Run

Run. We all know the word, we are all familiar with the action. We see sportsmen running after balls in different shapes and sizes. We marvel at the swift running of a gazelle over an open field. We listen to the smooth running of an expensive car and wish that we could be driving to work with that running sound in our ears. We know running.

I searched for a dictionary definition that would describe running in such a way that I would be able to identify with the term and here it is:
"To move swiftly on foot so that both feet leave the ground during each strike."
I took two things from  this definition. Running should always be a swift movement - there should be a certain amount of grace attached to if. Secondly, the moment your foot leaves the ground completely, you are running - interesting thought.

We are all running each day, and by that I do not mean literally running. Yes, some of us who are more disciplined does put our Nike's on and do a few kilometers. But even those of us who are more lazy know what it means to run.
So often we have to run through each day to get everything done. We run to meetings, try and run through traffic, we run our children to school, we run through to do lists in our brain. There are just so many things we have to run through. And slowly but surely we are not performing a swift action anymore. The running becomes more of a struggling motion.

This world is made for running. We know the feeling when you are so busy that it feels you are not touching the ground. Back to our definition it makes sense - when you are running you are practically in mid air most of the time.

My problem is not with running. It is a reality - I do not think we will be able to change the world overnight into a calmer, wheelchair friendly world.

But what can we change, to bring some serenity into our lives. How do we keep the daily running process swift? The secret lies in where we are running to.
You have to have an endpoint. The danger of exhaustion, of landing in the rat race arises the moment when we do not have anywhere to run to.
The moment the endpoint becomes undefined we loose our focus, we loose hope.
Some of us are running towards success, believing that the true answer lies in achievement. Others prefer to run to pleasure at the end of a busy day. Yet others run to their families.
All of these are valid places to run to, no problem. But what if those are taken away? What if the goal posts shift?

I kept on running, searching for answers. Then it came to me- Hebrew 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and run to him. Let him be our motivator, our strength to finish the race. With him as our focus we will not get tired, we will not run an aimless race and most of all we will lift our feet completely off the ground with grace and swiftness.

Luister

Clint Eastwood is een van my rolmodelle. 'n Man wat in die tagtigs is en nogsteeds sy lewe vul met die dinge waaroor hy passievol is. Nie net is hy 'n uitstekende akteur nie en regiseur nie, maar selfs die musiek vir sy flieks komponeer hyself (hy sing ook van die liedjies self, maar ek beskou sy akteursvernuf beslis as 'n groter aanwins vir die vermaaklikheidsbedryf).

Jy kan maar weet: enige fliek van hom gaan vir 'n hele tyd lank in jou gedagtes bly draai. Nou onlangs het daar 'n luilekker DVD aand vir my gewag. Ek het Changeling met Angelina Jolie in die hoofrol uitgeneem. Ek wonder altyd hoe hulle haar klere ontwerp kry om al die tattoos weggesteek te kry, maar nietemin bly sy 'n goeie aktrise.

Die fliek is gegrond op 'n ware verhaal oor Mev. Collins en die gebeure rondom haar seun se verdwyning. Sy is 'n enkelouer, en een dag met haar terugkeer van die werk af is haar seun weg. Die tema van die hele fliek is die effek wat mense, wat nie na ander luister nie, op 'n persoon se lewe kan het. Dit begin reeds vroeg in die fliek wanneer sy haar seun as vermis wil aanmeld en niemand na haar wil luister nie. Sy moet 24 uur wag, al weet sy haar kind is bang om selfs die huis alleen te verlaat, maar dit is hoe die sisteem werk en haar hande is afgekap.

Sake raak net nog meer belaglik wanneer hulle "haar seun" terugvind. Ten spyte daarvan dat sy aanmekaar bevestig dat dit nie haar seun is nie, luister niemand nie. Sy gooi selfs bewyse voor hulle, soos dat die teruggevinde seun korter is, nie sy onderwyser ken nie, maar alles tevergeefs. Die polisie verkies om nie te luister nie, want sou hulle erken sy is reg, het hulle gefaal.
Die oomblik toe sy die media te betrek, het die risiko bestaan dat ander na haar sou begin luister. Hulle oplossing was om haar te laat sertifiseer en na 'n  psigiatriese hospitaal te verban.

Maar hoekom luister mense nie? Daar is so baie redes.
Jy sal altyd vind dat mense weier om te luister na iemand wat die waarheid praat wanneer hulle in 'n leuen leef . Want soos in Changeling, is daar altyd 'n prys daaraan verbonde om te erken dat jy gelieg het en na die waarheid te draai.

Dikwels luister ons nie, omdat onsself so baie praat. Luister is 'n daad. Dit verg energie. Anders as wat mens dink is dit nie 'n passiewe toestand nie. Om te luister beteken dat mens moet rustig raak, die stem binne jou moet stilmaak en moeite moet doen om nie net die woorde van die persoon wat praat in te neem nie, maar werklik te probeer verstaan wat die ander persoon met elke woord bedoel.

