fuzzy panda

Photos

2011-07-15T06:26:00.001-07:00

First born son

David Jonathan Young.

Beloved gift of God.

How we love you

And you are God’s gift to the world.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Goodbye

Never easy.

How we miss you.

But you have gone to a better place.

There’s an empty place at all family celebrations.

And I am left with albums full of photos and memories.

This is what the Lord says. “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See – I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams on the wasteland.”

New Mother

You didn’t know how hard it would be.

When you saw that first scan, felt that first bubble of life, gazed at miniature baby clothes, you didn’t know.

All your dreams for your child, 9 months of bonding, of loving, of anticipation.

You didn’t know you’d have to kneel at his graveside having had only had half a day to show your love to him, to touch him, to know him. You didn’t know you’d be called on to watch him die. You didn’t know what motherhood would demand of you.

But you have a mother’s heart and only the strength of God will get you through.

First born son

Zachary Samuel Young

How you love him.

His little life was God’s gift to the world.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Goodbye

Never easy.

How you miss him.

But he has gone to a better place.

There’s an empty place in your lives

And you are left with only videos, photos and memories.

New Daddy

You didn’t expect the hard demands of fatherhood. The hardest things you’ve ever had to do.

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength”

But you took the challenge and turned a funeral into a celebration because you know that your son is with the Lord and you will see him again. You know that his life counted and that it was not all in vain and this is not the end.

“Be still my soul; thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last.”

Balloons and paper planes.

Symbols of life and celebration. How dichotomous is our experience. We can only trust the Lord of Life and Death.

Grieving what might have been

2011-06-30T03:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I thought I was fine. I could do life. I don't think I cried once. I looked at Zach's picture on my dressing table and David's photo holding him on my cell phone. I thought I had come to acceptance. I vacillated between pride (wow, look how well I'm coping) and guilt (surely I can't have got over the death of my grandson in just a week).

Today I woke up with a headache. I didn't want to get out of bed. I felt like a child saying "I don't fwant to get up, I don't want to go to school, I don't want..."
Not a very mature attitude. Of course the adult response is "well you can't always get what you want."

So I dragged myself up, slowly. I forced myself to have a quiet time. My eye fell on a book in my bookcase called "For all seasons". Remembering that quote from Ephesians, "There's a time for every purpose under heaven," I thought it might give me some isights about birth and death that might help me. I looked under "a time to be born and a time to die". It turned out to be a book of poems. The one I read was about a 16 year old girl who fell pregnant. The father wasn't prepared/wasn't in a position to marry her or provide anything for his child. So she had the baby adopted. She had to give away the one person she loved most in the world. The poem had the refrain "What might have been".

I have been crying ever since. I can't even list all the "What might have been"'s with regard to Zachary or even the "What should have been"'s. I would only cry all the more. Today I am grieving the "What Might Have Been"'s.

I know there are 5 accepted stages of grief: Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression and Acceptance.

I've been through Denial. I was holding out for a miracle. I didn't try bargaining. It didn't occur to me. I knew God was in control and that He could perform a miracle but that He doesn't hand them out very often and my prayer was merely a request. The yes or no was up to Him.

I don't think I've done the anger. I am not very good at anger. Who is there to be angry with after all. Only God. And how can I, a mere mortal be angry at God? Disappointed yes. Betrayed yes. What about all those promises? 'Ask whatever you wish in my name and it will be done for you', etc. Lord, are you just like a politician telling the people what they want to hear and then not keeping your promises? Or did I not understand? How can I trust other promises?

Yesterday I thought I had reached the acceptance stage. Today I realize I am in the depression stage. It is hard to interact with people. I met somebody from our church on the way to gym. He asked how I was and I told him and cried all the way to the change room. After my session on the treadmill and washing my face, (It's OK to have a red face after your workout but tears are unusual), I met somebody who left our school to go and work in Port Elizabeth about a year ago. She asked how I was and I lied. Now I know why people reply by rote, "fine thank you." It's much easier emotionally. Most people are probably not fine either. They just have to put on the face.

My verse for today is from Psalm 30. "You turned my wailing into dancing and removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." Certainly not true at the moment. perhaps in the future.

A mother’s prayer

2011-06-29T13:39:00.001-07:00

I have been emptying out my very top cupboard in preparation for moving. I found this prayer which helped me a lot at a time when I had three children and life was chaotic. Now I look back nostalgically to those days.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the busyness of life and the urgency of deadlines that we miss the magic moments.

When we focus on what we have lost it’s easy to overlook what we still have.

Balloons and Paper Planes

2011-06-28T13:28:00.001-07:00

How much can happen in a week – a mere 7 days. A week ago things were normal.

A grandson was born. Something went wrong. The placenta detached. No blood. No oxygen. Organ damage. Brain damage.

Zachary Samuel Young lived 11 hours. He was loved, he was celebrated, he was admired. A group of friends bore testimony to his existence. We were not there. We are on the other side of the world.

We will never see our grandson, never hold him. We have photos, we even have videos. Technology is amazing, but it can never replace reality.

We weren’t at the funeral. It sounds awesome. Paper planes with messages were thrown onto the coffin instead of rose petals. So much more suitable for a boy. Zachary would have loved it. Then just before sunset balloons were released into the sky over Napier as our grandson was buried.

“Zachary, I’ll look out for you when I get to heaven. You’ll be the boy in the All Blacks T shirt. Meanwhile I love you very much and miss you. from Granny ” That is what I would have written on my paper plane.

Now we have a new normal. I have a new photo on my dressing table. I carry a box of tissues wherever I go. I am functioning and most of the time I seem fine. It’s just when I pass a rack of baby boy clothes, or meet up with a friend or get a phone call that I fall to pieces and can’t stop crying. It’s not even a good idea to stop for a while and just think. Much better to keep doing things.

I know things will get better in time but I am forever marked by Zachary’s birth and untimely death. I know that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes and I trust Him to keep His promises. However, for the rest of my life I might shed a tear when anybody asks me how many grandchildren I have and I might never look at paper planes in the same way again.

Thank You

2011-06-26T12:02:00.001-07:00

It’s awesome how kind people can be. It just takes a tragedy to make one realise it. We have been inundated with messages of support, condolences, prayers from wonderful people – some of whom I know only slightly. The Biology department gave me a bunch of flowers and a beautiful statuette of an angel sitting next to an orb holding a candle. I will treasure it and always remember Zachary when I see it. possibly light it every year on his birthday.

I got flowers from the Moll family and a beautiful golden potted rose from Lesley, my best friend. She said pink was too girlish, white was too bland, red was more romantic love so yellow was golden and therefore something precious. It will come with us to our new house and will also remind me of Zachary.

I got phone calls from the church, the prayer chain, one of the pastors. Thank you to everybody who has supported us by messages, SMS’s, phone calls, gifts. You might think they were insignificant and that nothing you can say can really help us but really it is just the accumulated love and support that is getting us through.

Going to church this morning was a challenge. I took tissues with me. Couldn’t sing the first song. It’s amazing how worship brings tears to the surface.

One of the ladies from the prayer team, Denise Law, who is very close to the Lord, said she had been praying a lot for Zach when she first got the message. When she heard that he had died she questioned the Lord. The answer she got was Zach’s little life would make a difference for the Kingdom. It is David’s future, not his past. Not quite sure how to interpret that but I know the Lord knows and I trust him even when I don’t understand.

The closing hymn was God’s word for me today.

"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Hymn #651
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 46:10

Be Strong

2011-06-24T01:06:00.001-07:00

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” The verse I got in my quiet time today from 2 Tim 2:1.

What does it mean to be strong? I am reminded of that section in Joshua where the Lord tells Joshua to be strong and courageous 4 times. (Josh 1)

Does it mean don’t cry at the funeral? Don’t cry when people are kind and loving to you? I don’t think so. Jesus wept and He is the strongest man I know.

I think that being strong is set in the context of battle. You either face the enemy or you run away. There are many ways to run away. Some people try drugs or alcohol because they can’t face the pain. Some immerse themselves in something else to keep so busy that they keep pushing it to the outside. But the brave thing to do, is to face the pain, recognise it, embrace it, go through it.

Who is the enemy in this battle? It is the father of lies and his greatest weapons are lies. Lies like:

“see, God doesn’t love you, look what he did to you”

or “It is all you fault. If only…”

or even “God is punishing you because you are not good enough.”

There are many lies in his arsenal. Being strong is being able to discern the lies and to resist them. To stay close to Jesus and to trust Him no matter what. To use the word of God which is the truth against the lies.

Don’t try to do it on your own. There are people all around willing and able to help you. Counsellors, pastors, friends, doctors, professionals, even strangers if God chooses to use them.

And whatever you do, don’t go into battle without your armour. (Eph 6)

Being strong is also being able to resist the temptation of looking inward. When you are in pain it is easy to shut out the rest of the world and focus only on your own pain. There are other people out there, many of them also in pain, many of them needing you to be strong for them.

Being strong is being able to cling tenaciously to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Trust Him. Stand on His promises.

…and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:&)

I hope that I will be able to do this, to resist the lies, to look outwards and to cling to Christ. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

A Father’s Love

2011-06-23T12:28:00.001-07:00

Zachary lived only 12 hours but his father loves him intensely. As his granny in another continent, I also love him. I am devastated that he was taken from us and yet I have never seen him, never held him. What did this little half a day old baby do to deserve all this love? Was he good, was he smart? Did he help others?

He did none of these things. He was brain damaged at birth and could barely even breathe himself. No, my son David loves him so much and always will, just because Zachary is his son. We love him so much just because he is our grandson.

God is such a father to us. We don’t earn His love. He loves us just because we are His children. There is nothing we can do to earn His love, to deserve his love. We can’t do anything to cause Him to love us more or to love us less. His desire is to be with us and love us just as Dave and Gayle delighted in each minute they got to spend with Zachary. In fact God loves us so much that He gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him will not die but will be with Him in heaven forever. (John 3:16) He wants us to be with Him always.

So Zachary, although you were only on this earth for 12 hours, you have enriched us. You have taught me a little bit about the love of God.

When the fairy tale ends

2011-06-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

We all started off believing in fairy tales. For little girls they go something like, I am a beautiful princess (perhaps poor, but definitely good). At some stage a handsome prince is going to come and fall in love with me, marry me and we will live happily ever after. Happily ever after includes having children (who are happy) who grow up in the same fairy tale world and get happily married and have more children.

Depending on our circumstances, the fairy tale ends sooner or later. Some people don't even remember the fairy tale because they were too young when it ended. For a new born baby the fairy tale is that I will be loved, have a mother and father who love each other and me, who look after me and care for me so I can grow to my full potential. Some babies don't get that and for them the fairy tale has ended even before they are a day old.

Others see the end of their fairy tale when they are still children: When I find out I am not as beautiful, when Daddy moves out or when my inoocence is stolen by a stranger or a family member.

I have been lucky. I almost had the fairy tale. OK I'm not beautiful, but nevertheless a handsome prince came my way, loved me and married me. We have three beautiful Christian children, two of them married to wonderful Christian partners.

All around me fairy tales were ending. The husbands who were not faithful, the children who were not perfect, cancer, bankrupcy, fraud. I realized this world is not heaven. Far from it. But for me, my own personal fairy tale was still going strong.

First grandchild. a beautiful, adorable little girl and two grandsons on the way.

Yesterday my fairy tale ended. My first grandson was born and lived but twelve hours. A beautiful little boy. So much potential. He had 25% of my genetic material. He was flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood. Yesterday 25% of me died.

Fortunately I am a Christian. I believe there is a better place, a place where I am loved like a princess and where Zachary can grow up like a beloved prince. My savior, Jesus Christ made it possible for me to get to this better place where there is no corruption, no shattering of dreams, no cruelty, no death, no crying.
Now my stake in heaven is stronger. Besides my Dad waiting for me, there will be little Zachary, probably wearing an All Black t shirt.

For now I have to live in this world. Jesus said, "in this word you will have many trials, but behold, I have overcome the world."

Zachary with Dave and Gayle

2011-06-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

To my first Grandson

2011-06-22T03:40:00.001-07:00

Dear Zachary,

Did I have a premonition? It’s always easy to look back and say that I did. I don’t know. I was going to post a facebook comment to your mom’s profile saying something like I pray that Jesus would be in the hospital room with them, holding her hand and ready to receive the baby (that’s you) into His arms. Then I thought better of it. My Mom (that’s your great grandmother) wrote on my Dad’s obituary, “safe in the arms of Jesus”. The connotation didn’t seem right. So I changed my comment.

I was crying even before I heard the news of how sick you are. Because the facebook comments seemed to suggest that a baby had been born but I had had no official proud parent announcement (------------------has been born, weighing 3.?kg, mother and baby doing well) All sorts of dark thoughts were trying to gain ascendency in my mind. I did remember how when your cousin, Emma, was born, I knew that your aunt had gone into hospital but I was on a plane and I had to switch off my cell phone. (they make you do that, you know, so that the cell phone signals don’t interfere with the communications of the plane.) I had been imagining all the worst scenarios and how your uncle Steven would cope if he lost his wife and had a tiny baby to look after. But it all turned out fine. I tried to tell myself that all my fears were groundless. After all, lots of new babies, especially early ones, end up in a respirator.

The the SMS came from your dad. “”Zachary Samuel Young was in distress for several hours (blood tests show) without oxygen or blood. They say he will never breathe on his own, and will have massive brain damage. Going to see him….”

It takes a while for a message like that to sink in. I didn’t know what to do.

I have been reading a book called “the boy who came back from heaven” by Kevin Malarkey. His 6 year old son was in a very serious car accident in which his spinal column was severed from his skull. Doctors said he couldn’t possibly survive. Six years later, he is still alive and is an inspiration to people all around the world. During his 2 months in a coma, he was in heaven and can tell us a lot about it. I haven’t got to much of that part yet. I was inspired, however, how God used a tragedy to show His goodness, to bring people together. I liked this quote from his father “My Dad doesn’t believe in the existence of a bad day. I find that holding this philosophy makes a great difference in our state of contentment. The tougher life became, the more good we saw in people and in God. It’s possible to know peace and pain at the same time, believe it or not. Life can be rough yet still feel right. Even as I wept at times, I knew my family was aligned with the will of God. I could say, with the old hymn, It is well with my soul……I am a child of God, destined for another world, a world before which this one pales into insignificance…”

In a way, I could say that God has been preparing me through this book and the one I read before “heaven is for real” to face this current trauma.

I have contacted everybody I know and asked them to pray for a miracle. Miracles certainly happen today. I don’t know whether God will grant this one, baby Zachary, but I trust him to do what is best.

Meanwhile, while I am crying uncontrollably every 5 minutes or so, the refrain going around and around in my mind is “yeah, yeah, God is good…” Strange that.

Your dad recently sent another SMS saying that they had taken you off the respirator and had you with them in the room and that after 15 minutes you were still breathing. What about that “will never breathe on his own'” story? Are they right about the rest or has God already started answering our prayers? I don’t know.

I don’t know if today will be your first and only day on earth. If so, I’ll have to wait until I get to heaven before I meet you. I will probably be the lady crying at everything and saying the wrong thing all the time.If God is merciful to us and answers our prayers for a miracle, I’ll see you next year about Christmas time.

Just know this, my grandson, we all love you very much and we know that Jesus loves you even more. Granny

Green Fuzzy Panda 16

2011-02-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

Ten of the Best energy efficient ways to cook...

Rice

1 cup rice, 2 cups boiling water, 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in the water. Boil on stove or gel stove for 5 minutes with the lid on, then place in hot box for an hour or more.

