me how much I loved my Honey-Bear!
God doesn't want us to run away from the realities of life but to embrace them and realize that they all have meaning and purpose. I've often caught myself thinking that my 'purpose' is something I still have to accomplish in the future, when in reality it is doing exactly what I am doing right now every day.
Will you join me in celebrating life in all its wonderful splendour!
Monday, September 26, 2016
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Wild at heart
I had forgotten how completely wild kittens really are. It really takes quite a long time before they settle down and accept and then grow to love affection. In our spiritual lives it is no different, we come to Christ with no understanding of how to let God love us and it takes time, a very long time to understand and accept His great love.
There is truly nothing greater that we can experience in life than to come to that wonderful realization and know that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, even when things go horribly wrong. Believing that God truly does love us, even in the most difficult of times, is a life long journey of growth.
If you are struggling through difficulties right now, don't loose heart and truly set your mind to believe and receive the amazing love that Father God has for you.
There is truly nothing greater that we can experience in life than to come to that wonderful realization and know that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, even when things go horribly wrong. Believing that God truly does love us, even in the most difficult of times, is a life long journey of growth.
If you are struggling through difficulties right now, don't loose heart and truly set your mind to believe and receive the amazing love that Father God has for you.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Power struggles
Power struggles.........they come in all shapes and forms! Zuma Vs the Gupta's Vs Madonsela, Clinton Vs Trump, and right here at home I have my own power struggle I'm trying to figure out, Topaz Vs Ginger. On the one hand it is just playfulness but I can see an element of her wanting the upper hand over him.
The question is who will win in the end? Sound familiar in our spiritual lives? Well it is a struggle that played itself out just over 2000 years ago when Satan took on Jesus. During Jesus 40 day fast in the desert Satan offered Jesus the world if He would bow to him, but Jesus said NO! Instead Jesus took the battle to Satan at the Cross and WON!
The curious thing is that even though Jesus won the battle at Calvary we still have to make a choice every day to connect and become part of that victory for our own lives. Yes, we only need to confess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour once, but the choice to submit our will to His, is a daily struggle for each of us.
The question is who will win in the end? Sound familiar in our spiritual lives? Well it is a struggle that played itself out just over 2000 years ago when Satan took on Jesus. During Jesus 40 day fast in the desert Satan offered Jesus the world if He would bow to him, but Jesus said NO! Instead Jesus took the battle to Satan at the Cross and WON!
The curious thing is that even though Jesus won the battle at Calvary we still have to make a choice every day to connect and become part of that victory for our own lives. Yes, we only need to confess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour once, but the choice to submit our will to His, is a daily struggle for each of us.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Little cat of horrors
I never thought a little girl cat could ever be such a feisty little thing. Her mischief and naughtiness knows no bounds and she is as tough as they come. Shelter life definitely hardened her up. Most of the time she is a bit much for Ginger and she drives him crazy. Hence I have given her the nick name, little cat of horrors.
When she is tired she runs round bashing into things and just becomes a royal handful. Today with our first proper spring rains she has been particularly difficult to control as she has been locked up for most of the day. Thankfully late this afternoon the rain stopped so they were able to go outside but it has been very cold so I did not want to leave her out there long.
Feisty, tough, strong, courageous, these are all qualities that God wants us to display in everyday life. God expects us to grow stronger in dealing with life's difficulties and just deal with things head on as they happen.
I'd like to encourage you to not let life get you down but be strong and courageous in God!
Now everybody to the theme tune from Little shop of horrors.....
Little cat, little cat of horrors, little cat, little cat of horrors, yeeeaaaah!
When she is tired she runs round bashing into things and just becomes a royal handful. Today with our first proper spring rains she has been particularly difficult to control as she has been locked up for most of the day. Thankfully late this afternoon the rain stopped so they were able to go outside but it has been very cold so I did not want to leave her out there long.
Feisty, tough, strong, courageous, these are all qualities that God wants us to display in everyday life. God expects us to grow stronger in dealing with life's difficulties and just deal with things head on as they happen.
I'd like to encourage you to not let life get you down but be strong and courageous in God!
Now everybody to the theme tune from Little shop of horrors.....
Little cat, little cat of horrors, little cat, little cat of horrors, yeeeaaaah!
Monday, September 12, 2016
A little yellow Bishop
I usually find that a short while after having lunch each day I get really sleepy and I'll be working and nodding off at the same time. Kind of natural and the whole "stomach full, eyes shut" rule kicks in. I have made it a habit to just take a short walk outside my building to the edge of the one landing areas.
There I find a beautiful tree that is tall enough that the top branches reach over the balcony and if I'm needing a little feel of nature I can grab the leaves and run them through my fingers. I can usually hear the birds chirping and the winds rustles through the leaves and it is both relaxing and refreshing.
Today as I stood there I spotted a little yellow Bishop. He seemed to pay no attention to me and just went about his business, and by his activities, I am guessing that was finding nesting materials. I stood and watches as he carefully snipped off the leaves on a whole stack of twigs and all you could see was leaves flying. Unfortunately I did not have enough time to stick around to see if he was actually going to fly off with some twigs, but I think that was obvious.