Ons sal net begin luister wanneer ons ander mense respekteer, wanneer ons ander voor onsself kan plaas. Solank as wat ons glo dat die persoon wat praat nie belangrik is nie sal ek nie moeite doen om daardie persoon te verstaan nie, want wanneer ek iemand probeer verstaan is daar dikwels aksies wat daaruit vloei. As ek verstaan wat iemand ongelukkig maak, dan moet ek ook bereid wees om dit wat ek kan te doen om daardie persoon by te staan.

Nog 'n rede hoekom mense hoor, maar eerder nie luister nie is uit vrees. Vrees vir 'n waarheid waarmee hulle gekonfronteer sal word en 'n lewensverandering sal verg. Ons is so dikwels in 'n gemaksone met onsself, maar ook met die plek waar ons onsself bevind. So dikwels is dit die mense naby aan ons wat die moed bymekaar sal skraap om daardie gemaksones vir ons uit te wys. En so dikwels is dit juis daardie mense wat ons in die gesig vat deur ons ore voor te sluit.

Om opregte luisteraars te wees beteken dat ons biddend en luisterend by die Vader moet begin leer wat dit beteken om waarlik te luister.
Die Heilige Gees sal ons ore sensitief maak vir die ware betekenis van die woorde van elke persoon wat ons mee in kontak kom.
Vra Hom daarvoor, Hy sal luister.

Wit Hoender

Die mens wil altyd weet hoekom. Hoekom is ek hier? Hoekom gebeur dit met my? Hoekom werk dit of werk dit nie? Hoekom voel ek soos ek voel? Hoekom wil niks sin maak nie?

Partymaal word die hoekoms beantwoord. Maar so dikwels bly die antwoorde weg. Ons hou later op met soek, onder die indruk dat ons nooit volkome sal verstaan nie.

Daar is hoekoms wat tot ons met die ewigheid ontmoet grootliks waaroms sal bly, maar soveel vrae het antwoorde. Met 'n vakansie in Graskop het ons opgemerk dat die smouse langs die paaie meteens beghin het om wit hout hoenders te produseer. Die tarentale en seekoeie moes helaas swig voor 'n mak plaasdie. Ons was verbaas hieroor.

Sekerlik moes die vroeëre weergawes tog beter verkoop het, veral onder die oorsese safari-gangers.

Lank het ons gespekuleer rondom die redes vir die verandering. Uiteindelik het ons een vban die smouse gevra: "Why are you making the white chickens?"

Die antwoord: "Because the white people buy them."

Geen diep artistiese verklaring wat woorde soos inspirasie en kreatiwiteit insluit nie.
Dit het my geleer - meeste antwoorde is eenvoudig. Ons moet soms ophou glo dat die lewe te moeilik is om te verstaan. Soveel maal is dit net ons eie interpretasies wat die lewe kompliseer. Die lewe moet geleef word, om verstaan te word.

Miskien moet ons dalk eerder ons vrae herfraseer. Want die antwoorde wat ons uit die lewe haal, word bepaal deur die vrae wat ons vra. Ons sal nooit by die waarheid uitkom as ons nie die vrae vra wat ons by die waarheid gaan uitbring nie.

Miskien moet ons eerder vir die wit mense vra hoekom hulle die wit hoenders wil koop.

The Reality

Living in South Africa means to be faced with many unpleasant realities. We read about murder, robberies, rape everyday and so often either a loved one or even ourselves are left traumatised by one of these events.

What should we make of all this? How do we put it all in perspective?

I have experienced so many different emotions in reaction to what I see around me. It is almost as if I have seasons of different negative emotions alternating themselves. There is anger. Anger towards what happens to all the innocent victims of crime and poverty. Anger, because I don't feel safe in my own home, anger because I can't walk in the street feeling safe.

Then there is sorrow. Sorrow for the lives lost. Sorrow for opportunities lost to corruption and unfair doing.

Sometimes there is bitterness. So often it is the bitterness that roots itself into our lives especially after our own personal taste of all these unpleasant realities. It tends to infiltrate all our thoughts and actions.

The emotion I certainly most fear, is fear itself. It is out of fear that so many of us want to leave this country. It is our of fear that we can't see the good in other people anymore.

All of these are valid emotions, almost natural reactions to these unnatural realities we face. But I don't want to live with the baggage of these emotions in my life. I don't want anger, sorrow, bitterness and fear to drain the energy I could have used constructively everyday.

So how can we fight this? While struggling with all of this I was listening to pod casts by David Pawson. This wise man's words stuck with me. He just said: God won't let the devil do anything to me (His child) that has not gone through His authority first. Therefore He will not put anything in front of you that He knows you cannot handle without Him.

The secret is - you can face anything as long as you abide in Him. God does not withhold sorrow or pain, but He will never let you go through anything that can spiritually destroy you.

I would rather face danger but have God's peace in me than living in safety but with fear ruling over me. The reality is: nobody can touch us without going through Jesus. That is true safety.