Butternut

Place in a black pot in a solar cooker in the sun for two or three hours

Roast Chicken

Use a Weber Braai or buy ready cooked from a supermarket.

Fried chicken.

Microwave for 5 minutes then fry in a little oil until lightly browned. Turn off the heat when one side is done and flip.

Meringues

Solar cooking can’t be beaten

Packet vanilla muffins

Add raisins and solar cook for 2 -3 hours. Brown tops under a TV grill if desired, or top with water icing

Oats

¼ cup oats, ¾ cup boiling water and microwave 2 minutes for 1 serving or boil up a family size pot and cook in a hot box overnight.

Roast

Solar cooked roasts are tender and juicy.

Cottage Pie

Use a quantity of budget mince, make up some Smash and grill under a TV grill to brown

Mealie Meal (2)

Preheat the required amount of water plus salt (in a sun stove or other method) When the water is hot, it doesn’t have to boil, add the mealie meal, stir in and leave in the sunstove to cook.

References

1. “Potjiekos” by Marlene Hammann published by Human and Rousseau pg 15

2. “Sunstove 2000 Helpful Hints and recipes” Produced by Sunstove Organisation

P.O.Box 21960 Crystal Park 1515 Tel:(011)969-2818

Green Fuzzy Panda 15 – Meringue baskets

2011-02-01T11:49:00.001-08:00

(using a solar cooker only)

Meringues cooked in a solar oven are superior to those cooked in a conventional oven. They stay fluffy and white and will impress all your friends. Meringue baskets can be filled with ice cream, cream, berries or anything that your imagination can suggest. These quantities make 3 – 6 baskets depending on size.

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar or castor sugar

1tsp lemon juice

Beat egg whites with one teaspoon of the sugar until stiff. Add the rest of the sugar gradually beating well in between. Use a piping bag to form baskets onto a baking tray which fits into your solar cooker. Start with a circular base and then pipe the sides on top of the base. Make meringue triangles for garnish. Cook in the solar cooker facing the sun for two to three hours. Fill with ice cream or other filling of your choice.

Green Fuzzy Panda 14 – Carrot Pudding

2011-02-01T11:43:00.001-08:00

Carrot Pudding

(uses a solar cooker only)

1 ½ cups cake flour 1 cup grated raw carrot

1 tsp salt 1 ½ cups finely chopped peeled apple

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon ¾ cup raisins

¼ tsp cloves 1 cup light brown sugar

½ tsp nutmeg ½ cup margarine.

Cream margarine, add sugar and beat well. Add carrot, apple and raisins and mix together well. Add the dry ingredients, mixing well. Turn into 6 individual moulds. Place in a flat bottomed black pot (eg a flat potjie pot) with half a cup of water in the bottom. Place in a solar cooker in the sun before 10am. Serve with ice cream or custard.

Green Fuzzy Panda 13 – Caramel Squares

2011-01-29T08:08:00.001-08:00

Caramel squares

Uses Solar cooker only

185g flour 1 tin Caramel Treat

125g margarine 200g dark chocolate

60g castor sugar

Cream the margarine and mix in the sugar and flour. Press the mixture into a rectangular greased tin and place in a solar cooker in the sun before 10am. After about two hours break the chocolate into pieces and place in a glass or plastic bowl. Retrieve the shortbread base and place the chocolate in the solar cooker. Spread the caramel treat over the shortbread. When the chocolate has melted, pour it over the caramel and allow to cool. Before it has completely hardened, score the chocolate into squares to make cutting easier.

Fuzzy Green Panda 12 – Chicken salad

2011-01-29T08:05:00.001-08:00

Chicken Salad

Uses a microwave

350g skinless boneless chicken fillets

¼ to ½ English cucumber, sliced and halved

1 pineapple cut into pieces

1 ripe avocado pear cut into pieces

2 large tomatoes cubed

Half a small lettuce washed and shredded

2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or low fat mayonnaise and low fat yoghurt mixed)

Prick the chicken well (through the packaging if appropriate) and microwave for 5 mins at 900W.

Allow to cool. Cut into cubes and toss with the other ingredients. Serve with baby potatoes.

Green Fuzzy Panda 11

2011-01-28T07:47:00.001-08:00

Holiday Chicken

(using a solar cooker and an optional backup source of heat)

This recipe is based on a potjie recipe by the Van Rooyens of Garsfontein. (1) The lemon peel adds zest to the dish. The recipe serves 4-6 people and can be served with a fresh salad and homemade bread. A flat cast iron pot or other black pot can be used.

Sauce

500ml low fat natural yoghurt

250ml dry white wine

10ml dried thyme

10ml grated lemon peel

1 packet cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup powder.

Salt to taste

4 -6 deboned skinless chicken fillets

1 large onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

1 small packet button mushrooms sliced in half

½ cup rice

200-300g sliced carrots

2 baby potatoes per person, cut in half

100g dried apricots

200g frozen casserole vegetables or green beans

Whisk the sauce ingredients together. Brown onions , chicken and green pepper in a little oil in a cast iron pot on electric stove or gas stove or Bioheat stove(optional). Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the sauce over the top and replace the lid.

Place the pot in a solar cooker in the sun before 10am and leave until the potatoes are soft (3-5 hours depending on the weather). Can be placed in the sun before work and retrieved after. The solar cooker must then face north in that case. Serve with fresh bread and a green salad.

1. “Potjiekos” by Marlene Hammann published by Human and Rousseau pg 15

Green Fuzzy Panda 10

2011-01-28T06:43:00.001-08:00

Granny’s Chicken

(uses a solar cooker only)

This recipe is a family favourite and is adapted from a recipe given to me by my mother-in-law. It is a simple no fuss recipe cooked in one pot. It serves 3-5 people.

1 skinned deboned chicken fillet per person

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup chutney

2 cups water

1 pkt Brown Onion soup

40g rice per person

1 – 2 cups frozen casserole vegetables.

Place the chicken fillets at the bottom of a cast iron pot or black pot of suitable size. Mix the next four ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix all together. Replace the lid and put the pot in a solar cooker facing the sun or facing north if you are going to be out all day. Serve with green peas and tomato wedges. Cooks in about 3 hours depending on the weather.

Green Fuzzy Panda 9

2011-01-21T09:20:00.001-08:00

Budget Mince

(using a solar cooker and an optional backup source of heat)

This mince can be made in bulk and frozen in smaller portions for later use. The quantities given make for 16 people and can be divided according to your family size. You can add or subtract ingredients according to your family’s preferences.

2 onions, chopped.

500g lean beef mince.

¾ cup orange lentils, soaked overnight.

1 cup soya mince

1 cup water

4 carrots (grated) or courgettes or other vegetables of your choice

1 pkt beef and vegetable soup

2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 2 cups boiling water.

Salt and any other herbs and spices to taste.

Brown the onions and mince in a little olive oil in a cast iron pot or a large black pot (optional). Soak the soya mince in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. Drain the lentils. Add all the ingredients and stir well. Place the pot in a solar cooker facing the sun or facing north for at least three hours although it will do no harm if kept in the sun all day. If the mince is a bit watery, thicken with Bisto or corn flour. Divide the mince into containers according to the size of your family and freeze for later use.

Green Fuzzy Panda 8: The biogel stove

2011-01-20T11:47:00.001-08:00

The Biogel stove

Biogel stoves became very popular during the period of load shedding in South Africa. The fuel is an ethanol gel which is a renewable energy source ie it is not a fossil fuel. Most biogel stoves are very simple, having a reservoir for the fuel, an adjustable vent and a stable base for a pot to rest on. The most popular are double plate stoves which means one can cook two separate foods at once. At the time of writing the stoves and the gel were available at Pick and Pay stores.

Advantages of a Biogel stove

The stove has a wide flat base and can’t be knocked over.

Because the fuel is a gel, not a liquid, it can’t spill.

The vent controls the amount of air getting to the fuel so the stove can be adjusted for low, medium or high cooking.

There is no unpleasant smell, just a clean alcohol smell.

The stove is portable and easy to carry.

Disadvantages of a Biogel stove

Once the food is cooked, if all the biogel has not been used up, it can’t keep in the stove as it dries up. It is necessary therefore to know exactly how long you want the flame to last for and use the appropriate amount of gel (see table below)

Biogel fuel at present is more expensive than paraffin and so is more often used as a back up for electricity cuts in urban areas than as a normal method of cooking in poorer or rural areas where the increased safety would cut down the number of fire related accidents.

Table showing amount of Biogel to use for various times of cooking (measuring cups were used to measure gel)

Volume of Gel Time of burning on high (minutes)

100ml	27
200ml	54
300ml	81
400ml	108
500ml	135

Green Fuzzy Panda 7: The Solar Cooker

2011-01-19T09:04:00.001-08:00

Solar cooker

The solar cooker I use is a Sunstove, available from Margaret Bennett . e mail at sunstove@iafrica.com.

This method of cooking is the only one which is totally free. It is extremely easy. Place the food in a black pot, place in the solar cooker which is facing the sun or facing north if you are going to leave it for a long time.

The Sunstove comes with a pot and an instruction booklet, including recipes. It is ideal for one pot cooking, stews, vegetables, rice, pap, mince dishes. It is not suitable for dishes requiring rapid boiling, eg pasta, frying or baking (except meringues)

A black pot is preferable, but not essential. The sunstove cooks even if there is only 30 minutes of sun per hour. Food needs to be put in the sun before 10am as that is the best time for cooking. It is also possible to place the food in the sun before work and leave the sunstove facing north. It will be ready by 2pm but still warm by 4pm. It might just need a bit of reheating later in the day.

Advantage of a solar cooker

Free energy
It is light and so portable and can be moved to where the sun is, or taken camping etc.
It is almost impossible to burn food.

Disadvantages of a solar cooker

The cooker only works when there is enough sunlight, therefore not at night and not in the rain. It cannot be used as the only source of cooking. It can only be an additional source of cooking and will always require a back-up. However, when it can be used it saves electricity or wood or other fuel.
Food left unattended for long periods can be stolen. (Of course if there are grannies in the community they can sit near all the solar cookers and guard the food and cookers)

General Guidelines

The sunstove is designed for a family of 4. It can take more than one pot but if cooking for a larger number of people it will be necessary to use more cookers.
For cooking fresh vegetables it is not necessary to add water. Food will cook in its own juice.
Food must be placed in the sun before 10am in the morning for best results.
(From Sunstove 2000 Booklet)(2)

a) You will need twice the normal cooking time or a bit longer

b) Stews and casseroles use less water.”

g) food will cook quicker in 2 smaller pots than one big one. Don’t leave a lot of airspace above your food.”

The pots will get extremely hot and the use of a pot holder or oven gloves is necessary for removing the pot from the solar cooker.

Temperatures reached by the Sun stove

Dec 29 2009

Partly cloudy, Max 26°C

Time Temp °C

9.00	40
9.30	50
10.10	90
10.55	120
11.20	120
12.00	120

These were my two extremes. When there was 50% cloud cover the stove reached a maximum of 95°C, 25% cloud cover it reached a maximum of 110°C. Cooking with more than 50% cloud was not very successful and another source had to be used to complete the cooking.

Green Fuzzy Panda 6: the open fire

2011-01-16T09:51:00.001-08:00

This is the most traditional method of cooking and uses wood or charcoal to cook. In rural areas wood is collected for the fire. In more affluent areas open fire cooking is more a recreational pastime as in the braai and special charcoal briquettes or bundles of firewood are bought for the fire.

Advantages of an open fire

1. In general the fuel source, wood or charcoal is a renewable source.

2. The fire gives warmth and is an area where fellowship is shared.

3. The heat is instantaneous and cooking can be fast.

4. If freely available wood is collected the energy is free.

Disadvantages of an open fire

1. Although the fuel is renewable, very often the people involved do not plant more trees but continue to ravage wooded areas.

2. An open fire can get out of control and cause death, damage and devastation.

3. Often things are burned that emit dangerous fumes eg painted wood, plastic.

4. It is very easy to burn food.

5. Usually causes pollution to the atmosphere although taken overall compared to electricity generation, the amount of pollution might not be that significant.

Green Fuzzy Panda 5. Make your own hot box

2011-01-16T08:37:00.001-08:00

You will need: A square box or container at least 5 cm larger than your pot on all sides, 2-3 metres fabric, newspaper, small pieces of polystyrene as used in packing.

Method: Take the following measurements: diameter of pot = a, height of pot = b, Height of box = c , side of box = d.

Cut out 2 squares of newspaper, one with sides of a, one with sides of d. Fold them both diagonally in quarters and cut out one quarter of each.

On a large sheet of newspaper cut out the following pattern. Add 1,5 cm all around for seams. Using the newspaper pattern, cut 4 identical pieces from the fabric.

Sew all 4 pieces together, right sides together , leaving one diagonal open. Turn right side out. Half fill the cushion with the polystyrene and then close up the opening. Arrange the cushion in the box with the base (d) downwards. Form the narrow top part into a nest inside the cushion. It should be just big enough for your largest pot.

Make another cushion for the lid out of two square pieces of material the length of the base of the box. Fill with the polystyrene. Alternatively you could use a pillow as the lid.

Green Fuzzy Panda 4

2011-01-12T11:38:00.001-08:00

The Hot Box
In days gone by farmers’ wives knew that if you heated up porridge to boiling point for five minutes before bed, it would continue cooking if the pot was placed in a box and completely surrounded by hay. The next morning there would be a
warm breakfast. They called it a Hay Box. This is the basis of the Hot Box, also sometimes known as the Wonder Box. It relies on the principle of insulation. Food heated through for five or ten minutes and then well insulated, will continue
to cook as the heat is kept in.
At the simplest, place the pot on a dish cloth on the middle of a blanket. Fold the blanket around and over the pot and put it in a corner out of the way. The Wonder Box consisted of a specially shaped cushion inside a box and was marketed by various charities. Any good insulation can be used in a Hot Box, even balls of crumpled up newspaper.

How to use a Hot Box for cooking.
Use the smallest pot that will take the amount of food you are cooking. The fuller the pot , the more efficient the cooking. Any source of heating can be used:- open fire, biogel stove, gas, paraffin or electricity. Heat the food and
enough water in the pot with the lid on and allow to boil for 5 or 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and place the pot upright in the box so that it is surrounded by the insulation or cushion. Leave for the appropriate amount of time (at least one and a half hours but it will continue to stay hot for up to 10 hours).

Recipes

Rice
Boil 2 cups of water and 1tsp salt and a stock cube. Add one cup of rice and allow to boil for another 5 minutes with the lid on but allowing a small gap for steam to escape. Place in Hot Box for an hour and a half.

Mielie meal
Use the quantities of meal and water you would normally use for the consistency you require. Boil for 5 minutes and then keep in the Hot Box for at least an hour or until required.

Chicken and Lentil soup
Add 4 cups of water to a chicken carcass, 1 tsp salt, 1 chicken stock cube, 1 cup lentils, a chopped onion, chopped or grated carrot or any vegetables of your choice. Boil for ten minutes then place in Hot Box for at least 2 hours. Can start
it before work and come back for supper. Remove the bones, scraping off any chicken still adhering to them. Liquidise if you prefer a smoother soup.

Foods that can be cooked in a Hot Box
The Hot Box is ideal for foods that cook slowly. It is excellent for rice, stews, one pot meals, dried legumes, vegetables,
mealie meal, soups. It works well at keeping most things hot and is ideal for transporting a hot dish for eating with friends. It is not suitable for foods that need brisk boiling like pasta.

Green Fuzzy Panda 3

2011-01-11T09:53:00.001-08:00

Simple ways to save power.

