Deaf and Blind but not a quitter

Helen Keller became deaf and blind before her second birthday.  Despite this debilitating disability, she learned to read and write, and became the first deaf/blind person to gain a bachelor degree.  She campaigned on issues of social welfare, women's suffrage, disability rights and impressed many with her force of personality.

Helen once wrote: "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. My optimism, then, does not rest on the absence of evil, but on a glad belief in the preponderance of good and a willing effort always to cooperate with the good, that it may prevail."

Helen could have easily chosen to use her disability as an excuse to achieve nothing and live on sympathy, but instead she chose to user her disability as a driving force to help others.  She not only motivated herself to rise above this difficulty but in turn became an inspiration to many.

As Christians we can rise above difficulty too.  We can stand strong and repeat the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Whatever challenge you may be facing right now, take heart!  There is nothing that the Holy Spirit cannot help us through or give us strength for. If this message is for your today my thoughts and prayers are with you!

From slave house to White House

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in 1856 in the State of Virginia. After the emancipation of the African American people Booker worked to pay for his studies at Hampton University and Virginia Union University. Washington argued that the surest way for blacks to gain equal social rights was to demonstrate "industry, thrift, intelligence and property."

He played an integral part in influencing political decisions to ensure the freedom and rights of disfranchised black people in America and was often asked for advise by presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.

His life echoed that of a very influential biblical figure namely Joseph, Prince of Egypt. In the same manner that Joseph went from Slavery to political influence through strong ethics, Booker did the same. I do not think this pattern is accidental.

In life many of us seek influence and leadership yet are unwilling to pay the price for such acclaim. It is no mistake that hard work played a significant role in both these men's lives. Likewise today the call we have as Christian's is the same. Work hard, trust God, maintain your ethics and God will do the rest and ensure that we have a legacy of excellence to leave behind.

This years mission

This years gardening mission is not so much about building something new as it is about perfecting what has been started. As the season had drawn close to an end in autumn there was a lot of effort spent on just getting plants into the ground so that they would be more self sustainable during the winter.

Well nature did take care of its part but the weeds moved in as well. I'll therefore have to do some cleaning out before new planting can commence. The work in my garden much resembles the work that God does in us as we grow in Him.

Philippians 1:6 tells us that “He who began a good work in you will complete it to the day of Christ.”

This means that Jesus began working in our lives from the day we first received Him as Lord and Saviour. In our early days as Christians there is much work done and a foundation is laid as we begin to become familiar with God's word.

Then we begin to build on that platform and finally we can begin perfecting what has already been built in our lives. Perfection will only come on the day we meet Jesus but until then our lives are spent in the building and perfecting cycle. The one thing we can most certainly count on is that Jesus always finishes what He starts and in that we can rejoice.

Sibling fun

5^th of September is my sister Jacquie's birthday. We are four years apart in age but I remember she always used to remind me that it was actually 3 years, 11 months and 2 days. Being the baby of the family myself, I've never known what it must be like to have a little sister or brother, but I can only imagine the fun it must have been, although my gran has said that apparently little miss Jacquie did ask if mommy and daddy could return me too the hospital, Lol!

Growing up I remember summer holiday's in garden and pool, trips around the Lowveld with family and friends and many wonderful times of fun. Mom pretty much used to let us get away with anything as long as it was innocent childhood play, but we both knew when that line was crossed.

Having a big sister in matric when I was in grade 8 proved to be very useful at our annual grade 8 / matric dance and finding one of my sisters friends to pair up with was real easy. I think Jac's even made me my very first mid-less top, Lol!

Family is a precious gift and one we would do well to appreciate. We have another family though too, our family in God. As God's family we can play the role of big sister or big brother to many young people in the world and be a secondary support to their natural family. Will you ask God to show you someone whom you can be family too and reach out to them today!

Death of a star

Financial month end in any company is difficult. It is compounded for me now with entering into what will hopefully be my last month in my current department. There is always so much information to try and impart and it isn't easy to get the balance right. A transition is never easy as it feels like somewhat of a death on side and a birth on another.

This pattern isn't new. The heavens declare it at every turn, for it is within the death zone of one star that new stars are born. The very gases needed to create the new star are only found within that space where the death is occurring.

As human beings we encounter this process as well. When we are born again or spirit man is taken from death to life, but it is only in the death of our physical body that our spirit is free to transition to eternal life.

If you are going through an experience right now which seems to be a moment of emotional death, do not fear and take heart. It is within this death that your soul will find the new strength it needs to rise above these circumstances.

Lesson from a lioness

My trip to Felidae cat centre left a large impression on me. Viewing such magnificent creatures and their behaviours is really an eye opening experience. While observing the lions feed I noticed an important behaviour.

The alpha female ate first by herself while her cubs lay a few feet away. Later she brought along a piece of meat for them to feed on and then they ate together. I suppose that what I learned from this is that in life we have to take care of ourselves first before we can take care of others.

Similarly we cannot love others until we have first loved ourselves which might sound like the converse of Jesus commandment that we should love others as we love ourselves. Think of it this way though, can you truly show love and compassion to another human being if you look at yourself in the mirror and despise what you see?

In this commandment Jesus challenges us to not be proud and arrogant but it also challenges us to look at our own self image. God has made us all perfect. The fact that some may be blind, others deaf and still others crippled means nothing, that is merely a casing that we are housed in. Our spirit is created with beauty and with an eternal flame of life.

Many of us would have seen the picture of a kitten in front of a mirror with the lion staring back at him. What is your self image saying about you? Can you dare to love yourself today the way God loves you? After all God gave his precious Son for us, how can we not love ourselves the same way too?

Pinched nerve

Somehow I have managed to get a nerve in my shoulder and neck muscles pinched and it hurts like crazy. My neck is so stiff right now it feels like I have whip lash and the limited movement in my neck is making hard to drive. I'm not quite sure I know what the right course of action is but I know I will have to get it figured out soon.

Painful memories from our past can be like that too. When those memories come to the fore they can be so painful that it makes it hard for us to focus on the positive things of life and they may even limit our emotional movement.

In the same way that muscles will need work from either a masseur or a physiotherapist so our our soul needs work too. That is when the work of the Holy Spirit can become an amazing healing force.

The Holy Spirit is our divine therapist. If you are struggling with emotional pain right now, ask the Holy Spirit to help you work through those areas of pain. If you allow Him access to your heart you will find that His healing hands will bring the closure you desire enabling you to move forward with life pain free.