Conversion to Christianity

What does it mean to be born again?

I can still remember the day I gave my life to Jesus. It was an ordinary day. No fireworks, no music playing in the background.

But after that day nothing in my life has ever been the same.

I was blind, but now I (c)see!

What has changed? For me it was not becoming someone else. I am still me, but it is as if God has just come and put a new set of glasses on my eyes. The glasses of His salvation. For the first time I was able to see the world through the eyes of Jesus.

All the negative (c)sees get replaced by they way God wants me to (c)see life.

The first c He replaces is condemnation. Jesus does this through giving himself as sacrifice, instead of us. Through confessing that I have sinned by judging those around me I can become part of His grace in my life. He comes and removes the condemnation that I have had for other people in this world. Confession of what we have done, who we are and the things that we thought nobody would see we become part of God's inheritance for us in our lives.

A life without God is filled with complexity. We do not understand this world. As long as we do not see the world through spiritual eyes we will not be able to understand our purpose in life. When I become a child of God He wants to give me clarity. This clarity enables me to understand why I am here, at this moment. I begin to c why God has given me certain opportunities and how I should respond in the situations that He has placed me.

Once we c ourselves through the eyes of Jesus we cannot stay complacent. We cannot pretend that we are not part of this world, filled by pain and unrighteousness. We might not be from this world, but God wants us to be part of it, so that we can make a difference. God destroys our complacency and face us with new challenges. He challenges us to live the life that Jesus led in example. He wants us to put love first, before anything we might want for ourselves. Once we take up the challenges of His love we will realise the true meaning of Christianity.

Now we can't complain anymore. Instead he fills us with celebration, courage, creativity and eyes that c!

Let God replace these in your life:

Condemnation with Confession

Complacency with Challenges

Complexion with Clarity

Complaining with Celebration, Courage and Creativity

All so that we can truely C!

Routine

I have never been drawn to a life of routine. My reasons - I believe it can kill inspiration, innovation and creativity. Recently, I came to realise that routine has a purpose when applied in the appropriate way.

There are dangers to routine, that we can't deny. But sometimes your worst enemy can be your closest ally as well. For me the red lights concerning routine start to flash when it starts to penetrate all aspects of my life. When my life becomes a planned event. That kills all emotion, because without spontaneity I deprive myself from experiencing unexpected emotions. We start to loose our own opinion on matters in life, because it is through confrontation with the unexpected that we are forced to think, forced to form our own opinions. A life ruled by routine minimizes constructive thinking. We can't stay creative and constructive in an environment where everything is pre-planned, where the construction has taken place already. And lastly, but for me the most dangerous side-effect of routine is that it cultivates laziness. If I know that I will go home every night and watch television, have dinner, go to bed all at the same time then I do not need to think about my life. The unexpected, the things we do not plan for on the other hand, needs planning, it needs thought.

Routine creates frustration if not used as a proper tool. We need to construct our lives in such a manner that routine works for us, not the other way around. When carefully incorporated into our busy schedules routine has got definite advantages. It provides a source of safety and security. It saves us time, because the basic day-to-day events can be incorporated into a routine that needs less planning and daily effort to remember. In some instances it prevents us from missing things we might not have remembered if it was not part of our daily routine.

At the home I grew up in my mom planted ivy. It grew up against the brick walls and softened the house's facade. It had to be groomed continuously, because without pruning it, it always overgrown and defeated its purpose. Routine is like ivy. It is both a beautiful and functional attribute in our lives as long as we are prepared to maintain its growth. We need to cut it away all the time to make sure that it does not rule our lives, that we do not fall into the trap of the routine comfort.

On the topic of controlling routine - I find the following tips useful in my life:

• Identify areas in your life where you need control (ex. exercise, bible study)
• Outline the purpose or advantage that routine will bring to that area in your life
• Implement a routine that would cultivate that advantage
• Use the time saved by implementation of the routine to do something creative like making chocolate ivy leaves (see the recipe below)

Remember whenever you are making these leaves - that routine (the ivy leave) should always result in a creative by-product (chocolate ivy-leaves). If routine does not serve that purpose in your life re-visit the tips above.

Chocolate ivy-leaves

• 1/2 slab of brown or white baking chocolate
• 10-20 ivy leaves of different sizes

Melt the chocolate on the stove. Medium heat. Use a teaspoon to put chocolate on the coarse side of the leaf. With a knife spread the chocolate over the whole leaf. Put in the fridge until hard enough. Pull the leaf away from the chocolate, very carefully.

With your extra creativity put these leaves to use in any manner out of your daily routine.

Verjaardag

Ons almal het 'n dag van die jaar nodig waar ons spesiaal wil en mag voel. 'n Dag waarop mens kan doen net wat jy wil, wens net wat jy wil, drome droom wat al lank vergete is. Alles sonder om skuldig te voel.

'n Dag wat net joune alleen is.