· We are all aware of the fact that the pot or pan is not hot enough as soon as we switch the hot plate on. It takes a little while for the plate and pot to heat up. In the same way, it takes a little while for them to cool down so if we switch off the power about 5 minutes before the food is cooked, it will still continue cooking in the hot pot on the hot plate.

· Use the kettle sparingly. A kettle is rated at about 2 kilowatts. Boil only enough water for your needs. If you are making one cup of coffee, boil one cup of water. This reduces the amount of time the appliance is working. Another option is to use a thermos flask or pump pot. Boil a full kettle and then pour any unused boiling water into the pump pot. For the next two hours you can use the water for making coffee or if you need it really boiling for tea, pour it back into the kettle and it will take much less energy to heat it up the last couple of degrees.

· Use the microwave instead of the hot plate as often as possible. Most food cooks faster in a microwave.

· Other options are a pressure cooker (which cooks faster because the high pressure enables the temperature to get much higher) an electric frying pan or steamer, where different foods can cook at the same time by stacking up on top of one another.

· On an electric stove top, use pots and pans with flat bottoms to maximize surface area and use a hot plate the same size as the pot.

· If you have to use the oven, make sure the seals fit properly to reduce heat loss. Test by closing a piece of paper between the door and the oven. If the paper slips out, you could be losing a lot of heat. Replace the seal to avoid wasting energy and money.

· Cook more than one dish in the oven at a time or one pot dishes on a stove top.

· Consider cooking in bulk and freezing, using the microwave to heat the dish.

· Thaw food overnight in the fridge rather than in the microwave.

· Keep the lid on when possible to reduce heat loss

· Dishes requiring browning in an oven eg macaroni and cheese use a lot of electricity just to get the cheese topping browned. Five minutes under a TV grill will give the same result with far less energy consumption.

Macaroni Cheese browned under a TV grill

It costs almost the same to buy a roast chicken from most supermarkets as a fresh one. You save not only the electricity that you would use to cook it, but also the human energy you would use.
Use insulation. We are so used to the concept of warming up food quickly in a microwave that we no longer try to keep it hot. Any insulating material wrapped around a pot or dish will help keep it hotter for longer. Examples are – newspaper, corrugated cardboard, blankets, packaging materials. The Wonderbox is an example of how food can not only be kept warm but continue to cook without the use of any electricity at all.

Green Fuzzy Panda 2. How much energy does it use?

2011-01-10T08:55:00.001-08:00

Using electricity efficiently in cooking.

The kilowatt (1000 watts) is a measure of power or energy used by electrical appliances and is usually printed on the apparatus. A small hot plate would have a rating of about 1,5kw while a large one would be closer to 2kw. We pay for electricity by the kilowatt.hour which is how much energy an appliance of 1kw will use in an hour. We can’t change the watts of our appliances, but we can change the amount of time we use them for. The following ratings have been supplied by City Power

Appliance		Rating (kw)
Stove	Small hot plate on high	1,5
	Small hot plate on low	0,35
	Large hot plate on high	2,0
	Large hot plate on low	0,5
	Oven (approximately 200° C)	2,0
Electric frying pan		1,5
Microwave		0,7 -0,9
Sandwich toaster		0,7
TV grill		1,8

It might appear from the table above that it is easy to save electricity by using hot plates on low rather than high. This would only be true if the food cooked in the same amount of time. For example if you use a hot plate of 2kw on high for 30 minutes or one on low at 0,5kw for 2 hours, you use the same amount of electricity – 1kwh. To be efficient you need to be able to optimise time as well as power.

Green Fuzzy Panda

2011-01-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

In the next couple of blogs I am going to be looking at energy efficient cooking.

Introduction

We are all aware of the energy crisis and of the fact that electricity is going to become more and more expensive. Responsible people have already exchanged their incandescent light bulbs for the energy saving equivalent. They have turned down their geyser and insulated it with a geyser blanket. They switch off unused appliances and lights. Gas heaters have become more popular.

Energy does not only apply to electricity. Fossil fuels when burned provide heat energy. This is how we generate our electricity by burning large amounts of fossil fuels and then converting the heat energy produced to electrical energy. In the process of conversion, a lot of the energy is lost. For heating and cooking many people go the direct route and burn something to use the energy produced. People without access to electricity have only this option and they will burn wood, coal, paraffin, gas to cook food and heat their homes. Wherever there are open fires there is the danger of houses burning down, people being burnt and toxic fumes being given off. However, with proper care this can be a fairly efficient way of utilising energy, especially if the fuel is renewable eg wood, charcoal, biofuels.

Then there is human energy. In our modern hectic world, we try to conserve our energy – to do things quickly and efficiently. Cooking is no exception. We will be looking at ways to use energy efficiently in our cooking.

Today I killed a computer.

2010-07-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today I killed a computer. It was easy really - I merely wished it dead. The deceased in question is about ten years old and lived in the Science department at our school in a store room cum prep room between two class rooms. Everybody used it and everybody complained about it. Besides its age, and possibly because of it, it was very slow. It took me approximately half an hour to log in. However, we were lucky to have it. Normally only heads of department get computers. So we put up with the problems.

You see, computers play a game with people. The rules are fairy simple. The computer tries everything it is capable of to frustrate the humans. If the humans lose their tempers, or walk around the rest of the day in a bad mood, or physically strike or kick the computer, the computer wins. If the humans display patience and good humour no matter what, then the humans win.

We were about even. Three days ago it finally dawned on us that we didn't have a number of faulty CD's and DVD's that couldn't be read by a computer. We had a computer with a broken CD drive.

The process to rectify it goes as follows: I send an e mail to our computer fundi. He replies in a week or so to say he will look at it. Then I meet him in the passage and he tells me he couldn't get into the lab because it was locked because he came after school the day before. Like we are going to leave a store of dangerous chemicals and interesting equipment unlocked in a school full of teenagers!

My colleage and I were discussing the problem. We both agreed that we needed a new computer. However they wouldn't give us one unless it was irreparably broken.
"Well, perhaps it could accidentally fall off the table," I suggested.
He pointed to the tower on the floor.
"It doesn't have anywhere more to fall. How about if some acid got spilled on it?"
I thought that it might look suspicious if acid got down the back of the computer under the table.

So I sent the e mail.

Yesterday I was testing our entry for the Technology Olympiad after school. Then I thought it would be just as well to enter our results and they were done. The computer screen was blank and wouldn't respond to anything so I assumed a power cut had switched off the computer and I switched it on again. I typed in my name and password and then made myself of cup of coffee while I waited for it to load my personal settings. After half an hour I read through the team's report and corrected all the spelling mistakes. Loading was still going on. At four o clock I decided that it was stupid to spend time after school waiting for a computer when I could just as well record the results the next day. So I went home.

This morning the computer was still loading my settings. I rebooted it and went to do some practical demonstrations for two grade nine classes. At break the computer was still loading my settings.

Not being able to send an e mail, I sent an SMS.

To be honest, the computer won this round. I was miserable the rest of the day, being unable to do anything I wanted and unable to read any e mails which might have informed me of the programme for the Science Expo on Saturday. Finally I gave in and went to discuss my frustration with our vice principal who takes an interest in the school computers.

Towards the end of the school day the computer fundi came to investigate. It seems our computer was hanging.

"This is quite an old computer," he told us. "You need a new one. This one's dead. I'll speak to the vice principal about getting you one."

So the computer might have won the battle, but we won the war. We killed the computer by wishing it dead. We have declared tomorrow a day of celebration - I mean mourning.

"Prey"

2009-08-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

I've just been reading an excellent book by Michael Crichton called "Prey" Using technologies of computer programming, nanotechnology and molecular biolgy, scientists made tiny nano-units capable of co-operating together to form a camera for military use. Because the swarm was unstable in high winds, the scientists programmed into them the ability to evolve and to learn - also to sustain themselves with solar power and reproduce. They hoped they would randomly evolve to solve the wind problem.

Well, you can guess what happened. A typical Fankenstein scenario. Man creates monster (with good intentions and for the greater good), monster runs amok and man can no longer controll him. In this case the units started flocking together and attacking and killing animals and ultimately humans. This was how they reproduced.

The rogue swarms wanted to get back into the facility (because that's how they were programmed - to be of use to man.) However, if they got in, everything would be destroyed.

It reminded me a lot of the salvation story. God made man for Himself and our souls can only find rest in Him because we were programmed that way. However, something went wrong. Sin came into the world and was inheritable (let's call it a faulty DNA code.) This caused man to act in ways that are destructive, antisocial and even evil. These particular acts are not sin, the faulty code causing this behaviour is (Like the swarm who was now trying to kill the humans)

With the faulty code it is impossible for man to get into heaven. The rogue units have to be destroyed. In the story that is exactly what happens in the end - thermite and explosive gases ensure that the nano-units are totally destroyed.

An excellent book and very well written. I wish I could write like that.

I was inspired

2009-08-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

I was inspired this morning by listening to the following. It does not apply to me but I would like it to. It is a great goal to strive towards.

Home - About Me - Encouragement - Inspiration - My Faith - Salvation

Back to Inspiration Contents - Links

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit
Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has
been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow
down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,
and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight
walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,
mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by
patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my
way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted,
or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the
pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed
up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a
disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop,
preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My
colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

By Dr. Bob Moorehead

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The Adventure of Living game

2008-12-02T09:06:00.001-08:00

Life is like a board game. I am thinking of something like Monopoly or Careers.

There is a certain amount of luck or chance. You throw the dice and you are stuck with that random integer. The skill, however, comes in the decisions you make. Although you are working within the confines of a game, the decisions are real and they have consequences to the game. What are also real are the emotions engendered. We can all remember being brought to tears by having to sell all our hotels and houses in a bravely fought Monopoly game or the excitement of throwing a six at just the right time. Even once the game has been packed up and put away those emotions of loss or defeat linger like sticky shadows. In the end though, real life goes on. The game was like a two dimensional interlude in three dimensional life.

In the same way, our life on earth is merely a 3 dimensional interlude in 4 dimensional eternity. There is a certain amount of luck or chance involved and we cannot work out of the boundaries defined by our given personality or circumstances. The choices we make, however, are where the skill comes in. The trick is to play our best game with what we are given, realizing that others play a different game according to the roll of their dice.

However, unlike a board game where real life goes on regardless of how we played the game and whether we won or lost, The game of Life is central to the unfolding of our eternity. It is the only method given to us to shape that eternity. The decisions we make in this life are crucial to our future life....and we only get to play once!

Bright little speck

2008-11-18T12:58:00.001-08:00

Tonight I saw a parable. As I was sitting in a crowded hall, listening for the umpteenth time to Nicky Gumble's talk on healing, my eye caught a bright speck on the carpet. As I saw the brightness, it looked like there was possibly a room beneath us, well illuminated and there was a small hole or crack allowing me to see the light from below. I couldn't take my gaze away from this curious incandescent spot. After the talk I reached down and forward to try to retrieve this thing that fascinated me so. I felt nothing and my fingers came up empty yet the little bright speck had disappeared. I can only imagine it was a small piece of glitter, left over from Sunday School activities.

We are like that little speck. We have no light of our own. All we have to do is face the Light and reflect Him. It's not up to us. On our own we are nothing but a tiny speck of glitter on a huge carpet but when His light shines on us at just the right angle the effect is mesmerising.

Napier video

2008-11-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

A Video to give you a glimpse of life in Napier New Zealand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwwQw1JSSzs

The X factor

2008-11-12T08:46:00.001-08:00

Yesterday is X-perience

Today is an X-periment

Tomorrow is X-pectation

We need to use Yesterday's X-perience in conducting Today's X-periment to fulfill Tomorrow's X-pectations

2008-10-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

For my mother on her 75th Birthday

2008-09-30T00:31:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,

I am thinking of you on your birthday and contemplating all that you are.

You didn't have a happy childhood. Your father died when you were five and your young mother battled. You were passed around to relatives and never knew the happiness of a stable family life. Yet look what you've made of yourself! Out of the dust of disappointment and despair you created diamonds.

Look at some of those diamonds. The best decision you took was to marry a wonderful man and now after 57 years you are still happily married. Together you made for your children a happy family home. You were a good wife. I remember how you used to put on make up and make yourself look pretty before Dad came home, holding hands as you walk together and I think you still do.

You were an exceptional mother, wanting the very best for your children. Facets of light that stand out for me:- mashed potatoes made into snowmen with peas for eyes and carrots for a nose, shucking peas then tying the pea pod to string and pulling it around for cats to chase, Friday nights and fish and chips on the way to the drive-in, or, if it was rainy or there were no suitable movies showing, a family night together reading comics.

I remember how you made clothes for me, watching the fashions in newspapers and magazines and trying to dress your daughter in the latest trends (unfortunately your daughter was more conservative and didn't always like the latest fashions - remember tent dresses?). Then there were the ballet and tap costumes - creativity that I didn't realise at the time but which in retrospect is quite remarkable. I hope I've inherited some of that creativity.

But apart from family things you are a remarkable woman in your own right: Running an very successful Guide Company for many years, serving on the training team, enabling and encouraging others. You are a published author and a leading light in the writing community, having given courses and served in leadership positions. You make a success of whatever you do from joining and then running trim gym to enthusiastically entering competitions for the WAA.

I am so proud that you are my mother and If I can accomplish half of what you have done in your 75 years I will be very happy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Birthday Bash

2008-09-27T13:59:00.001-07:00

It was going to be a birthday lunch at Cresta. On the way the unexpected happened. Now there's another hole in my birthday (And in our car and soon to be in our pocket)

There's a hole in my birthday

2008-09-26T22:10:00.001-07:00

As children we thought of birthdays as magic. Anything was possible - nothing bad could happen. As we grow older, we notice the holes. The people who are no longer with us - the sadness that life has brought, dreams that have vanished like a popped bubble or just faded away like a handfull of smoke. These make the holes.

When I was a little girl, we used to make paper doilies by cutting folded paper. We folded a square of paper in quarters then diagonally and drew our master template on it. This always had to start with a cross in the middle. One arm had to go to the folded centre and the others ambled where we wished. Then we cut out the holes.

What makes the pattern is the holes. Without them we would have nothing but a plain, boring, piece of paper. The same with my holey birthday. Each hole is specifically shaped, not a nebulous nothing and somewhere exists or existed the substance of that hole, uniquely designed for the life that is mine.

bridgebuilding

2008-09-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The greatest science experiment

2008-09-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

got this from the Sunday Times. It ties in so well with my book, "Noah's Diamond." I want to learn all about quarks and hadrons and gluons all over again.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=833254

Great site for doing this is http://particleadventure.org/

Gratitude

2008-08-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

The following is an extract from Max Lucado' book, "Every Day derseves a Chance."

Excerpts from the diary of a dog:

8.00 a.m. Oh boy, dog food - my favourite.
9.30 a.m. Oh boy, a car ride - my favourite.
9.40 a.m. Oh boy, a walk - my favourite.
10.30 a.m. Oh boy, another car ride - my favourite.
11.30 a.m. Oh boy, more dog food - my favourite.
12.00 p.m. Oh boy, the kids - my favourite.
1.00 p.m. Oh boy, the yard - my favourite.
4.00 p.m. Oh boy, the kids again - my favourite.
5.00 p.m. Oh boy, dog food again - my favourite.
5.30 p.m. Oh boy, Mom, my favourite.
6.00 p.m. Oh boy, playing ball - my favourite.
8.30 p.m. Oh boy, sleeping in my master's bed - my favourite.

