Us South African's do fascinate me some times, especially our sense of humour and when we most use it. Take the Bok's loss to Japan, man were the sushi jokes flying. Social media was a laugh a minute after that. A week later though we win........I think I've seen one joke. Mmmmm?????
So yes, I suppose it is a stress or coping skill that we employ, even at the most tragic times. I'll never forget the Westdene dam bus accident and all the bus jokes after that. Is it appropriate? Well in the case of the Boks, sure, Westdene, no but we do it anyway. So other than a coping skill why do we do it and what does it say about us?
I think there is a fighting spirit that runs in all of our veins. We have overcome so much yet there is still much to achieve and we won't give up without a fight! When we win, we rejoice together and when we loose, well that's just fodder for our humorous imaginations.
In our faith walk we need to learn to have the same kind of resilience. We need to have the guts to face life's difficulties and press on, knowing that God is always with us to guide us and protect us and no matter what happens, good or bad, God will redeem!
We have to think back to our good old school days and shout it out once more....
We've got the spirit, yes we do! We've got the spirit, how about you?
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Super sized
Some weekends really turn out great! We were given some time off on Friday so I had time to head to Lifestyle to pick up some plants for the garden before heading off to the store to do some grocery shopping. Saturday was busy and Sunday was back to children's church and then Sunday afternoon the plants found their new home. The sighting of the super moon on Sunday night was a real treat.
The beauty and majesty of God's creation is truly amazing and I was breaking out in a melody of "How great is our God" shortly afterwards. Most people pay little attention to natural events, but they have come to mean much to me. I have seen time after time how major life changing events have happened soon after a natural one.
This time I'm believing God for positive life changes, things that will add value and meaning to my life! I am holding onto God's promises of blessing and believe in my heart that God is busy with a new work.
Why don't you join me in believing God for new things....good things!
The beauty and majesty of God's creation is truly amazing and I was breaking out in a melody of "How great is our God" shortly afterwards. Most people pay little attention to natural events, but they have come to mean much to me. I have seen time after time how major life changing events have happened soon after a natural one.
This time I'm believing God for positive life changes, things that will add value and meaning to my life! I am holding onto God's promises of blessing and believe in my heart that God is busy with a new work.
Why don't you join me in believing God for new things....good things!
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Which one do I choose?
Today was heritage day and I hadn't really planned on blogging but I had to log onto the Internet for something else, so here I am. Usually at work the day before people wear traditional cultural clothes. Well now I don't have any anyway but if I had to I don't know which one I'd choose.
There are only 3 confirmed heritage lines in my family as my dad's mom was adopted, but what I do know I have is Welsh from my father, and Scottish and German from my mothers side. So which one I'd choose to celebrate in clothing I just don't know. I had a kilt as a kid but outgrew that many years ago (think I should get another one).
Heritage is a strange thing because for some reason it forms part of our identity. Jesus had a heritage crisis of His own, part human, part divine and somehow He understood this from an early age as the young boy was found once teaching in the synagogue and clearly knew that He was doing His 'Fathers work'.
Once we are born again we our heritage and lineage take on a new line as well, we become the children of God and as such we have the blessings and privileges of Kings Kids.
There are only 3 confirmed heritage lines in my family as my dad's mom was adopted, but what I do know I have is Welsh from my father, and Scottish and German from my mothers side. So which one I'd choose to celebrate in clothing I just don't know. I had a kilt as a kid but outgrew that many years ago (think I should get another one).
Heritage is a strange thing because for some reason it forms part of our identity. Jesus had a heritage crisis of His own, part human, part divine and somehow He understood this from an early age as the young boy was found once teaching in the synagogue and clearly knew that He was doing His 'Fathers work'.
Once we are born again we our heritage and lineage take on a new line as well, we become the children of God and as such we have the blessings and privileges of Kings Kids.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Zombie walking
No matter how positive and strong we may be feeling there are just days that life just takes it out of us and you finish the day feeling like the walking dead! Your energy is gone and you are in serious need of a recharge.
As Christians we are a walking dead of another kind. Colossians 3:3 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God". What does this mean?
It means that at the moment of our salvation our spirit man died and we were crucified with Christ but now we are reborn and our identity is Christ's identity. We are swallowed into His being. Now when God sees us He does not see our sin, He sees Jesus!
So every time you are tired and feeling like a zombie, smile and remember you are already dead :-)
Monday, September 21, 2015
Let's play
I'm always amazed and amused by the playfulness of animals and this trait is seen throughout the animal kingdom. Closest to home will be my two little fur balls that remind me on a regular basis to laugh and have fun. I love it when a game starts and their eyes go wide open or when we go for a walk round the complex and they charge past me tails in the air.
For millions of years before mankind walked the planet God only had these beautiful animals to keep Him company and that tells me a lot about the heart and nature of God. He wanted to have companions who could live free, play and have fun, pounce, charge and generally make Him laugh.
That makes me wonder if mankind makes God sad? Does He regret that He created us to have freedom of choice that would lead to us taking on the sin nature of Satan, with characteristics that could bring about hate, envy, strife, malice and murder? Does He regret giving us inventive minds that could create automobiles that kill people and the ability to create weapons of mass destruction? To be honest, yes I think we do make Him sad.
We moan and complain when all God wanted was companionship and to be able to walk together in the cool of the day and enjoy mutually satisfying conversation. How about we start to try and stop doing the things that make God sad and become the fun and playful beings He created us to be? How about we do something to make God laugh out loud???