Dit is wat verjaardag vir my beteken. 'n Dag waarop mense vir mekaar op soveel maniere kan laat weet wat hulle vir mekaar beteken, dat hulle aan mekaar dink en dat hulle vir mekaar spesiaal is.

'n Dag van vreugde wanneer mens elke sms, facebook boodskap en oproep vir solank as moontlik teen jou hart will vashou. Elke woord en gedagte, elke kaartjie en geskenkie 'n stukkie energie in vir die pad wat die volgende jaar op mens wag.

Ek het nog nooit ouer op my verjaarsdae gevoel nie. Veel eerder jonger, met inspirasie wat uit elke klein boodskappie kom.

Dit is 'n dag waarop mens net kan lag, mal wees, of net rustig, selfs 'n bietjie selfsugtig - sonder om te skuldig te voel...

Maak nie saak nie, dit is jou dag.

Maar aan die einde van daardie dag is daar een emosie wat my altyd oorweldig - dankbaarheid.

Dankbaarheid vir een en elke persoon tot wie se gedagtes jy dit gemaak het op daardie dag.

Want ons verdien niks.

Ons het geen geboorteregte nie, net voorregte.

Vier daarom fees op elke verjaardag! Dit is jou genadedag.

Building a House

I'm not an architect or an engineer. For that reason I pay little attention to the structure of a house, the actual design. My eye will rather be diverted to the colour the walls are painted, the finishes in a home like the tiles and decoration.

But despite my ignorance I do realise that there are more to a house than meets the eye. It is those hidden qualities of a house that have to be in place to prevent the house from collapsing.
The Bible also uses this to describe the ways in which we should constitute our lives in honour of God.

Every day we are building. Our lives are structures under constant re-construction and renovation through the daily choices we make.
For any building project to operate successfully a plan is needed. We have a choice: we can use the world's norms and standards to draw up our plan or we can use God's architectural services. Upon choosing God as our architect we have the assurance from His Word that certain qualities are included in the building package:

• Matthew 7:24-27 - God himself is the foundation. Through Jesus' death on the cross He became the everlasting rock. The cornerstone. Although rejected by many, for those who take refuge in Him He becomes an infallible source of hope and strength.
• Psalm 122:7 - When God builds our house He will also provide us with the suitable interior decorating. He will hang peace on our walls. Eternal rest will furnace our homes.
• Iss 60:18 - Surrounded by crime we need to surround our homes with high walls as form of protection. The walls God build are covered with the blood of His salvation. Like the Israelites we should cover our walls with His blood so that the world will know why we are saved.
• The entrances to our homes should be praise to God. Every day we must lift our hands and thoughts in praise, giving God entry to our daily activities.

It is so easy to start building lives of our own. To forsake God in the way we live, speak, think... But even then God won't give up hope. In Revelation 3:20 we read that He stands at the door and knocks. He knocks on all the doors of those houses not built according to His Master plan. The day we decide to open those doors He will come in and there will be a feast. Unlike other guests He will not leave though. He will stay and become a permanent resident.

Not every house will become a home. A home is not a structure - it is a space filled with joy and memories. A place where we are surrounded by the ones we love and where we are at peace with ourselves and our surroundings.

Not everyone can have a house of their own, but everyone can have a home. May you find your true home and with it the courage and wisdom to invite the Host of all Hosts as permanent resident in your haven.

Ek is ryk wanneer:

• Ek tyd uitkoop


• My beleggings in mense eerder as dinge is


• Ek trevrede is met wat ek nou het


• Ek meer vreugde vind in gee as in ontvang


• Ek investeer in alles wat ewigheidswaarde het

Dit is die dinge wat niemand kan koop nie wat die meeste waarde het: maak tyd vir jouself vir ander en vir God.

Puzzles vs. Mysteries

Reviewing what the dog saw...

Malcolm Gladwell writes mind-blowing books. The type of book that you can easily read through in one day. Once you start you just can't stop. I usually try to hold on, slowly reading, digesting bit by bit in between chapters, but before I even realise it I reach the last page.

The most recent book in his collection is: "What the dog saw." In this book he aims to find out how people think. He analyses different areas of life from the ketchup business, dog psychology to investments all with the goal to find out how people working in these industries approach what they do.

In his chapter on understanding secrets he refers to two approaches to the unknown. The approach to a mystery vs. a puzzle. If you approach the unknown or a problem as a puzzle your aim would be to collect more information to solve the problem. Every bit of information is a piece in the puzzle. Once you have enough pieces the puzzle is complete. You can see the picture. Problem solved.

Approaching a problem as a mystery is a lot more uncertain. Here you usually have too much information. You have to sift through the information, trying to make sense out of it. You want to see a pattern. You have to link bits and pieces together to form a picture. In the case of a mystery there is no picture - you have to create it as you go along.

In his book he applies these concepts to a military intelligence scenario. He looks at how these different approaches can lead to different outcomes when applied to the same scenario.