Exerpts from the diary of a cat:

Day 283 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre litlle dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat while I'm forced to eat dry cereal. I'm sustained by the hope of escape and the mild satisfaction I derive from ruining a few pieces of furniture. Tomorrow i may eat another houseplant. I attempted to kill my captors this morning by weaving through their walking feet. Nearly succeeded. Must try this strategy at the top of the stairs. Seeking to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favourite chair. Must try this on their bed. To display my diabolical disposition, I decapitated a mouts and deposited the headless body on their kitchen floor. They only cooed and condescended, patting my head and calling me a "strong little kitty". Hmm - not working according to plan. During a gathering of their accomplices, they placed me in solitary confinement. I overheard that my confinement was due to my power of allergies. Must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.
I am convinced the other household captives are flunkies, perhaps snitches. The dog is routinely pleased and seems natively happy to return. He is, no doubt, a half-wit. The bird speaks with the humans regularly. Must be an informant. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal cage, his safety is assured, but I can wait.

The day of a dog. The day of a cat. One content, the other conniving. One at peace, the other at war. One grateful, the other grumpy. Same house. Same circumstances."

I have always thought myself a cat person. Now I am going to work at being a dog. I would like to be grateful for all things and enjoy whatever comes my way.

The Party

2008-08-12T01:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, all of a sudden, I understood the parable of the Great Banquet. This rich guy had planned a banquet and invited all his favourite friends and relatives. He went to a lot of trouble and expense getting caterers, decorators etc to make his banquet special. At the appointed time people started dropping out. One had just bought a field and wanted to look at it, another had bought a team of oxen (the equivilant to a new car perhaps?) and wanted to try it out so one by one they excused themselves, leaving the host with a lot of debt, too much food and no guests.

I don't know if this has ever happended to you. It has happened to me and my family.(see the post on Yesterday's balloons). It always left me feeling profoundly hurt that my friends thought so little of me and my relationship with them that they found other things more important. I felt rejected and of no value. It also made me angry that I had gone to trouble and expense which would now be wasted.

I think that is the essence of the parable. It is all about relationship. God longs for an intimate relationship with us. He longs to give us from His bounty. But we regard other things as more important. In the parable the host takes people off the street to fill his party and partake of all the special food he had prepared. He makes sure that none of the invited guests get any.

God offers us so much - His love, forgiveness, grace, guidance, protection and most of all a relationship with Himself. When we find other things more important He is deeply wounded and possibly even angy. What do I find more important than my relationship with God?

Who is Jesus

2008-08-10T09:08:00.001-07:00

Who is Jesus? (from a sermon given at Randburg Methodist Church just before Easter)

Those of you who know me will know of my passion for Alpha so you won’t be surprised that most of my sermon is based on Nicky Gumble’s book, “Questions of Life” .

We will be looking at Who is Jesus. What did he say about himself. If he didn’t claim to be God, then that is the end of the story, but if he did, that opens another set of questions. If Jesus said he was God, Was he right? If he was wrong, either he knew he was not God and deliberately set about trying to fool people, or he really believed he was God but was mistaken, in other words He was mad.. We will look at evidence so you can decide for yourselves. Some people don’t need evidence. They believe what their parents or Sunday School teachers told them.

But I am a scientist. My father told me “A good scientist takes nothing for granted, but tests everything.” I first put this into practice when I was very young. My parents told me there were such things as germs which you couldn’t see but could make you sick and you had to wash your hands before eating and after stroking the cat. Now who is going to believe in something you can’t see just because your parents say so? I knew it was just a ploy to have children with clean hands to impress their friends. Later on I went to University and studied Microbiology. Now I believe in germs – I can even classify them.

Then there was the whole World is round thing. Anybody can see the world is flat, apart from a couple of hills and valleys of course. It was only when I first flew in an aeroplane that I could see for myself that the world is actually round.

Perhaps you re a bit like me and you want to find out for yourself without believing everything you are told. In this talk I am going to use a number of quotations from the bible. Don’t just take my word for it, look them up yourself.

So, Who is Jesus. Did he really exist? Besides the new testament, there are accounts about him from other historians.. eg the Roman historian, Tacitus, Suctonius and the Jewish historian, Josephus, born in AD37.

He wrote the following:

“Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him: and the tribe of Christians, so named after him, are not extinct to this day.

Although there is evidence outside the New Testament for the existence of Jesus, most of our information does come from the New Testament. People might say, O but how do we know that what has come down to us s what people wrote so long ago? We do know because of a science called textual criticism. Essentially, the more texts we have, the less doubt there is about the original. F J A Horst, a leading textual critic has said, “In the variety and fullness of the evidence on which it rests, the text of the new testament stands absolutely and unapproachably alone among ancient prose writings”

So, if we accept that Jesus existed, Who is he? Was he just a good man, a great religious teacher, or was he and is he, God?

First of all, let’s look at what Jesus said about Himself.

In the Old Testament, Moses asked God what his name was. God said, “I am who I am. Tell them, “I am” has sent you.” The word, Yaweh, meaning “I am,” is very similar to the word used to translate, the Lord, in the Old Testament. The Jews did not take the name of God on their lips.

What did Jesus say? “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35.) Psychologists recognize that there is a deep hunger in the human heart. Freud said, “People are hungry for love” Jung said, “People are hungry for security”, Adler said, “People are hungry for significance” and Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” In other words, if you want your hunger satisfied, come to me. He also said, “I am the light of the world” and “I am the resurrection and the life” This is not the sort of thing great religious leaders say. Great religious leaders might say, “I will show you the way,” Jesus says, “I am the way”. Great religious leaders might say, “I will tell you the truth,” Jesus says, “I am the Truth”, Great religious teachers might say, “I will teach you how to live the life”, Jesus said, “I am the Life.” So in a culture where people did not use the name Yaweh, or I am, Jesus was I amming all over the show.

He said that to receive him was to receive God and to have seen him was to have seen the Father.

Then there are his indirect claims. He claimed to forgive sin.

In Mark 2 vs 5 he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Some teachers of the law were sitting there and thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus knew what they were thinking and he said, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you might know that the son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”

Jesus also claimed that one day he would judge the world. Now imagine if your minister stood up in the pulpit one day and said “On the day of judgment you will all appear before me and I will decide your eternal destiny on how you treated me and my friends” I think we would start questioning his sanity and possibly make an appointment with a panel of psychologists at Tara.

Then there are his direct claims: In Mark 14:55-64 we read the account of Jesus standing before the high priest. They were having difficulty convicting Jesus. They had even hired a couple of false witnesses to tell lies so they could get something on him. Unfortunately the witness’s testimony didn’t agree. The high priest was getting very frustrated. Jesus wouldn’t answer questions! He was being accused mostly of blasphemy from the Jewish point of view and of inciting riots from the Roman point of view. The chief priest asked him directly, “Are you the Christ, the son of the blessed one?

What did Jesus say? I AM.

On the other end of the social scale we have the Samaritan woman. She’s been having a conversation with Jesus and it had got onto spiritual things. She talked about the promised Messiah. Jesus said, “I who speak to you am he.”

. Now, just because somebody says they are something, it doesn’t make it so. Lots of people say lots of things and they are not always true. Some of you might remember Paul, who used to hang around the church. He once told me he was an angel from God sent on a secret mission. There are people in insane asylums who claim all sorts of things. Politicians claim many things but that doesn’t make them true. We need to look at the evidence and decide whether Jesus was telling the truth

Let’s look at the evidence. What did other people say about Jesus? What did Peter say about Jesus? Jesus once asked him. He said, “Who do people say I am?” Peter had all sorts of ideas, “some say you are John the Baptist, some say this, some say that.” Then Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” ((Math 16:16) Peter had been with Jesus. He had had time to examine the evidence. He had seen how he lived.

Then there was the centurion. He had seen how Jesus died. He said, “surely this man was the son of God.”

His teaching: His teaching is widely acknowledged to be the greatest teaching that has ever fallen from human lips. His teaching is the foundation of Western civilization, many laws were originally based on it. Institutions like the Red Cross, Hospitals were based on Jesus teaching. We are making great progress in fields of science and technology, communication and travel and yet in 2000 years no one has improved on the moral teaching of Jesus Christ. Could that teaching really have come from a con man or a mad man?

His works. Jesus said that the miracles he performed were evidence that “the father is in me and I am in the father “(John 10:38)

Jesus was most amazing person to have been around. At a Party, out sailing, at a picnic, hospital visiting.

But mostly it was his love that stood out. Love for those rejected by others, prostitutes, lepers, people who were not in the “In crowd.”

Are these the actions of an evil or deluded man?

His character. Here was someone who was unselfish, humble, but not weak, full of joy but never at another’s expense. Even his enemies could find nothing to accuse him with except that he claimed to be God. The greatest test of character is how you react under pressure. How did Jesus react when he had been tortured, was in pain on the cross? He said “Father, forgive them?” ((Luke 22:34) Was a man with a character like that evil, or unbalanced?

His fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophesies spoken by different voices over 500 years. Of course some say he could have studied all the prophesies relating to the Messiah and gone around fulfilling them. But some were quite difficult. Eg where he was to be born or about his death and even burial.

His resurrection.

What evidence do we have that Jesus rose.

His absence from the tomb. Many people have come up with a number of different theories about how this happened. Some say Jesus wasn’t really dead.

Well for a man who had undergone a Roman flogging, under which many died, been nailed to a cross for 6 hours, it seems very unlikely that he would have been strong enough to move a stone weighing about 1500 kg. The soldiers were convinced he was dead and they were experts. This was their job. Moreover, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear (John 19:34) and blood and water gushed out. This appears to be the separation of clot and serum which we know today is strong medical evidence for death, but which they wouldn’t have known in those days.

Some say the disciples stole the body. This is psychologically improbable. They were defeated and downcast , depressed and disillusioned. It would have taken more than a seedy plot to transform them into dynamic evangelists. They suffered floggings, torture and death. Nobody dies for a lie.

Some say the authorities stole the body. Well then, all they had to do, when the rumours started that Jesus was alive was to produce the body. They never did.

The other interesting thing is John’s account of what he saw when the women told him the tomb was empty. In fact it wasn’t empty. The grave clothes were there.

If I was going to steal a dead body, I would take it wrapped and all.

His appearances to the disciples.

Jesus appeared to his disciples on 11 different occasions over 6 weeks. Over 500 people saw the risen Jesus. He was not a ghost. He could be touched and ate broiled fish. On one occasion he cooked breakfast for the disciples. While one person could have an hallucination, 500 is a bit much. And hallucinations don’t cook breakfast.

The immediate effect.

Jesus rising from the dead had a great impact on the world. Christianity spread at a tremendous rate.

Christian Experience. Christians all over the world are experiencing a relationship with Jesus Christ. There are many in this room who will testify to his reality. Many of us spoke to Him just half an hour ago.

I said at the beginning I want you to think for yourself, make decisions for yourself. Examine the evidence for yourself. Jesus said he was God. Was he lying? Was he a mad man… or was he telling the truth.? One thing is for sure. He was not a good man or a great human teacher.

C.S. Lewis said, “A man who was just a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher, he’d either be a lunatic – on a level with a man who says he’s a poached egg – or else he’d be the devil of hell. You must make your choice…”

If you have a bit of scientist in you, I encourage you to do some experiments. You could, for instance pray. Ask Jesus to show you if he is alive. Another approach you could take is to assume he is God, and act as if that was true and see whether refuting evidence comes along. If you prefer the intellectual approach, do some research, read through the gospels critically as history and try to get a picture of Jesus The Gospel of John is a good place to start.

Every silver lining has a cloud

2008-08-07T11:15:00.001-07:00

I first started thinking about it when someone asked me how my weekend was. I said it was great. But looking back, there were moments when I was in tears. There were moments when I missed my husband who was not with me. Overall, however, it was a great weekend.

As I considered memorable events and occasions, I realised that most of them contained an element of sadness or stress or even pain.

The days when my children were born were some of the high points of my life. Yet without doubt there were moments of pain, fear, exhaustion and even irritability. Yet over all - absolutely awesome and momentous.

When I took a group of Girl Guides to an international camp in Canada, it started badly. Canadian Guiders had kindly agreed to share tents with us. My assistant and I were separated from each other and from our girls who were put under the care of Canadian Guiders. There were hundreds of dome tents pitched on a large field for the adults. The lady I was sharing with was not there when I arrived so I put my stuff in the tent and went off to do the things we needed to do. At about 9.30 we were finished and it was about time to think about bed. I couldn't find the tent where I was supposed to be. I wandered round and round looking for landmarks. By now it was really late and almost everybody was already tucked up in bed and sleeping.. I can't remember how I found the tent. I only remember sitting outside the ladies toilet crying.

That was not the only stressful event of the camp. Three people were killed on a light airplane trip and my assistant and I helped by taking charge of the Guides who had been in the care of one of them. Later during the camp a tornado hit and we all had to be evacuated to a local church hall. Arrangements were made with a local laundry to dry all the wet sleeping bags.

I can think of other occasions - the training weekend where I felt I just couldn't cope with the task I was given but by the end of the weekend I had done it; the Otter Trail where I was so sick and miserable and tired that I felt like giving up but didn't. It seems to me that the most worthwhile things reflect a true balance of life. Life is not only about the silver linings, awesome though they may be. It is about the real stuff - the struggle, the pain, the disappointments. If we only had silver linings we would not recognise them. We need the clouds too. If you are in the middle of a dark cloud remember the words of King Solomon "This too will pass..." and perhaps the following link will help you put things in perspective while you wait for the silver lining. http://mylemonadestand.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/top-10-quotes-on-hope/

No Guts No Glory

2008-07-27T10:13:00.001-07:00

No worthwhile achievement comes without effort, without sacrifice or without courage. People and forces will try to stop you from achieving your goal. You are at war.

What is the enemy? It can be summarized as “The Flesh” but contains many different elements.

v Your heredity. The genes you have inherited from your parents have shaped a lot of your characteristics. You might be tempted to say, “I am lazy, that’s just how I was born” or “I am not a tidy person. A leopard can’t change his spots.” You might even blame your parents – “I’ve got my Dad’s bad temper”

v Your past. These are the experiences and decisions in the past that have shaped what you now are. Your early circumstances, your level in society, the advantages and disadvantages you may have had. It includes your training, the example set by your parents, their mistakes, your mistakes. You are a product of the decisions you have made. “I had a bad start in life. My Dad left us when I was little and my Mom turned to alcohol. What chance do I have?”

v Your human nature which is more commonly called “the Flesh” in the Bible. You will recognize this human nature by the following characteristics. It would rather stay in bed than get up early and pray. It would rather chuck the paper on the floor than pick it up and put it in the dustbin. It would rather be brought coffee in bed than make coffee for somebody else. It would rather eat chocolate than apply the discipline of dieting. It would rather watch TV than study. It hates being told what to do, it resists discipline and does what it feels like.