For millions of years before mankind walked the planet God only had these beautiful animals to keep Him company and that tells me a lot about the heart and nature of God. He wanted to have companions who could live free, play and have fun, pounce, charge and generally make Him laugh.
That makes me wonder if mankind makes God sad? Does He regret that He created us to have freedom of choice that would lead to us taking on the sin nature of Satan, with characteristics that could bring about hate, envy, strife, malice and murder? Does He regret giving us inventive minds that could create automobiles that kill people and the ability to create weapons of mass destruction? To be honest, yes I think we do make Him sad.
We moan and complain when all God wanted was companionship and to be able to walk together in the cool of the day and enjoy mutually satisfying conversation. How about we start to try and stop doing the things that make God sad and become the fun and playful beings He created us to be? How about we do something to make God laugh out loud???
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Sushi
On Saturday it was time to start pulling out the lavender. It was a task I wasn't looking forward too as they have served me well, but I do need them out to reshape the beds and redo the landscaping. Oh boy, who knew chopping out lavender could be such a hard job. I had planned to get the heads chopped off so that I could then dig out the roots. Being such a tough job though I didn't finish which left me feeling unsatisfied with the progress, there was no sense of accomplishment. Who knows I might need to get help with this one.
Worse than this though was the failure of our beloved Springbok team to beat the Japanese rugby squad, which by all intents and purposes should have been a walk in the park. Academically speaking, we were better than them but what we had failed to take into account and should have was the good coaching that they had received was well as the well known Japanese toughness and grit. Well needless to say the sushi jokes have been flying ever since.... :-P I know its still early days and things could change but for us it was as if a national day of mourning had been declared and the grey sky's did not help the mood.
A sense of accomplishment is what keeps us going in life, but what we often forget is the hard journey along the way to reaching a specific point. My beautiful side garden did not happen over night it has taken years of trial and error with plants and constant change (and it is still changing). My front garden has been through many evolutions as well but then I figured out that I didn't like what I had done before and wanted something new, so now it will certainly take time to finish again. The work however will be worth the effort, of that I am sure.
Accomplishment is not a single event, but many moments of slog and toil that arrive at a positive destination. In our relationship with God we cannot expect to reach our spiritual growth goals in one moment. No, they will take consistent effort at developing our personal relationship with God - day by day.
And that is why no matter how old we are, or how long we've been serving Christ, every day will be a day in which we can only say that we are ......
Growing with God!
Worse than this though was the failure of our beloved Springbok team to beat the Japanese rugby squad, which by all intents and purposes should have been a walk in the park. Academically speaking, we were better than them but what we had failed to take into account and should have was the good coaching that they had received was well as the well known Japanese toughness and grit. Well needless to say the sushi jokes have been flying ever since.... :-P I know its still early days and things could change but for us it was as if a national day of mourning had been declared and the grey sky's did not help the mood.
A sense of accomplishment is what keeps us going in life, but what we often forget is the hard journey along the way to reaching a specific point. My beautiful side garden did not happen over night it has taken years of trial and error with plants and constant change (and it is still changing). My front garden has been through many evolutions as well but then I figured out that I didn't like what I had done before and wanted something new, so now it will certainly take time to finish again. The work however will be worth the effort, of that I am sure.
Accomplishment is not a single event, but many moments of slog and toil that arrive at a positive destination. In our relationship with God we cannot expect to reach our spiritual growth goals in one moment. No, they will take consistent effort at developing our personal relationship with God - day by day.
And that is why no matter how old we are, or how long we've been serving Christ, every day will be a day in which we can only say that we are ......
Growing with God!
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Scorcher
I woke up to no electricity (thanks Eskom) and for some reason it was a little colder than it has been for a while. I figured, no problem, I'm sorted with gas, I'll bring the little heater up and I'm sorted (done it before). Then I started to get a little too warm so I turned it down a fraction, but as I'd probably had it at the lowest level it could go already it just did not want to hold the flame so I wanted to turn it off completely. Somehow I wasn't watching my mark precisely and instead of pressing on the lever with my thumb I hit the grid.
Oooooouuuuuuuuuucccccccchhhhh!
Well to be honest this month has been one long scorcher for me and I can feel myself cracking! I knew I'd have six weeks of hell after my leave. Its been four with two more to go but I just can't take it any more! Life just does not feel peachy right now!
Is there a sunny upside to this...Nope! And there are times that no matter how hard I want to be spiritual and remember to be considerate and kind to others, it just doesn't happen because I don't feel others are being kind to me.
Ok so enough moaning, what am I going to do about this? Well believe it or not I really did pray and ask God to help me to stay cool, calm and collected and I really did try, more than that I just cannot do. There is only one solice -
Hebrew 4:14-16
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
God knows me, He understands me, He forgives my weaknesses and He gives me His grace!
What more I can I ask for?
Oooooouuuuuuuuuucccccccchhhhh!
Well to be honest this month has been one long scorcher for me and I can feel myself cracking! I knew I'd have six weeks of hell after my leave. Its been four with two more to go but I just can't take it any more! Life just does not feel peachy right now!
Is there a sunny upside to this...Nope! And there are times that no matter how hard I want to be spiritual and remember to be considerate and kind to others, it just doesn't happen because I don't feel others are being kind to me.
Ok so enough moaning, what am I going to do about this? Well believe it or not I really did pray and ask God to help me to stay cool, calm and collected and I really did try, more than that I just cannot do. There is only one solice -
Hebrew 4:14-16
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
God knows me, He understands me, He forgives my weaknesses and He gives me His grace!
What more I can I ask for?
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