During our Stricker family festival Mario's cousin Liezel spoke about their 10 year plan. Her husband, John made them write down their 10 year plan. They forgot about it.
When they moved to Japan recently they came across the forgotten piece of paper while unpacking.
It gave me goose bumps when she said that to their surprise and shock the place that was written next to 2010 was Japan. They did not even remember that they have written Japan down as a place that they would like to live in. But they ended up there. In their subconscious they were steered towards that destination.

It is almost as if their destiny has become a puzzle - a picture already photographed, with the missing pieces falling in place as time passes.

So often life feels more like a mystery. We try to figure out where we want to be, believe we can achieve through analysing the current available information. Our current situation becomes the dictator of the future. We don't have a picture, we don't want to commit to a 10 year plan but rather prefer to approach life as a mystery. An occurrence we do not have control over.

My father -in-law's words will always be with me: "You will become what you want to become."
There is the answer.

That is the only way to turn your life of mystery into a picture. Desire. Knowing who you want to be, knowing where you want to go.

The pieces of the puzzle will fall in place once you start to walk where your heart leads. When you are true to yourself.

You can't live someone else's life - doing that can only be mysterious. But living the life that was meant for you, through doing that you will be amazed at how accurate your 10 year plan will turn out to be.

Become a puzzle builder, not a mystery solver.

This is God's Story!

God writes millions of stories everyday. He writes continuously - our lives the script and those who believe have the opportunity of a lifetime. We as believers become actors in a play written for eternity.
In this play, the actors still have a will of their own. They sometimes have their own idea of how the storyline should flow. In between the perfect lines written by the Author, they act out their own lines, believing that their interpretations will provide the story with more excitement, more leaving the audience with a more memorable experience...

It is the same with me. Take the story of my back pain for example.
I have been struggling with a vulnerable back since I can remember. My back have always been my weakest point. I have scoliosis, all the stress I experience accumulate in my back.
I remember the shock and horror the massage therapist attempted to keep under control when she massaged me.
Apart from the severe pain in which I left the room, I also realised that I will have to actively do something about this. I can't live without my back, so I better start building up a healthier relationship between us. So I started planning - and believe me there is a lot you can do to improve the health of your back.
There are exercises, massages, natural therapies, aroma therapies. Wonderful - I have options.
I nearly became excited about the journey ahead.

Just one problem - I had muscle spasms in my back the size of a golf ball in each side. Unlike the massage therapist Mario did not hide his horror. He said it felt like tumours I will need to excise first, before he thinks we will be able to get anywhere.
Isn't that encouraging.

Backache is a common type of pain people experience. With that knowledge I decided that I should maybe record my journey to healing on my blog. I thought this would be my chance - everyone will start reading my blog, following my path to healing.
I was ready to start.

Then I went to home group on Thursday. As usual our home group leader asked what we can pray for. This time specifically for ourselves. The first thing that came to mind was my back pain.
We prayed for each other. It did feel a little better afterwards, but I have never experienced a miracle in healing in my own life, so how do you explain the experience.
There weren't lights, no outer body feeling.
The pain just left. I bend, I stretch - no pain.

The tumours that my surgeon husband wanted to excise are gone. That is a miracle. That is the way God writes his stories. He uses a life, a simple life like mine. He uses my pain, he turns it into a testimony.

Sure I can't write about my painful, man made journey to healing on my blog. Instead I can tell all those around me that we serve a healing God. A God that can work in an instant.
And the most amazing of it all - he uses you and me to work on his behalf.

Koffie

Van geskiedenis op skool kan ek nie veel onthou nie, maar een beeld uit die Voortrekkerdae bly my by: die smouse wat oor velde heen moes trek om daaglikse gebruiksartikels na die verafliggende gebiede toe te vat. Hulle moes die wind en weer, gevaarlike omstandighede trotseer om trekkers eenvoudige artikels soos koffie en suiker te voorsien.
Ek sou dink dat hulle elke koppie koffie net soveel meer waardeer het.

In ons familie is nie net koffie-drink 'n tradisie nie, maar ook die voorbereiding daarvan. My ma het op 'n plaas grootgeword, waar my Ouma self haar koffiebone gebrand en gemaal het. Ou Johanna het vir ure met 'n houtlepel, so lank soos syself, die swart pot met koffiebone om en om geroer en miskoeke gestook tot die bone soos toffie aan mekaar begin koek het. Op die regte tyd sou my Ouma 'n "sampletjie" kom vat, dit maal en dan besluit of die bone nou al lank genoeg gebrand het.
Dit is my koffie-herinnering. Vanuit hierdie raamwerk meet ek my koffiebelewenisse.

Vir elkeen beteken koffie iets anders. Meeste van ons gebruik dit om wakker te word in die oggend, vir ander is dit die enigste poeding wat hulle nodig het na ete, dit is boeretroos, kuiermateriaal, hou studente laatnag wakker.
Vertrekke voel geselliger, deurdrenk met die reuk van koffie.