Fortunately you do have various weapons at your disposal.

v Devine help. You are made in God’s image and you do not even imagine the capabilities He has built into you. If you go through the Bible you will come across many promises – “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13), “Nothing will be impossible for you “ (Math 17:20), if you have just a little faith, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26). Seek God and seek his help.

v Help from others. There are so many experts, trainers, mentors, coaches, nobody needs to struggle on his own to achieve a worthwhile goal. If you are a student struggling to make the grade there are student counselors, if you are battling to overcome an alcohol addiction there is Alcoholics Anonymous. If you want to train for the Olympics you need a coach with knowledge, skill and inspiration.

v Discipline. You need a plan or a training schedule and you need to stick to it. If you break the task into bite-sized bits it will not seem to daunting. Do you want to pass your exams at the end of the year? Will 2 hours of study a day do it? If not, allocate more. If you have not been studying up till now and are not in the habit (and your flesh is sticking its feet in and resisting all the way) try one hour a day for the first week, then 2 hours, then 3 hours until you get used to it. It will become easier. If you are going on a diet, make a decision to stick to it for today only. Then tomorrow make a new decision. If you are training for a marathon, start with a short distance than increase every day. Your discipline muscles might be very flabby and after a short time you might want to just give up. That’s where the guts comes in. Hang in there.

v Your will. This is the only thing that can get you doing the necessary hard work. How strong is your will? If your discipline muscles are flabby, you need to exercise them, to build them up. The same with your will. Force yourself to do certain things each day to strengthen your will. It should be something you don’t enjoy but which is good for you or the situation. It can be something as simple as tidying your workspace if you are an untidy person. Determine to organize one area a day and on subsequent days keep that one area ordered and order another. If you are doing weight lifting or exercise, force yourself to do another couple after you are exhausted. If you are a Christian and want to get closer to God, set the alarm clock for half an hour earlier then put one foot out of bed as soon as it rings.

Realize that there will be setbacks. This is no easy task and nobody said it was going to be easy. Perseverance requires courage. It requires guts. Are you up to it? Remember. No Guts no Glory.

So, who is winning the war at the moment? Who is in control here? Your will or your Flesh? Who will be winning the war tomorrow?

2008-07-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Panda's on the move

2008-07-20T03:19:00.001-07:00

From: Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?

Date: 2008/07/20 09:07:00 AM

To: jenny.young@wol.co.za

What's mine is mine

2008-07-18T13:36:00.001-07:00

At last I’ve got my car back. That is to say, it’s not quite my car. Well, to be quite honest, it’s not my car. I did not pay for it, it is not registered in my name and I didn’t earn it.

The car, named by me as “Flaming Arrow” or “Flame” for short was my husband’s company car. I got to drive it. So I got to regard it as my own. When my husband retired, we had planned to buy the car from the company. At the beginning of the month my husband retired. Since the car was not ours, we had to give it back until the pension money came through and we could pay for it.

I was so annoyed with the company. How could they be so mean! Did they realize how much inconvenience I was going through because they insisted that the car sat in their garage and nobody drove it?

Of course, it is still not my car. The money has come through and Brian has paid for it and at last I am allowed to drive it again. But it will not be registered in my name. It will never be mine.

How many things that are not ours do we regard as ours? I talk about the school where I work as “my school”. I have absolutely no ownership in it. What about “my country?”

They say possession is nine tenths of the law. What is it about possession that grabs us?

I talk about “my life.” It is not really mine. I did not make it, buy it or earn it although it may be registered in my name. It is a gift of God. My husband and my children are also gifts. So are all my talents and accomplishments. God can take them back at any time and no doubt I will then also accuse Him of being mean. I think this was the mistake of the tenants in the parable of the tenants. (Math 12). They thought the vineyard belonged to them and they could do what they liked with it, reap the profits, and when the owner sent servants to collect some of its fruits, they rebelled violently. They went to great lengths to hold on to what was never really theirs, greedily depriving the owner of what was due to him. They did not even respect the son, but did away with him so they could get on with their own selfish lives.

“Lord, please forgive me for regarding as mine what is rightfully yours and please help me to give you your due.”

The Body

2008-07-10T23:47:00.001-07:00

Acceptance

Service at Randmeth Sunday 16 July 7pm

Different generations of people tend to like different kinds of music.

It would also be true to say that different cultures or races or nationalities like different types of music and that is not the only thing that is different about them. Let’s face it, we are all different. I am a different generation to my daughter. I think blouses and tops should be tucked into skirts and pants, she thinks they should hang out. The church is made up of different kinds of people.

Paul likens the Church to the Body of Christ. He says,

Now anybody who has ever done any Biology will know that our body is made up of cells. Perhaps you’ve had to learn to draw a diagram of a typical animal cell and it looks like this… …

Every cell in your body has the same DNA, bundled into 23 pairs of Chromosomes.

That is what makes you, you and me, me.

Now every part of Christ’s body has His Holy Spirit. If we have asked Jesus to come into our lives and take over ownership, we have the Holy Spirit living in us. That is our spiritual DNA.

But guess what? If we look carefully at the cells of our body, we don’t even see one that resembles the typical animal cell we just talked about.

Let’s look at muscle cells.

Kind of long and skinny, aren’t they. These cells are very active and use a lot of energy. They get things done. There are people in the church like this and let’s face it, the church would not function without them. They are always busy – feeding the hungry, raising money for the poor, educating the illiterate. If Martha was a body cell, she would probably have been a muscle cell. Other cells might say they are not spiritual enough. But even muscle cells need to be fed. They need a time to rest as well as a time to work. Otherwise the body would not function properly.

Then we have bone.

Bone gives structure and order to the body. Christians who have studied the bible extensively and have done a lot of reading are a bit like bone cells. They usually have an accumulated life experience as well and have walked with the Lord a long time. They are wise. They know the rules and stick by the rule book.

Other cells might say they are too rigid and set in their ways. The biggest danger to bone cells is if they lose their connection to the Lord. If routine and discipline and order strangle out the voice of the Spirit and they just keep going in the same path without the life of Christ, the bones might get brittle and break too easily.

Still with bone, we have bone marrow. This is where new blood cells are made.

These people are the evangelists. They are so excited when people come to the Lord.

They are essential for the life and the ongoing existence of the body. Billy Graham might be an example of a bone marrow Christian. It is the job of all cells to reproduce- to make new cells to replace old ones but bone marrow does it as its primary function. Other cells might say they are not practical. They are so busy thinking about people’s souls, they forget their bodies, their need for support and sometimes the new converts are left to flounder on their own. The danger for bone marrow Christians is when they start judging success by the world’s standards. How many people came to the rail or signed commitment forms. They forget whose work it is. Only God can make a person a Christian.

Then we have the pray-ers, the red blood cells,

supplying oxygen and life for every cell in the body,

the nerve cells,

the communication network ,

macrophages,

who guard the body from infection and distortion,

and my favourite picture, the cells in the eye.

These are rods and cones, the cells that make up the retina of the eye. They have different functions. The rods see light and dark, the cones see more detail. These are the people who see the vision. But unless they communicate with the nervous system, the vision is lost. Some cells might say they don’t do anything so they are useless.

There are many more. I could spend 100 pages showing you pictures of body cells but this is a sermon, not Biology class.

The point is, just as there is no typical animal cell, there is no typical Christian. We are all different and that is not a mistake, God did it on purpose. We are all unique and God made us with a purpose, with a plan in mind.

Of course we think that all Christians should be exactly like us, should think like us, should worship like us.

Because we are all different, God deals with us differently. Nobody can say to another Christian, because your experience is not my experience, you are not a Christian.

Paul says, “For we are all baptised by one Spirit into one body- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” We can make this more relevant to our situation by saying “We are all baptised by one Spirit into one Body, whether Youth or Old Fogy, Black or White, Educated or Uneducated- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

He goes on to say, imagine of one part of the body felt inferior to the rest of the body.

Imagine if a bone cell were to say, because I am not a muscle cell, I am useless, or if a nerve cell were to say, because I am not a rod or a cone, I am not part of the body. We can all see that that is ridiculous. We would hate any such thing going on in our body.

And Christ hates such things going on in His body.

Jesus prays for His disciples in John 17:20-21. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

In 2000 years, Jesus’ prayer has not been answered. His disciples are not one. Being one, does not mean being the same. God made us individual and unique, he does not want “typical Christian clones.” But what he does want, is unity. He does not want Christians refusing to accept each other, criticising each other because of their God made differences.

Paul says in verse 18, “God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.”

God has put us where we are. He has put us with the people He has ordained. It is not for a toe cell to decide – I don’t want to be part of the foot – I am surrounded by calloused cells. I want to be part of the hand. That is where the action is. I’ll just move.

One part of the body, can’t say to another, “I don’t need you.” When that happens in our body and one part starts attacking another, it is an autoimmune disease and we die from it.

Vs 24 “ But God has combined the members of the body and given greater honour to those that lacked it, so there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it, if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.”

When we first look at a body what hits us is skin. The skin is the largest organ of the body and statisticians would probably find out that there are more skin cells in the body than any other kind. So it would be easy for, say the adrenal gland to think I am not a skin cell, therefore I don’t fit in. Those who think they don’t fit in are all the more important because they have their uniqueness to offer. “God has given greater honour to those who lacked it”

What can we do practically, to accept other people, particularly those in Christ’s body?

First of all, Jesus accepted everyone. Here he was, the sinless son of God, and they brought Him a woman caught in adultery. As a good Jewish boy he knew very well that adultery was a sin forbidden in the law of Moses. Notice he did not condone her sin. He said, I do not condemn you, go and sin no more. He accepted her. He treated her with respect.

The Samaritan woman, a hated foreigner, he treated as a person of worth. South Africa’s equivalent today would probably be a Nigerian – after all many people think they are all criminals. We make jokes about them. But Jesus never treated anyone other than with respect and acceptance.

Paul says in Phil 2:5 “let this attitude be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.”

Let us treat others with the attitude of Jesus.

That includes the teacher at school who has it in for you, it includes the inefficient black woman at work who has been promoted over you because of affirmative action, It includes the loud, noisy neighbours who’s teenage son has just bought an ear splitting new car sound system.

As our section of the body, the Randmeth Church, I would suggest the following four steps.

Find out what your gift is, your purpose and use it to God’s glory and the building up of our church. Everybody has something to offer. But remember – Christ is the head. It is His Body and He is in control.

Don’t be oversensitive. I’m sorry to be the one who has to break it to you, but the world does not revolve around you. People are probably not talking about you when you come to a little group in discussion, they have much more important things to talk about, themselves for instance. If your name does not appear in the church notices, it is not because the office staff are out to get you.

If you are not invited to present your team’s report at some boring meeting, it is not because your team is unimportant.

Oversensitivity is a subtle form of selfishness. It is relating everything in the world to you and how it affects you. It is just as much a sin as the more overt form of selfishness.

Because sin has tarnished the image of God in all of us, you will sometimes get negative comments. Other people aren’t perfect either you know but just because one person in the church says you can’t buy two cakes at the cake sale does not mean that the whole church rejects you and you should now find another church. Just because one person criticises the work you have done for the Lord, does not mean that nobody values your work and you will never do anything for the Lord again. In fact it would be much safer if you just did everything for the Lord and not for people anyway. Christ is the head of the Church. He is the one in control. We should never confuse God’s work with our work. We are working for Christ according to His instructions, not what seems good to us.

Put on rose coloured spectacles. I have said we are all imperfect and a mixture of good and not so good. It is easy to see the not so good. Let us make an effort to see the good in people, in their work and filter out the not so good.

Can we see God’s image in other people? It is there, you know. One of the Holiday club leaders told us last week that although they had gone to teach children, in some cases they had learned from Children. That is seeing God’s image in other people.

Don’t look at the differences that irritate you. Look at the things we have in common. We are all working for the good of one body.

Let your words build up, not break down. Tomorrow, somebody will probably phone the church office to complain about tonight’s service. Perhaps they didn’t come for a Biology lesson, but an uplifting sermon. Perhaps they didn’t like the music. Let’s put on our rose coloured spectacles and filter out what we didn’t like and look for perhaps just one thing that we did like.

Compliment rather than criticising and complaining. When you feel a negative comment coming, zip your lip. Think hard to find a positive comment and then hand it to someone as a gift from God.

You know yourself how a simple thank you or a well done grows your spirit.

Shall we withhold life and growth to our fellow body cells?

And when you are given a compliment, sniff at it and then give it to the Lord. Any beauty you have is from Him. Any talent you have is from Him. Anything you have achieved is only because He has enabled you. Give Him the glory.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Believing Lies

2008-07-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

From a sermon I gave in an old age home in 2006.

This is a riddle by Greg Mc Kinnon.

You are on the road of life and you come to a fork in the road. One road leads to heaven and the other to hell. There are two guides standing at the fork in the road and you can ask only one question of either of them. One of them is an absolute liar and will not tell you the truth. The other is one hundred percent honest and can only tell you the truth.

Which one, and only one, question can you ask that will let you know without a doubt that you are on the right road? Even after asking this question you will not know if the guide told you the truth or not, but you will know that you have chosen the right road.

The answer: Since you can only ask one question and you don’t know which guide will tell you the truth, you can ask either guide this question. “If I were to ask the other guide which is the right road, what would he tell me?” You then take the opposite road.

Here is why: If it was the liar you questioned, he will lie about the true answer the other guide would give, so you would want to take the opposite road from the one he told you. If, on the other hand it was the honest guide you questioned, he will truthfully tell you the lie that the other guide would have told you. So you know the opposite road is the answer. So this one question will produce a wrong answer no matter which guide you ask and you can take the opposite road.

Today I want to talk about believing lies.

Twice I have received counselling for depression, once from a Psychologist, and once from a Christian Counsellor. Both of them told me the same thing in different words.

I am made in the image of God. The devil has used the world and circumstances to make me believe lies about myself and obscure that image. It occurred to me that it is very likely that there are many others who have also believed lies of the devil and as a result are living in depression. I just want to add that there are more than one kind of depression. Sometimes when we have experienced a trauma or loss we are in a state of depression, like a bottle of oil and water all shaken up. This is a perfectly natural state of affairs and I think we would be most concerned if we did not react like this. It is wise under these circumstances to go for trauma counselling or bereavement counselling. Sometimes there is a chemical imbalance in our bodies and medication is called for – this is just as natural as insulin for a diabetic – there is some malfunction in our endocrine system, and medical science is advanced enough to be able to supplement the deficit.

So today I am just going to talk about the image of God.

The bible says that we are made in the image of God.

Isaiah 44:2 says :”I am your creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” Albert Einstein said, “ God doesn’t play dice.”

In his book, “The Purpose driven life,” Rick Warren says,

“You are not an accident. Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of Nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.

Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. He thought of you first. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor co incidence that you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you. The bible says, “ The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me.”

This is exactly what psalm 139 vs 13-18 says. From “The Message”

“O yes, you shaped me, first inside then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High god – you’re breathtaking!

Body and soul I am marvellously made! I worship in adoration – what a creation!

You know me inside and out. You know every bone in my body. You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit; how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”

This tells us, before we were even conceived, God planned us. Think about it. I think we all know the biology of fertilization. Only one egg cell is produced by the mother. Millions of sperm are produced by the male, but only one, the fastest, the strongest, in fact, the winner, became each of us. So in that sense, we were winners even before we were born. And God watched, from conception to birth as His plan unfolded. Think of a new born baby. Think of yourself as a new born baby. As it is born, God takes it onto his lap and loves it. He doesn’t love it for anything it has done. It has not yet done anything. He loves it because it is His. Made in his image. And nothing we can subsequently do can make God love us more. Or less.

We are made in our Father’s image. We glorify God. Those of you who have children might remember that love that came over you the first time you saw your baby. That is only a faint shadow compared to the love God feels for each one of his children. So be assured. God loves us, very, very much. I am my Daddy’s little girl and the apple of his eye. And so are you.

But the devil will do anything to discredit God and distort his image.

Let’s look at his modus operandi.

First he casts doubt on God’s character and our relationship with him. In the garden of Eden he says to Eve, “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” What is his implication? Wow God is so mean. He makes this beautiful garden and won’t even let you eat anything in it. He doesn’t really love you, my dear,does he?