Birdies do what birdies are meant to do. They don't question their own existence, their identity or their purpose, they just get on with it. Why is it as human beings we are constantly looking for some other plain of existence? By that I don't mean heaven or parallel universe theories, I mean who we are and what we are meant to do. We are constantly after better things, more money and a life that is out of our reach.
God gave us each a unique set of skills and talents and with those we are meant serve this world we are created into and do our jobs to the best of our abilities. When the right time comes in each of our lives God may move us from one place to another, or from one job to another, but if you are still where you are despite your best efforts to move or change, know that God is still busy with a specific work in your life and he needs you to stay there until that purpose in your life is accomplished.
Trust and rest in Him!
There I find a beautiful tree that is tall enough that the top branches reach over the balcony and if I'm needing a little feel of nature I can grab the leaves and run them through my fingers. I can usually hear the birds chirping and the winds rustles through the leaves and it is both relaxing and refreshing.
Today as I stood there I spotted a little yellow Bishop. He seemed to pay no attention to me and just went about his business, and by his activities, I am guessing that was finding nesting materials. I stood and watches as he carefully snipped off the leaves on a whole stack of twigs and all you could see was leaves flying. Unfortunately I did not have enough time to stick around to see if he was actually going to fly off with some twigs, but I think that was obvious.
Birdies do what birdies are meant to do. They don't question their own existence, their identity or their purpose, they just get on with it. Why is it as human beings we are constantly looking for some other plain of existence? By that I don't mean heaven or parallel universe theories, I mean who we are and what we are meant to do. We are constantly after better things, more money and a life that is out of our reach.
God gave us each a unique set of skills and talents and with those we are meant serve this world we are created into and do our jobs to the best of our abilities. When the right time comes in each of our lives God may move us from one place to another, or from one job to another, but if you are still where you are despite your best efforts to move or change, know that God is still busy with a specific work in your life and he needs you to stay there until that purpose in your life is accomplished.
Trust and rest in Him!
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Pull yourself towards yourself
There comes a time after painful events when you just have to get to a point of getting on with life again. It is a sad fact but life does go on for the living and no matter how much we wish we could just curl up in a cave and die ourselves, that is not what God expects of us.
My dad used to have a saying, "pull yourself towards yourself". It never made much sense but looking at it now I see how true it is. Painful events take something from us and we loose a part of ourselves in the process that goes into hiding because we cannot bare to show that part of ourselves to the world at that point.
Like it or not we have to force ourselves to come out of that place of hiding and deal with life and all its turmoil, but also life and all its joys. We have to get back to doing the things we love and we have to find a way to open up our hearts again to not only feel joy but love also.
Remember at all times that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"
My dad used to have a saying, "pull yourself towards yourself". It never made much sense but looking at it now I see how true it is. Painful events take something from us and we loose a part of ourselves in the process that goes into hiding because we cannot bare to show that part of ourselves to the world at that point.
Like it or not we have to force ourselves to come out of that place of hiding and deal with life and all its turmoil, but also life and all its joys. We have to get back to doing the things we love and we have to find a way to open up our hearts again to not only feel joy but love also.
Remember at all times that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"
Monday, September 5, 2016
Miserable nuisance
So setting up my new laptop is taking a bit longer than planned. It's just not as "user friendly" as the last one. A minor glitch with the positioning of the " and @ symbols being switched on the keyboard is also a nuisance. This however is is not the biggest nuisance of my past week.
I've come to expect that it will happen from time to time but when it does it is a real frustration. Friday morning in traffic, the traffic flow had slowed to a stop when I looked into my rear view mirror, only to see a lady looking down instead of up. All of my pleas of, "look up, look up" were in vain and smack....she rear ended me.
Luckily it is not a major damage, but I am guessing that the worst case scenario will be the replacement of the bumper, but the biggest problem is that I had taken her cell and email contact details and now she is evading me. Well I suppose that is the other reason one has insurance these days....let their lawyers sort it out. I just have to find the money for the excess.
Life's nuisances are just that, a nuisance. The biggest challenge is managing the anger that comes with it. Ever fiber in my body wants to hunt her down and take revenge, but that will be allowing playing right into the devil's hands and allow him to have a field day with my emotions.
Well I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to take this in my stride and just work through things one step at a time. By faith and patience this will be resolved and I will give thanks to God in advance for His goodness and kindness.
I've come to expect that it will happen from time to time but when it does it is a real frustration. Friday morning in traffic, the traffic flow had slowed to a stop when I looked into my rear view mirror, only to see a lady looking down instead of up. All of my pleas of, "look up, look up" were in vain and smack....she rear ended me.
Luckily it is not a major damage, but I am guessing that the worst case scenario will be the replacement of the bumper, but the biggest problem is that I had taken her cell and email contact details and now she is evading me. Well I suppose that is the other reason one has insurance these days....let their lawyers sort it out. I just have to find the money for the excess.
Life's nuisances are just that, a nuisance. The biggest challenge is managing the anger that comes with it. Ever fiber in my body wants to hunt her down and take revenge, but that will be allowing playing right into the devil's hands and allow him to have a field day with my emotions.
Well I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to take this in my stride and just work through things one step at a time. By faith and patience this will be resolved and I will give thanks to God in advance for His goodness and kindness.
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