Vir sommige is dit 'n blote verslawing, ander is fynproewers (of eerder drinkers). Enige uitgeputte stapper of reisiger besef gou die waarde van die lafenissie. Elke stad maak ruimte vir koffiewinkels en of jy dit uit porselein of kartonkoppies drink, meeste van ons het dit broodnodig vir oorlewing in ons gejaagde lewe.

Ons almal kan dit bekostig of dit nou Frisco or Douw Egberts is, dit kom in alle vorms en geure. Bone, as jy die volle koffie-ervaring van maal to drink wil beleef tot kitskorrels vir die wat wil gryp en hardloop.

Vele gesondheidsberigte is al gewy aan die nadele van koffie vir die liggaam - hartkloppings, angs, osteoperose - alles is al aan koffie toegeskryf.
Verlig was ek toe ek nou die dag op die beriggie afkom wat beweer dat 2-3 koppies koffie 'n dag eintlik goed vir mens se gesondheid is. Dit verminder kolonkanker en selfs Parkinson's.
Sjoe, miskien rede om minder skuldig te voel.

Koffie is op een of ander manier deel van meeste van ons se lewens. Vir almal het dit 'n sekere plek en funksie en al skryf ons nooit opstelle van bewondering of klink glasies koffie op ons heil nie, wil ek tog 'n bekertjie op koffie klink.

'n Onfeilbare metgesel, 'n stil bron van vertroosting, 'n vriend op lang kuieraande, studiekameraad voor eksamens.
Wit of swart, soet of bitter, sterk of flou - op koffie!
Prost!

Dimensions

Everyday I learn something new about myself. As time passes by I discover more and more dimensions of my personality which I didn't even know existed.
It is as if the light of every different circumstance we are placed in reveals a kaleidoscope of personality colours previously unseen by the inner eye.

Like an onion with different layers we also have layers in our personality. The first layer is what I know about myself. Then there is the layer consisting of other's perspectives and opinions of me (which I may only partially comprehend), then what I know about myself but hide from others and finally what only God knows about me (those things hidden in my subconscious that I don't even have access to).

I realise now that I may never be able to know myself to the fullest - there might always be parts of myself hidden, waiting for exploration.

I have to therefore create opportunities, make time to spend in God's presence to listen to His revelations about me. I have to hear from him who I am in Him, confirm that my desires are in line with His will for my life. Only through time spent with him will I be able to get the the most inner layer of my being.

I also realised that if I am not able to even comprehend the depths of my own existence, how will I ever be able to understand someone else completely? Therefore every moment with someone else is special, because every moment is an opportunity to explore the hidden treasures in someone else. We should not waste time on negative attitudes, hurt and bitterness. Every moment lost is a moment we don't have to spend on discovering the hope, love and joy within someone else.

God also uses circumstances in our lives as filters to purify some of our personality traits. Through this we are transformed. People who were aggressive become calm, the impatient become patient - all because they have opened the doors of their minds to the inspiration and presence of the Holy Spirit. He has the power to peel through all those layers of dimensions in my personality and bring me to a point of perspective. A point of self-conscious awareness. A point where I will be able to make decisions not based on what I believe others think of me, but rather on how I know God perceives me.

Greatness

"We can't do great things. Only small things with great love."
Mother Teresa

We are all born and bred in the soil of aspirations. Even before we were born our parents, even grandparents had some aspirations for us, some more realistic than others. Very often parents aspire their children to be the person they could or never had the opportunity to be themselves. You get raised with those aspirations spoken into your life everyday.

As you become older you develop aspirations of your own. We all remember the fireman, policeman era. You want to rescue others, be a hero, be remembered.

Once we reach the end of school, suddenly these aspirations need refinement. They need to take the shape of a career path. Now you have to start with the actual work to make those aspirations become a reality. You get disillusioned, small successes make you hunger for more. You want to be good at what you do, but keep a balance between work and play.

Through all these phases of life things change. Your aspirations might change, your level of confidence grows or gets cut down, you start to see life through a different pair of glasses. Past experiences shape your future focus.

One things never changes though - we all want to be great. Great at what we do, who we are. We want to be remembered.

Then the truth hits you, through the words of a woman who will be remembered across generations of heroes. Mother Teresa herself says that we can't do great things, we can't change the world. We will always be replaceable. This sounds hopeless.

Luckily she gives the answer as well: we can do small things with great love. Love conquers all. We can change ourselves, our attitudes. In love we can pay it forward. We can care about the person, not the cause or the task.

Through doing small things we can make lasting differences by living in the here and now, and then without even realising it we will become truly great.