In fact, that was not what God said. God gave them permission to eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

When he talks to Jesus in the wilderness, the first thing he says to him is “If you are the son of God…” He is trying to cast doubt on Jesus’ very identity, his love relationship with God. He is saying, in fact, prove you are the son of God. Jesus does not need to prove anything to the devil, nor do we.

The aim of the devil is to cause a rift between us and God. He does this by putting doubt in our minds about God’s love for us and our relationship with him, but also about the word of God. In the Garden of Eden he misquotes God’s word, but keeps close enough to the truth to make it sound plausible. In the wilderness he actually quotes scripture but uses it out of context. He uses verses from Psalm 91: “ He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Jesus wisely counter quotes and says “It is also written, do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

The devil hasn’t changed his tactics. His main aim is to cause a rift between us and God and to make us believe lies. Quite often he uses people and circumstances to make us believe lies.

The fact is: We are made in God’s image and God loves us.

The devil gets the world to tell us things like,

“You are not good enough. You have never been good enough”

There are variation on this theme: You are not a good wife, or you are too old to be any use to anybody, or you are not interesting , You have to earn your value.

Another line of attack is to attack our relationship with God. It starts similar to the opening attack on Jesus, “ If you are the son of God,” In our case it usually starts, “If you were a real Christian….”

Have you ever heard any of these lies.

“If you were a real Christian, you wouldn’t be worried about going in for this operation or you wouldn’t be worried when your husband goes in for a heart by pass.”

“If you were a real Christian, you wouldn’t be suffering from depression.”

“If you were a real Christian, you wouldn’t have lost your temper.”

“If you were a real Christian, you wouldn’t have evil thoughts like that.”

All of these are lies. Being a Christian is a relationship. Once we have invited Christ into our lives, we become children of God. Our actions do not change that. Certainly we can put up a barrier by sinning against God, by turning our back on Him, but in the same way that a child is still your child even if he gets into trouble and makes wrong choices, or sulks and won’t talk to you, we are still children of God. Our humanity, that God created, does not affect that relationship. Of course we will be afraid if we face danger and possible death. Of course we will feel sad if something has happened to upset us.

Besides using people and the world to tell us lies, like the teacher who says “You will never be any good” and the friend who says, “I don’t want to be your friend, you have no personality,” the devil also uses circumstances and trauma. If you had an unhappy childhood, he will whisper, “it’s all your own fault, you deserved it.”

After a major setback or trauma like a hijacking, he will say, “See, I told you God doesn’t love you. He would never have let this happen to you if he really loved you.”

He might even quote scripture like he did to Jesus for instance, God made a number of promises to the Israelite about their 40 years in the wilderness. Their shoes and clothes would not wear out, none of them would miscarry, the diseases of Egypt would not affect them. The devil might use some of these texts and say, “see God does not keep his promises. Your daughter had a miscarriage. God does not love you. He can’t be trusted.”

God never promised a trouble fee life. He never promised to protect us from problems and disasters. In fact Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but behold, I have overcome the world.

So how can we defend ourselves.? Like Jesus we need to know the word of God to be able to see God’s word as a whole and not just isolated texts here and there.

We need to focus on the facts revealed by God.

Fact 1. We are made in the image of God.

Fact 2. God loves us very very much, more than any human love that we have ever known or ever heard of.

Fact 3. God has a plan for our lives and it was planned before we were born. God has a plan for our whole lives and not just two thirds of our lives.

Fact 4. God has made it possible for us to be forgiven, no matter what.

Fact 5. God has prepared a mansion in heaven for us where we can live with him forever.

These are the facts. Are you going to believe the facts of God, or the lies of the devil?

When negative thoughts come into your head, Ask yourself, is this of God or is this a lie of the devil?

I want to tell you a story about believing a lie also by Greg mc Kinnon.

There in the middle of the chickens was an eagle. It was a full grown, king of all birds eagle! But he was scratching in the dirt looking for worms, insects and seeds. He was clucking and cackling and flapping his wings as he flew just a few feet at a time.

This eagle had a six foot wing span that would allow him to fly above the clouds, but instead he was just fluttering around on the ground. His keen eyesight and sharp talons were supposed to make him a threat to every small bird and mammal anywhere near him. Yet the only thing he was a threat to was some unsuspecting worm he might happen to unearth.

Why in the world was this eagle acting like a chicken? Here is the story: An Indian brave found the eagle egg and he didn’t know what to do with it, so he put it in the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched and grew up with the other chicks. He never saw another eagle – only chickens. All his life he thought he was a prairie chicken. He mimicked their every move.

One day when the eagle was growing old, he looked up into the sky and saw an eagle soaring on the wind far above him. “What a beautiful bird!” the eagle said to the chicken next to him. “What is it?”

“That’s an eagle – the king of all birds,” the chicken clucked, “but don’t give it a second thought. You could never be like him.”

Don't believe lies - they might stop you from achieving your full potential.

Wherever I go, I go too...and spoil everything

2008-06-19T01:49:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about sin. My ideas come from many books I have read, many sermons I have heard and formal studies I have been required to do but they must not be regarded as church doctrine or Christian doctrine. They are merely the result of my personal reflections on the matter and the accumulation of impressions that have made sense to me.

I believe God made the universe perfectly. He built into it various laws that hold it in place. These are not only physical laws, like the law of Gravity or the law of thermodynamics, but also spiritual laws. What we regard as the phenomenon of cause and effect is our observation of these laws in action. God made us, humans, in love, out of love and through love. He made us for Himself - to express His love and He made us for Love - to love Him, to be in a relationship with Him and with each other. Not wanting love from mere automatons, God gave us the greatest gift He could - free will. We could choose to love Him, or not. We could choose to obey Him, or not.

Whether the Garden of Eden is literal or figurative, the message is the same. The devil, who is against God and all He stands for, set out a choice before man. "If you eat of this fruit, you can be like God..." In other words, you don't need to obey God. You can make up your own rules.
You can be your own god. That is what man chose.

The result was a cause and effect thing. God created the whole universe for man that He had created to be in a relationship with Him and as a result of man's decision, there was a subtle shift in the fabric of creation. Creation fell and was no longer a friendly place for man. In other words, the relationship between man and creation that was supposed to be, was broken.

In the same way, Man fell. As a microbiologist my best picture is of a nucleotide poison that entered his body (spirit? will?) and got into his DNA. There it inhibited some of the perfect functions of the genetic material so that various imperfections came about. The body would no longer last forever, but get old, die and decay. Abnormalities could arise. These abnormalities were not any immediate change but rather a potential for the future. The worst effect, however, was a breaking of the relationship with God. Fear came in for the first time. The change was a change in tendency, a new direction alignment. So instead of focussing on God, loving Him and relying on Him as God, the default setting was now to focus on ourselves as god.

The third effect was in breaking the relationship between man and man. What was meant to be a community of love, encompassed by God's all-embracing love, became a collection of little gods, all wanting the best for themselves and not caring about the effect of others. Instead of love, there was now suspicion and fear. Man was now a flawed creature. That is sin. The actions that follow from this flaw eg murder, anger, slefishness, they are sins.

These changes were in the very fabric of nature, possibly even in the atoms or quarks and because they were in the genetic material, they were carried over into each new generation.

God choose a people for himself and made a covenant with them. He gave them the 10 commandments. If they followed them perfectly, they would not commit the sins that result from the flawed nature and the relationship with God could go ahead although not in the originally intended love community. The first one is "You shall have no other god before me". That deals with the broken relationship with God. The other 9 have to do with how we treat other people.
Jesus summarised the commandments by saying "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and you should love your neighbour as yourself." The problem is, all these commandments are actions but the basic flaw is a tendency.

Little children do not need to be taught to be selfish. That is their tendency. They do not need to be taught to grab a toy away from another child. It is inherent. They are gods and the world is there to serve them. Left to themselves, they would grow up not much better than animals, relying on basic instincts like hunger, self preservation, sexual instinct.

However, still in man is a genetic memory. He was created for God and there is a God-shaped vacuum inside him. Something deep inside him knows what is right. We instinctively know we should be truthful and feel hurt when somebody lies to us. We know that courage is to be admired and selfishness is to be deplored but we don't have the necessary ingredient, perhaps it is strength, to be able to always do what we know to be right. We make resolutions and sometimes have a bit of success but it is always a battle against our default setting. Most people find it easier to lie than to tell the truth. We have to teach our children to share and to be kind to others. So often we know what is the right thing to do but we don't do it - then we berate ourselves afterwards. This the human condition - sin. It leads to the feeling of "wherever I go, I go too and spoil everything." Paul described it as "..what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" (Rom 7:15)

This tendency leads to the actions of sin. In an extrovert, it is easy to pick up the tendency in conversation. The entertaining conversation consists of what I did, how I felt, how I told the so and so what's what. Long stories where I am the hero because I am my god. In introverts it is much more subtle and might go unnoticed. I think people are talking about me, I am hurt, I am over-sensitive. The centre of my world is still me. Again I know what is right. I must forgive.
I must not hold onto grudges, I must not keep remembering the hurt that was done to me so many years ago but my natural tendency resists. We live in a constant tension of not being able to quite come up to the mark. That is one definition of sin - missing the mark.

The better of us spend our lives striving to do what is right. We probably do not murder, commit adultery, lie (well not much anyway) or steal. Maybe we covet, but coveting never hurt anybody, did it. Maybe we don't abuse people but we ignore them or treat them as of no importance, or just, in our preoccupation with ourselves and our own little problems, we don't even notice them.(after all, we are the gods here) However, if we look at humanity as a whole, we see the outward expressions of the inward tendency. Our newspapers are full of the outward expression of the human condition - corrupt politicians, hijackers, murderers. The bottom line is we have broken God's laws. Even if we have kept 9 out of the 10 commandments 90% of the time, we have still broken the conditions of the contract. We have still broken God's law. That means we are sinners - whether we like the title or not. We like to compare ourselves to others and there are many people who we think are much greater sinners than we are. We are not rapists, serial killers, child abusers, thieves or corrupt despots. Neither are we Mother Theresa. Although Mother Theresa was a very good woman, she would have been the first to admit that she was not perfect and that she was a sinner, falling far short of God's requirements. Where does that leave us?

Storms and Boats

2008-06-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

Imagine you were a boat builder. You wanted to build a boat that would be your last and would be your masterpiece. All the skills you had refined over many years of boatbuilding would be utilized for this, your best project.

You’d use the best materials and design. You wanted your boat to last. Not to be a showpiece in some fancy Sandton toys for big boys shop, but a boat that could go to sea, could withstand salt water, buffeting winds, relentless hammering waves. You’d make it strong.

Then you’d take your boat out to test it. You wouldn’t go on a calm day on a peaceful pond. A sea going vessel can only be tested on the sea and you’d thrill as it weathered storms and cut through the challenging waves.

We are living in perilous times. You only have to look around you to realize that. You only have to read a newspaper, listen to the TV or even talk to other people. Life is not plain sailing.

And God knows that.

I recently listened to a tape by Tom Inglis called “Born for storms.”

He says God created us for storms.

That made a lot of sense to me. We all know that life is full of problems and trials, challenges and setbacks. Even the bible says so.

2Ti 3:1 says, "but this know, in the last days perilous times will come"

If God knows everything, then of course He would have created us to be able to cope with whatever life will throw at us. I don’t think God intended us for a life of ease, with no challenges to overcome, no victories to celebrate.

What happens when there is a major disaster? Like the twin towers of September 11^th?
Stories of bravery emerged, stories of helping each other, of pulling together. Sometimes it takes a crisis to get the best out of people. With the recent outbreak of xenophobia, the ordinary people of South Africa were amazing in rallying round to do something to help the displaced people.

God’s plan for us is that we should be the best that He intended for us. He wants us to grow more and more like Jesus. He is more interested in our growth and maturity than in our happiness. He uses storms to grow us. Even Jesus had to face storms.

So God allows storms in our lives so that we can grow. But the good news is, the storms are tailored to our ability to withstand them.

! Cor 10:13 says “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people, But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.”

Isn’t that great? We are destined to be over comers. We are destined to win. The devil is destined to loose.

So God sends storms tailor made for us to emerge stronger and victorious.

So how do we handle storms? How do we handle all the bad stuff that comes up in our lives?

James 1:2 tells us:
“My brothers, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

God never promised us that we would have no problems. What He did promise is that he would be with us. Psalm 23 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me.”

Let’s look at how the disciples handled a storm. Jesus had been busy all day, preaching, telling parables. The disciples had been involved too. At the end of a busy day, Jesus says, “ Come let us cross over to the other side.” Wow! a chance to go somewhere with Jesus. Let’s go.

The bible tells us they took Jesus with them. It is always a good idea to take God with you when you are going somewhere. Of course first, they had to leave the crowd. Why? Because the crowd didn’t want to go where Jesus was going. In general we will find we will have to leave the crowd to go with Jesus. We will need to go against what is popular and considered the social norm. The disciples were happy to do that.

Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the waves began to spill over into the boat, so that it was about to fill with water.

Now most of this crew were fishermen. Don’t you think they had come across storms before? So they used the skills they had learned before. They took down the sail, angled the prow to the wind and started bailing water as it splashed into the boat.

But it wasn’t working this time. The water was coming in as fast as they were chucking it out. What to do?

Ah! We forgot. We have God in the boat with us. Quick, call on Him!

One of them is delegated for the job. He comes back in a short while.

“Guys, I have good news and I have bad news. God is in the boat with us.’Yay, all cheer! “ The bad news is - he’s asleep”

Well, go and wake Him ups for heavens’ sake, before we all drown. It’s amazing to think that these disciples really believed that they were all going to drown, God with them. So they wake him up. “Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to drown?’

This is an honest, desperate plea. No fancy words or polite phrases. It’s telling it like it is. So Jesus woke up and spoke to the wind. He addressed the storm. “ Be quiet, “ he said, “Be still.” Then He said to His disciples “Why were you so frightened? Have you still no faith?” The disciples were filled with awe. They had not realized how powerful the one with them was.

Did the disciples learn from the experience anything of value? Anything that they would not have learned if there had been no storm?

You bet! They learned how mighty Jesus is. They had had a life changing experience. Their faith and their trust grew in leaps and bounds.

Was it a comfortable experience? No way! They were wet and soggy, bailing to exhaustion, pitching and tossing on an angry sea. They were really frightened and had got beyond their ability to cope.

God is not interested in our comfort, but in our growth. If any of you have watched survivor, how many of them said it was an experience of a life time. Yet were they comfortable? Not in the least. It was much worse than they expected. But God’s rules of the universe decree when you face storms with the right attitude, you grow.

So what can we learn from this? First of all, if we are facing a storm right now, know that we are overcomers. God made us for storms. We will get through. We are destined to be victorious. We need to do everything in our power to help ourselves. We can use all the coping skills that we have learned in the past, seek help if necessary, rely on our support system.

Secondly, always go with God. Take Him with us in the boat. Sure, there are times when he seems to be asleep. The situation just gets worse and worse and it seems like

our prayers are falling on deaf ears. Remember, God will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can endure. Persevere.

Wake him up. Be honest. Tell Him you are afraid. Tell Him you are angry with Him because it seems like He doesn’t care. Storms are a time for fellowship with God. Almost anybody you meet who has got through some kind of struggle will tell you how they got closer to God through it.

Then, trust Him. Just leave it up to Him. There is nothing really else that you can do anyway.

One version of James says, “Count it all joy when you face various trials.”

Don’t moan, don’t complain, don’t grumble. Count it all joy. You will overcome.