Get Played

Lady Titanic vs. Lady Grey

Imagine two different scenarios:
Scenario 1 - Lady Titanic
Mario and I treated ourselves for a lunch at Moyo at Zoo Lake. They had a live band - four South Africans, two ladies and two men. One of the ladies did the vocals, the men on the drums and keyboard between the two of them and the other lady, to our astonishment played the bass guitar. Maybe not that amazing, when listening to me describing it, but picture this: she must weigh nearly 200 kg and definitely not dressed to kill.
So with this picture before us we were blown away by the sound she was getting out of that guitar.
She will make any musician envious and while playing that instrument, with passion, she looked like the queen of rhythm and jazz.
She is the player of an instrument.

Scenario 2 - Lady Grey
We are in church, time for praise and worship. The band is leading the way through their harmonious accord they create an atmosphere of holiness. They also have a base guitar player. Also a lady. She does not look like a musician either. She looks like she is visiting from a nearby retirement village. Her grey hair rhythmically banging along as she plucks the strings. One could not keep from wondering if her grandchildren enjoy her music. She made me wanting to play that instrument.
She looked like the queen of praise and worship.
She is the player of an instrument.

One instrument two opposite players.

I appreciate people who live beyond their appearances, do what they want to do despite other's expectations.

We are all instruments. Instruments with a choice. Although we cannot play our own strings, create our own tunes, we can choose who to get played by.
That choice affects the tune we live by everyday. How we perceive ourselves and project ourselves to others.

We can choose to be played by a master Musician, by God Himself. Because He created you as His instrument, he knows you. He knows how to play you to create the purest sound, so that you can fulfill the purpose for which you were created.

We can't play ourselves - we need a song to sing that was created outside of us. A song written for us even before our existence.

Don't play your own life song, rather get played by the Master Musician.

Facts and Events

In a country on the Southern tip of Africa there was a strike. People wanted more money. They decided to stay away from work in an attempt to force the government of that country to pay them what they demanded. During that time there were still people who, despite threats continued to work, believing that through staying away it may cause more harm than good.
There was one such a lady. She went to work everyday, despite the threats. But the strikers got angry. One day after work, on her way home she was attacked. The strikers hit her, broke her neck, broke her life...
These were the events that led to this contemplation.

There are a few events that lead to the attack. There was a strike. A few workers continued working. Then there were the events leading to the attack and the actual attack.
Could these have been prevented. We will always be able to see opportunities for possible prevention of events when we look at life retrospectively.

Through this story we also come in contact with many facts. Money makes the world go round. People are cruel. People kill. People hate others.
No matter how long we stare at these written facts, we can't change them.

A fact is defined as: something known to be true, a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that occurred.
When looking at the definition there is a finality surrounding it. It cannot be changed by circumstances, feelings, relationships.
We have to stare the facts in the eye - and we can only stare, because we can't change a fact.
Facts can make us feel helpless, hopeless, frustrated, but on the other hand there are also facts that can serve as anchors and guidance in times of uncertainty.

Then there are events. Things that happen in life - good or bad. Knowing that we can't change facts, we as humans attempt to take control over the events in our lives. We make choices in the faith that those will guide the course of our lives into a direction that will favour this one life of ours on earth, into a accumulation of positive events.
Our environments get policed, events legalised, others banned to mould the events surrounding us into a governable environment.

Once an event has occurred, it becomes a fact, or as we like to refer to it: history. We try to prevent events - which we can control, to a certain extent, from becoming a chaotic accumulation of facts or history. And yes, we are successful at it, to some extent. But where we fail people can get hurt, they can even die.

As humans we can't change facts, only prevent certain events.

As I was sifting through all the events surrounding us, turning into facts and history through the arms of time I realised: that is why Jesus came. He came to change facts, that which is humanly not possible. By dying, mutilated on a cross, He walked through the gates of death to change all the known facts about humankind.
By conquering death he turned the cruelty of humankind into kindness, hatred into life, killers into life preservers.
He gave us hope, our only hope... Those who accept him, know him will see the facts written over their lives, the things that they thought nobody would ever be able to change, all changed in an instant.

Only He can change the facts of time.

Fast Lane Living

I eat too fast, drive too fast, don't have enough time for simple things in life, time to be quiet and reflect, time to invest in those around me.

These symptoms are all known to us - all part of a syndrome, so often diagnosable: Fast Lane Living.
Every day we are confronted with a mathematical equation, that we are fooled to believe is true: speed = efficacy.
We are prone to believe that the faster we progress, the more we will get done. Very soon we are trapped in the maize of our own routines and efforts, just to meet the deadline, get the job done.

Everything we do become time-framed. 6-7 - get up, dress; 7-8- drive to work; drop children off; 8-5 - work; 5-6 - drive home; 6-8 - feed everyone; 8-10 - get more work done. Everyday this repeats itself. Somewhere down the line we loose ourselves, we start living past those around us.