Broken

2008-06-17T00:41:00.000-07:00

This morning I picked up my porcelain doll from the chair where she sits and, with a clinking sound, the top of her head came off in 8 or 9 fragments. She had looked fine. Nobody could have carefully arranged the pieces to stay together so I must conclude she did not drop on the floor. Perhaps something fell on her head or she was hit by an idle broom or something.
I love that doll. I made her myself about 10 years ago. She is the size of a newborn baby and she's got a soft body which is very cuddleable.
I am hoping that with a bit of strong glue and a lot of patience I will be able to mend her and perhaps hide the cracks under her wig.

Aren't we all like that? We are broken. Circumstances which were beyond our control have worked together to break us in some way or other. Sometimes we can hide the cracks and we pretend we are whole but sometimes it is beyond hiding. We are surrounded by other broken people, all hiding their cracks and pretending till we think we are the only broken one.

It brings to mind a strange dream I had last night. I dreamt I had a baby boy who had fairly big ears. He also had the capacity to open his ears and one could see the earhole opening wider. His father didn't like his big ears and flicked him painfully around each ear and told him to stop opening his ears. Such a look of pain crossed that baby's face that it still brings tears to the back of my eyes. Then slowly and painfully he started retracting his ears into his head until there were no signs of an ear at all. I knew that he would never hear again for the rest of his life and he was only 6 months old. That was a broken baby.

They say that we are all the characters in our dreams. What does that say about me? Broken I know about but deaf?

I believe in the Bible

2008-06-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

What do I believe about the bible? I believe it is the inspired word of God. Not the dictated word of God. I believe it consists of different kinds of writings - history, poetry, motivational talks, theological debate etc- and should not always be taken literally in the same way that the decorative trim on a bridge is not meant to take the full load. I like the analogy that Nicky Gumble gives. God inspired the bible, but he didn't write it. Sir Christopher Wren designed St Paul's Cathedral. It took him a very long time. Nothing was done in the building process that was not part of his plan. Yet in all those many years, he never laid hands on one stone or lifted one beam. Other people did that. He was the designer. I believe that God is the designer of the bible but people wrote it. In their humanness they might have inserted something of themselves in it. For instance the writings of Luke show more of a scientific mind while John goes for deeper meanings and symbolism.

I believe that the choosing of the Canon (the books that were to be included in the bible) was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit even though comittees and councils did the actual work and recording. Comittees never wrote books of the bible - they decided from all the writings available what would be included in the bible and what would be left out.

I don't see a conflict between the bible and science. The bible teaches that God made everything (very few scientist really believe that everything came about by chance) and that he set up the laws and rules of the universe. Man has broken his rules. The Old Testament is an account of how God made a Covenant with His people but they always broke the terms of the contract. I have an open mind as to whether the world was created in seven days or seven periods of time. It does not matter. The world was created. It is. That is the important thing.

The New Testament is much easier to read but it has more meaning in the light of the Old Testament. I believe the accounts of Jesus on earth are historically correct and I believe in the miracles as they are set down. The parables on the other hand were just that - illustrative stories from every day life to impart a spiritual truth. The letters were just that - letters from a Spirit-guided church leader/founder to various churches relevant to the times and situations they found themselves in. Revelation is a deep symbolic book and different people have different ideas about the various symbols. The basic thrust however is that God is on the throne, this world as we know it is going to end traumatically (that's what scientists and environmentalists tell us too) and that Christ will come again and gather his people into a new world/life where there will be no more death, disease, sadness or evil.

I believe in the words of Paul to Timothy, "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." I also believe that the bible is a very powerful way in which God communicates with us. How often hasn't a verse come alive to me, speaking straight into the situation in which I found myself even though it was written to somebody else nearly two thousand or more years ago. It is not the only way God communicates with us, but other forms of communication, especially dreams, visions, prophesies, words of knowledge, should always be checked against scripture because God will not contradict Himself and it is so easy for us humans to get it wrong or to misinterpret what God is trying to get through to us.
I believe the bible is God's written communication with us, like love letters, instruction manuals, inspirational thoughts, and that if we want to get to know God better, we need to get to know the bible better.

What would you like me to do for you?

2008-05-07T01:16:00.000-07:00

I was reading in Mark 10 today. On two occasions Jesus asked somebody "What do you want me to do for you?" The first was to James and John who asked him to do for them whatever they asked, I assume it was the equivilaent of asking him to do them a favour. They wanted to be at his right and left in his new kingdom. This is not necessarily a bad request. It meant that they wanted to be near him, involved with him, believed in his cause and were willing to put in the necessary work for him. What they probably also envisioned was to get a bit of the glory, a bit of the fame, to be seen as leaders in the new kingdom.
Their request was denied.

The second was blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus. He asked to be able to see. He asked for the removal of the genetic or accidental defect that prevented him from living an abundant and full life. He did not ask for fame or even for the privilege of being close to Jesus or for any kind of ministry. His request was granted. Nowhere does it say he spent the rest of his life living for the lord, perhaps he did and perhaps he didn't but he lived a more abundant life and the glory of God is man fully alive. He got fame too. Wherever the gospel is read his name is mentioned - after more than 2000 years people know something about him.

The question is, if Jesus stood in front of you and gave you his full attention and asked "What would you like me to do for you?" What would be your answer?

Stuff Happens

2008-04-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the little girl who lives next door to us was killed. A taxi mounted the pavement and knocked her down.

This morning I found Amos, her father, standing on the pavement outside with tears running down his face. I cried with him. I assured him that his little girl was in heaven. But I can't be sure of that. Christians believe that the only way to get to heaven is by faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning death. I have lived next door to Amos for almost 19 years but I don't know if his daughter believed in Christ. Shame on me! I don't even know if he goes to church. How could I have been so uncaring for 19 years and just gone about my own business?

Yesterday we heard at school that one of our fellow teachers had been attacked and robbed in her house by panga and gun wielding assailants. She is lucky to be alive.

Last night I heard that one of our fellow Gideons had found her lift-club friend dead and hanging from a rope. She had committed suicide.

Stuff happens. All the time. Guaranteed. Isn't it time we lived with an eye on eternity and not just in our own little business in front of our nose?

Light of the world

2008-03-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

In South Africa at the moment we are suffering from a shortage of power. As a result, we have been subjected to "load shedding" which means that at certain times your electricity can be cut off. In January it was extremely haphazard and you didn't know when you would suddenly be without electricity. It got so bad that there was talk about mines closing down because they couldn't guarantee the safety of their workers.

I bought myself a rechargeable camping light. I couldn't wait for the next power cut. During February we had some respite. Only once was the power cut in my area. It was a stormy afternoon and as the black clouds gathered at last I could use my camping light. Not for long, however, because the electricity came on again at about 5pm.

This month, March, there are threats of power cut but more on a planned basis. Blairgowrie, my area, is due for power cut on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 6 and 10pm. At last my lamp can be used. Yesterday, as I left for work, the electricity went off. When I came home, it was on again. So I still have not had a chance to use my nice expensive rechargeable lamp. Sigh.

Then I got to thinking. A lamp is not much good when it's not dark. Jesus says we are the light of the world. For a light to work effectively, there must be darkness. Well, there sure is darkness in South Africa. The crime seems almost out of control. It is not safe for school children to walk home from school – there are muggings and rapes. It is scary to come home at night to your own driveway. Nearly everybody you talk to has been hijacked, or robbed in their home at gunpoint. Only the most violent and scary cases are reported in the newspaper which makes everybody live in fear. AIDS is rampant and the morality of the general population of teenagers does much to help it spread. If ever there was a dark place, it is South Africa. Jesus called us to shine in this dark world.

Yet, some of our best potential lights are emigrating to other countries where it is not so dark. There is surely an accumulation of good South African Christians in Australia, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and America. Don't get me wrong, they are shining their lights brightly where they move but because there's not so much darkness, it makes less of an impact.

Those of us that are left, remember all the darkness in the world can't overcome the feeblest light. Shine for all you're worth!

Left arm

2008-01-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am a left arm. I am reasonably talented. I can bend my fingers, manipulate my thumb, swivel at my shoulder and bend and rotate at my elbow. Despit all this, I have always been a second class citizen because my opposing member, the right arm can do all these things better than me. I was side-lined. It was Righty who was taught to write while my challenging task was merely to support the page. Righty learned to hit a tennis ball with a tennis raquet while I only played ball boy - something like a clay pidgeon dispenser. My tasks were always menial and unappreciated.

Recently Righty developed tendonitis. Here was my chance to shine - to be appreciated! Do you know what? Because I was previously disadvantaged, my best attempts were not good enough and I was cursed for my clumsiness. My unco-ordinated fingers took half an hour just to get a contact lens into the right eye. I don't have enough strength to cut steak with a knife and my artistic attempts at hair-combing were rediculed. I took much longer to complete tasks than the more accomplished and talented Righty. Although I am getting more proficient at lots of things, let's face it, I will never be a right arm. I was destined to be a second class limb. Is life fair? Of course not.

Evolutionists and Creationists

2008-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

I am a Christian. I am also a scientist. Recently I was told by the head of our Biology department that we were going to be teaching evolution in our schools soon. Since we are encouraged to examine scientific knowledge and evaluate it, I decided to search the web for information about evolution and what the crationists say about it. boy did I open a wasps nest! Everybody seems to be so fanatical about their views.

I was given a DVD which is part of a series about creationism which I was strongly encouraged to watch. The Creationists (of this series) believe that the world was created in 6 days, 6000 years ago, that 4000 years ago there was a flood which totally changed the earth from what it was previously. (Up till then there had been an extra layer to the atmosphere consisting of water/water vap0our/ice which resulted in a higher air pressure, subsequently higher oxygen concentrations in the air and a shielding of X rays from the sun/space. As a result everything lived much longer and functioned better, grew larger. Dinosaurs were nothing but lizards that just continued to grow and were alive at the same time as man. Lots of very scientific evidence was given, as well as quotes from reputable scientists to support the theory.

Last night I watched a DVD by David Bloch on the Universe. http://www.aboutentertainment.co.za/database/david_b.htm
His studies have led him to believe that the universe was created by God with the specific purpose of making Man and he gives very strong mathmatical reasoning why the forces involved in the creation of the Universe cannot be random and therefore are evidence of design. He believes God made the Big Bang.

In other words, the creationists and the scientists believe the same thing. God created the heavens and the earth. I don't know what all this fuss is about old earth/new earth. It does not change my life one little bit whether the earth is 6 000 years old or millions. I know that God loves me, that Jesus died so that I can be in a relationship with Him and spend eternity with Him. I know that we don't know everything and never will. Scientific theories come and go and life goes on. I don't think very many scientists really think that the earth came into being by chance and that life just accidentally happened. If we just evolved from animals (accidentally) then there is no right or wrong and no meaning to life. We may as well live like animals. In fact, if that is what they have been teaching in American schools for years, perhaps it is no wonder that young people act the way they do. If, on the other hand, we are created in the image of God, there is some purpose to life and some immutable laws. What method God used to create us is immaterial. Let's just rejoice in life!

How to insult God

2007-11-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

We've been studying Isiah in bible study. last night we read about Sennacharib and his insults to God. I remembered a poem I studied at school a long time ago and looked on the internet for it. I was inspired again.

The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold . . .
This hexagonal clay prism (often called the Taylor prism) records the deeds of Sennacherib -- an important figure in the Old Testament. I saw this piece when I was at the Oriental Institute on Saturday but wasn't able to get a good photo. Here's the commentary from the Oriental Institute:
On the six inscribed sides of this clay prism, King Sennacherib recorded eight military campaigns undertaken against various peoples who refused to submit to Assyrian domination. In all instances, he claims to have been victorious. As part of the third campaign, he beseiged Jerusalem and imposed heavy tribute on Hezekiah, King of Judah-a story also related in the Bible, where Sennacherib is said to have been defeated by "the angel of the Lord," who slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (II Kings 18-19).
There is a complete translation of all six columns at the Sennacherib Prism site where I found the photo. And here is Byron's poem, "The Destruction of Sennacherib," to complement it:

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still.

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride:
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow and the rust on his mail;
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!
-- George Gordon Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Perhaps I have ceased to exist

2007-10-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

This morning (Monday of course) I came in to work to sign in as usual. My name was not on the list. I checked both lists, departmental and governing body but my name was not there. So I signed underneath the list of names.
Now I've got to my computer and came to check my e mails. The computer does not recognise my name and password. Perhaps I have ceased to exist? Perhaps I have been deleted.
Some say that the whole world is a figment of God's immagination. Perhaps I never was.
Would it make a difference to the world if I never was? However, I blog. Therefore I am.
Now that I am, can I make a difference or would it be the same as if I had never been?

Things aren't always as bad as they seem

2007-08-26T12:52:00.001-07:00

Sometimes we think God had forgotton us when things don't turn out as we think they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it till some time later.

Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight, just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

Should you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't dispair. There are people in this world for whon driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months.

Should you despair over a relationship gone badly, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should the car break sown, leaving you miles away from assistance, think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new grey hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering, "What is life all about, what is my purpose?", be thankful. There are those that didn't live long enough to get that opportunity.

Shuld you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember that things could be worse. You could be them.

Should you stop and realise that things aren't always as bad as they seem, then you can begin with a renewed spirit to help yourself as well as those who are less fortunate.

I found this photocopied on one of my husband's files. I thought it was worth posting.

Noah's Diamond

2007-08-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am writing a book. I am almost finished. My best friend showed me a competition for an unpublished novel so I have entered. I had to write a 500 word synopsis. I thought I might just as well post it to my blog.

"Noah’s Diamond" by Jenny Lee Young

“When the world ended, there was no warning!”

In the year 2036 in post-AIDS South Africa, Margaret Jasper, a science teacher, takes a group of Pioneer girls to a winter camp. Her assistant, Thumu Sizwa, mother of two of the Pioneer girls, has organised a trip to the Noah’s Diamond Complex during the camp.

Noah Abernathy, an eccentric American billionaire, had been convinced that God had told him to build a nuclear shelter to house his family in the event of nuclear war. South Africa seemed tactically to be the safest area to situate this technologically advanced, computer-controlled safe-haven. However, the threat of nuclear war diminished to almost zero and Noah Abernathy died, leaving the Diamond Complex to the family in a trust, with a proviso that a member of the Abernathy family always live there. They decided to turn the complex into a tourist attraction.

With much anticipation, Margaret and the girls take a tour of Diamond One. Their tour guide is Lindy-Lou Abernathy, the pregnant and unmarried granddaughter of the late Noah.

During their tour, the party is jolted by an earth-shattering explosion, causing Diamond One to automatically seal. News broadcasts are garbled but Margaret gets glimpses of a world in crisis – collapsed buildings, fires, dead bodies, screaming people……….

At first the adults react to the situation as a tourist gimmick and then a temporary glitch that will soon be repaired. However, after five days, what they all secretly feared turns out to be true. The interactive function is again up and running and they are informed that the rest of the world is dead or dying due to massive nuclear explosions and the resultant radiation in the atmosphere.

The fate of humanity rests in the hands of this group of teenage girls. They are in many ways an ill-assorted bunch, including Beth, a blind but privileged girl, Martha Malobi, the ex-drug addict, Mara, who suffers from depression, the street-wise Britney Adams and her naive friend Sharon who has encountered love for the first time. The only hope for the continuation of the human race lies in Lindy-Lou’s unborn baby. If only it is a little boy!

Is there a chance for the human race? What is the smell that reminds Beth of Christmas? Who slashed Mara’s best painting? What is Sharon’s hidden secret? Can Margaret lead the group through near mass euthanasia, deliberate vandalism, fire, relocation and even attempted murder?

Find out in this gripping South African Science Fiction Novel. Celebrate the power of women! Appreciate the contribution that Youth can make to society. Come and enjoy the technological delights of the future with the last members of the human race.

My Mission Statement

2007-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

I wrote my mission statement in January 2000.

Acknowledging that I am a special and unique creation of God, made with purpose and endowed with many special gifts, my mission is to realize my full potential and to use my gifts for the enabling and building up of others.

My most important "Other" is my husband. With him I will build up a strong, loving relationship, striving to strengthen and encourage him and to make him supremely happy. We will have fun together and make happy memories, remembering that we will not always be together.

My children will also not be with me for long. I will enjoy them, delighting in the unique characters God has given them, building strong relationships and happy memories, and inspiring them to reach their full potential.

Friends are important to me. I regard people as more important than things or tasks. Listening is more important than talking. When I do talk, may it be more uplifting than tearing down. I shall value my friends and work towards inspiring and enabling them.

My word is my bond. What I promise I will do to the best of my ability.

I am proactive. I can choose how to react.

In the world I shall endeavour to bring encouragement, support and strength to those I encounter, like water quietly seeping into the earth and refreshing flowers.

In my work I shall endeavour always to give my best and to ensure that my employer gets value for their money.

I believe in and admire truth, honour, courage, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, patience and self control and will do my best to incorporate them into my life. However, the overriding principle must be love.

I have invited Jesus Christ into my life. He is my final authority, Lord and guide. The bible is my handbook on right living.

I realize that other people will not have my mission, nor my values, but I accept that they, too, are created by God for a purpose.

Message to my unborn Grandchildren in New Zealand.

2007-07-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

Message to my unborn Grandchildren in New Zealand.

Hi Guys. I am writing this before you were born or even conceived. I just want to tell you I love you. You might not think so because I am never there. When your nursery school has “Granny’s Day” and all the other kids come with their Grannies, I am not there. When you are the star of the school play or playing your first cricket match or first ballet concert, I am not proudly watching from the side lines whispering to all nearby, “That’s my Grandchild.”

You probably do not know me. Perhaps in my lifetime I have seen you once, or perhaps twice if my finances are much better than expected. More than likely this was when you were very young, a baby probably, and you don’t remember.

I have photos of you. I carry them around with me all the time and I look at them often. I try to imagine you as you are growing up and I remember what your Daddy was like at your age. Your Daddy is my son and I have loss of memories of him when he was your age. Unfortunately I won’t have many memories of you – only photos and perhaps letters or e mails.

Your Daddy and Mommy decided they wanted the best for their children. They did not want them to grow up in South Africa where they were born because there is a lot of crime in South Africa. All the houses have high walls, sometimes with barbed wire or electric fences around them. Still people rob and steal. They break into our houses and cars. Sometimes they threaten us with guns if we don’t give them our jewelry or cell phones or let them drive away in our cars.

Your parents wanted you to grow up in a safe country.
So they decided to move to New Zealand. Unfortunately New Zealand is very far away from South Africa and it costs a lot of money to get there. That’s why you don’t know me and have hardly ever seen me. You also have some cousins in South Africa that you don’t ever get to play with. But you do have friends. I’m sure of that.

How can I love somebody I don’t even know or who doesn’t even exist yet. I know I will love you because you are my grandchildren. Whether you are good, or not, whether you are pretty or not, whether you are clever, or not.

In the same way God loves you. Not because of anything you have done, but just because you are His child. I am always praying for you. I pray that you might accept Jesus into your heart and into your life, that you might be the best you that you can be, that you might grow up with confidence and courage.

Your loving Granny

Snow at Zoo Lake.

2007-06-27T03:12:00.000-07:00

South Africa is not a country known for snow. In my fifty odd years it has snowed four times in Johannesburg. Once when I wan in primary school and we went away on a school tour. While we were away on tour, it snowed back home in Jo’burg. Once when we had moved to Port Elizabeth, it snowed in Jo’burg. Last year I watched snow falling lightly and gently to the ground then melting immediately.
Last night it snowed. My husband, Brian, phoned to say that he had seen it on his way to work.. About an hour and a half later I drove to Zoo Lake to have a look. Sure enough. There it was. Enough snow on the ground to make a snow ball. We were not the only ones who had come out to look. Mothers were helping children make little snow men. Boys of about twelve had rolled a snowball as big as a soccer ball. I hoped it was for a snow man’s head and not a frozen missile.
Although it was freezing cold outside and our shoes and gloves got wet, it was worth venturing outside to be able to see snow – in Sunny South Africa. Mind you, it was sunny. The blue sky made a stark contrast to the white ground and leafless winter trees.

Water

2007-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have a water feature in my garden. Listening to the sound of running water always inspires peace. Yesterday while drinking coffee in the garden and listening to the water I got to thinking how wonderful water is. It is a miracle. Made chemically from hydrogen, the simplest element and probably the first one around, and oxygen, a much more advanced element but so necessary for life on earth. Oxygen must have been around before water.

Before anything was created (or evolved if that is your faith view), there would have had to be water. All living things are made primarily of water, plant, animal and unicellular organisms. Water keeps us alive. Water comes down from the sky in the form or rain (mostly) and gives life to earth. Primary school children learn about the water cycle. No new water is created. It is all recycled by the process of evaporation and condensation.

Water is the only compound known that if you cool it, does not continue to contract. At 4 degrees C it reaches its most dense then if it is cooled further, it begins to expand. That is why ice floats on water. It is unique in this respect.

God is like water. The Father, the author of life is the liquid form, available everywhere, giving life and sustaining life. The Son is the solid form, ice. Under certain circumstances ice becomes solid. We can handle with our hands, pick up, break and manipulate ice. The Holy Spirit is steam, not always visible but powerful in action. Think of steam turbines. One substance but three phases.

Water is a miracle. Water is life.

Sweetpeas

2007-06-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

I have planted some sweetpea seeds. The plan is that in Spring, they will climb up the wrought iron barrier around our front porch. It occurs to me that planting seeds is an act of faith. What is to say that these tiny shrivled balls will really grow to be climbing plants with fragrant flowers? It seems so unlikely. Especially if you've never come across seeds before.
It is faith that encourages me to water them. In my mind's eye I can already see them adding colour to the front of my house. That is faith. I believe the coloured pictures on the front of the seed packet. I believe that if I follow the instructions, I too will get a harvest of fragrant flowers. Faith isn't so difficult, is it?

The Tablecloth

2007-06-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

This is a story I read a long time ago and was not able to find again. Now I'm going to store it in my blog for when I want to be inspired.

Pastor Rob Reid, right out of divinity school and fresh from ordination, was assigned to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn. He arrived in early October, excited about his opportunities. His new church building was very run down, in need of a lot of repairs. Undaunted, he set a goal to have everything done in time to give his first service on Christmas Eve.
He worked hard, shoring up pews, plastering walls, and painting. On December 18th, he was just about finished – ahead of schedule. But the next night, a driving rainstorm blew into the area and lasted for two days.
On the 21st, Rob stopped in at the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary, just above the pulpit. The young pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and, wondering if he should postpone his opening service, headed home.
On the way, he noticed that a local business was having a flea market as a benefit for charity; he stopped in. One of the items for sale was a beautiful, handmade tablecloth. It was ivory colored, its border exquisitely crocheted in beautiful, muted colors. There was a cross embroidered right in the middle. He held it up and an idea formed in his mind: It just might cover up the mess on the church’s front wall. He bought it and, guardedly excited, headed back to the church.
It began to snow as he pulled up to the church. As Rob got out of the car to go into the church, an old woman passed him, walking quickly in the opposite direction, trying to catch the bus. She missed it. Rob invited her to wait inside the church for the next bus, which wouldn’t be coming for another forty-five minutes.
The old woman sat down in a pew to wait, and paid no attention to Rob as he set up a ladder and climbed up to hang the tablecloth. It fit! The ruined plaster and paint were completely covered. And it looked beautiful.
The old woman looked up, stood slowly, and walked toward him, down the center aisle. Her voice sounded strained as she asked, "Pastor, where did you get that tablecloth?" Rob explained. The old woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials "EBG" were embroidered there. They were.
These were none other than the old woman’s initials, she said; it was she who had made this very tablecloth thirty-five years earlier, in Austria. She could hardly believe it as the pastor told her how he had come across the tablecloth. The old woman explained that, before the war, she and her husband were a well-to-do young couple, living in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to flee. He husband planned to follow her the next week, but she was captured, sent to a camp, and never saw her husband or her home again.
Rob insisted on giving her the tablecloth; she, in turn, insisted that he keep it for the church. He asked if, at the very least, she would let him drive her home; she lived across the city and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. She agreed.
And then it was Christmas Eve. Rob stood in the pulpit before the little congregation of his new parish, beaming with pride. It was a wonderful service. At the end of the evening, he greeted everyone at the door; many said they would return. One old man, whom Rob recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in his pew. When Rob went to speak with him, the old man asked him where he had gotten the tablecloth on the front wall. It was identical, he said, to the one that his wife had made years ago, when they lived in Austria before the war. How could there be two tablecloths so much alike?
He told Rob how the Nazis had come, how he had urged his wife to flee for her safety. He was supposed to follow her, he said, but had been arrested by the Gestapo and put in prison. He never saw his beloved wife or his home again. Thirty-five years had passed.
On that night of miracles, Pastor Rob Reid asked the old man if he would come with him for a little ride. He drove to the same house where he had taken the old woman, three days earlier. He helped the old man climb the three flights to the old woman’s apartment, and knocked on the door. And there, he witnessed yet another Christmas miracle.

Murder Mysteries and Science Expos

2007-06-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a different day. The plan was reasonably simple. As it was a Tuesday, I had a standing appointment with my best friend for coffee and praying for our families. In the evening we had planned a family Murder Mystey dinner to celebrate my daughter-in-laws Birthday. A Tuesday evening was not ideal - a weekend would have been much better - but it was the only day close enough to her birthday that we could all make it. We had decided to start early - 6pm- which meant that those husbasnds who worked in the city would have to rush home. I told my best friend that I had a lot of things to prepare (including a peppermint crisp pudding for desert) and I would only come to her for an hour between 3pm and 4pm.

After work (I work at a high school and we are writing exams so I got to get out of the gate soon after 2) I quickly made a detour to "Showbiz" where I planned to buy some stick on moustaches and a pith helmet for our Murder Mystery.

As I was driving, my cell phone rang. I try not to talk on the phone while I'm driving so I let it take a message. When I had parked at Cresta, I listened to it. It was Lois, a lady who had been a judge when I had organised our school's Science Expo. The arrangement had been that she would judge our Expo and I would come and help judge at her school's Science Expo.

"Just wanted to confirm for this afternoon" the voice message blared at me. In the stress of our Expo, where one judge hadn't pitched and I'd had to do collateral damage control, I had omitted to transfer the details into my cell phone's calender and subsequently had totally forgotton it.

I phoned her back, established that they did really need me, and changed plans.

I prayed that I would not stress. I repeated to myself a modified line I had once come across of psalm 23. "The Lord is my Pacesetter, I shall not rush." As the traffic continued to crawl down Jan Smuts Avenue, and the time continued to race beyond the starting time, I continued to recite the line to myself.

I was only 15 minutes late for the Expo and they had barely started. I managed to enjoy interacting with the students and being amazed at what they had come up with. I had been told that I could prabably be gone by 6, even though the Expo continued till 7 but at 6 o' clock we stil had four projects to judge. The last one turned out to be the best of the batch. It was very inspiring, but I had to excuse myself and rush away. I figured if traffic was reasonable, I could still be home at quarter to seven and change into my character before everybody came at seven. Then I remembered. We had agreed we would start at six. I had to stop myself from breaking the speed limit and jumping robots. There was nothing I could doa about my lateness, I was going as fast as I could.

The family were wonderful. The peppemint crisp tart was delicious. The table was set and the diningroom decorated to suit the theme. Everybody was understanding and we had a great evening. Although I would not like to make a habit of arriving late for my own organised dinner, it did show me that I was not indispensible and any old person could make a peppermint pudding. Quite often stress and the rushing syndrome is all in our minds. We would do well to remember that God controlls the universe. time is in His hand and He has plenty of it.
"The Lord is my pace setter. I shall not rush."

Treasures in Heaven.

2007-06-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus said we must lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven. Every time we do something kind for somebody, or give to somebody, we are making a deposit in our heavenly bank account. Recently I got cynical when a man came to the door with a sob story about how he was mistreated in his own country and by our police because he was an illegal immigrant. My husband gave him a suit so he could go to a job interview.

Unfortunately for him he also went and gave a different sob story to my friend down the road. He told her that he had been given a suit and had sold it. He was just conning us.

But it occurred to me, if I do somebody kind and he takes advantage of me, if he makes a fool of me because I believed his story, what's happened to my treasure in heaven? It's still there. I may look a gullible fool on earth, but my investment in eternity has not diminished.

Spare wheels and twelth man

2007-06-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today my husband went to buy a spare wheel for our new caravan. It's not really new, but it's the one we bought to replace the one the insurance wrote off. (A strong wind blew the front window in, causing the top to pop and messing up the securing works.) I thought about spending hundreds of Rand on something we might never use. It reminds me of the time my sporty son was playing cricket and he had to go to a match as twelth man. He didn't want to go. He would be bored just sitting watching other eleven year olds play. I had to explain to him that a twelth man was a very important part of the team. All he had to do was pitch up. A team was not complete without a twelth man. That same day I was on healing duty at church in the evening. Iknew very well that there would probably be no one to pray for because it wasn't a "youth thing". I didn't feel like going. I had been to church in the morning and I would be bored. I thought about what I had told my son. "Sometimes we just have to pitch up, whether we are used or not."
Sometimes God just wants us at a certain spot at a certain time. Sometimes our job is just to be the twelth man, the back up. Sometimes we are the spare wheel. We might think it's not important, but it is. Our whole caravan won't be going camping this weekend if my husband doesn't get the spare wheel.

More balloons!

2007-06-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about balloons. They are nothing but a thin sheet of coloured rubber mouled to a specific shape for a specific purpose. You buy them in a packet and they don't look all that exciting. But once they are blown up, they take on a whole new life - they bounce, they float, they can be attached to walls by static.
We are a lot like balloons. WE are created for a specific purpose, in different colours and shapes. It is only when the Spirit of God blows into us that we can achieve our true potential. We can do a whole lot of new things we never could before. The more we allow God's Spirit into us, the more we can live the abundant life - the Party Life.

Yesterday's Balloons.

2007-06-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

There is nothing as depressing as half blown balloons hanging limply from the postbox. Yesterday was my son's twentieth birthday. Fourteen people had confirmed. The plan was to go to Emerentia Dam with the boat, have fun out of doors, have a picnic. Then come back and watch videos. By leaving time there were four people, including my son, Chris, and his girlfriend, Geraldine. Some of the others had to be phoned to find our whether they were coming. One was visited because her phone was out of order.
My husband had got the boat down from the rafters with the help of Chris and his best friend, Mavuso, and attached it to the trailer so we could tow it to the dam.
It never went. Three more people drifted in and out. They watched movies and a bit of rugby.
I thought of all the preparations. Chris had asked me to buy 36 rolls. Geraldine, his girl friend,had made two big salads, a cake, muffins. She was the one who hung out the balloons.
Today Chris and Geraldine took ham rolls to all the beggars and security guards they could find.
My husband and I are eating a lot of salad. The lettuce gets fished out as it turns brown.
What went wrong? Or is this standard for modern day parties?