When approaching life as a race, there are a few characteristics of a race, that we will inevitably incorporate into our lives:

• A race only has one winner.The race towards success, prestige and worldly recognition often has only one winner. If we are not on top of the success ladder we start to believe falsely that we are failures. But what would be the alternative? God wants us to run the race towards eternity. In God's race every participant has the opportunity to become a winner. The only prerequisite is that you have to finish what you have started. It is not about how quickly you can get it done, but if and how you get it done. The race must be against yourself, don't measure yourself against others. God is more concerned about our soul-welfare, than our material-welfare. He wants you to grow within yourself. You will never be able to grow if you constantly compare yourself to others, because unfortunately you will always find a virtue in other, which you feel you will never be able to have.
• To be the best is the ultimate goal in life. The truth is- if you are not content before you become the best you will not feel any better with a gold medal in your hand. It's like the small boy who asked his father to play darts with him: "Daddy, I will throw and then you can just stand there and say - Wonderful!" We do so many things in life just to hear others say: "Wonderful!". We are so often motivated by recognition, money and fame. We are taught to live a result driven life. Something can surely not make sense without a clear consequence attached to it. We have to learn to enjoy things that do not have a direct benefit for us. Value the things where we needn't be the best or the brightest, but can only be ourselves.
• We flourish in competitive environments. Maybe it is still part of our survival instinct. Survival or not, we are not happier people once we become competitive. Even those who think they are tough can break beneath the pressures we so often put upon ourselves. When exposed to extended periods of stress there are a few things that are threatened to give in. Our basic physiology becomes deranged. People become ill, they can't sleep, they eat too much or too little, they are tired, suffer from headaches, stomach ulcers just to name a few. Relationships crumble. We don't have time for friends or family. Small things irritate us. Eventually we end up not even knowing who we are anymore. We loose purpose.

An engine running at high revolutions needs more petrol and more frequent maintenance. We cannot always avoid living in the fast lane. The demands of our current day and age simply puts you there, not always by your own choice. During these fast lane times we have to make time to refuel. Take time off to contemplate our maintenance.

Drive carefully. Keep to the speed limit. Stop every few hours to rest. Don't ignore warning signs. Plan the route ahead.

In the end, the journey is more important than the destination.

Jakaranda Tree

We can find strength and comfort in so many things. During one of the most difficult times in my life I was comforted by a Jakaranda tree, full in bloom. It was during a time I felt so alone, walking away from a long relationship.
I drove past the Jakaranda tree every day, a common sight in Pretoria. But this tree was different. It stood alone on a piece of ground, not among many others on the side of the road, as they usually do.

The fact that it was alone did not stand in its way. It was truly an amazing tree. Almost double the size of the other trees, drenched in purple, it was a source of awe for everyone passing by. This tree was embracing the growing space that it was granted. On its own it used its solitude to bloom, grow and bring joy into the lives of others.

Sometimes God also takes us through trials to a solitary piece of ground. A place He has chosen for us, where we can grow freely and become a source of hope, joy and peace to others in our lives.
We do not always understand where God may lead. But when the path takes us to fertile ground, where the Gardener can prune and water us to serve others, then we will understand.

Dreams

" Things don't change. You change your way of looking, that's all."
Carlos Castaneda

Our dreams are influenced and changed by time. As we grow older our priorities, goals and dreams change. Our dreams mingle with experience, wisdom, cynisism, new perspectives. Time might grant us the opportunity to spend more time with long lost dreams - to rediscover them.
Does not matter how we spend our time on dream development, it is important to keep our minds fertile, always cultivating new dream seeds.

Years ago me and Mario drew inspiration from a couple. We met them while on holiday by the sea. Beside the fire in the evenings they came to share with us their plans and dreams for the future. Being very young, energetic and positive about our future together we already accumulated quite a few dreams for our future together. Some of those dreams seemed so unrealistically far away, we sometimes felt that we would never have the time to get to them all. Listening to this couple describing their dream to build the retirement home of their dreams, on their farm beside the Vaal River, similar to the house in the movie - The Golden Pond, inspired me to live by the philosophy that we may never grow too old to dream.
We will only be old once, regret has taken the place of our dreams.

With time our dreams will change, to fall into the scope of our physical abilities and spiritual season of growth, but our age may never be an excuse not to dream.

• Many dreams have subdivisions. The dream is not and end in itself. One dream might through its fulfillment generate the power to put another dream within reach. Dreams pave the way for each other.

• When one dream comes true there will always be the danger that the things which gave us joy previously are not big enough to sustain us. It is as if the new dream, now a reality has heightened our standards. Remember, with every achievement, with every success you have to force yourself to stay on ground level. Always draw your joy and peace from God, the only eternal sustainable source of satisfaction. Distance yourself from your dreams that became reality, it may never become that which sustains you.

• With every dream comes a sacrifice and risk. Working towards the fulfillment of your dreams mean to rise, to fly above everyday obstacles and challenges. You won't be able to fly with heavy baggage attached to you. We have to leave some things behind. Many people have given up their dreams, because they feel more comfortable on ground level surrounded by their baggage. Its a choice between security vs uncertainty. You have to weigh up the price. Choose well my friend.

• Believe in your dreams. If you are sure that those dreams are within God's will for your life they will come true. God will put your patience and faith to the test. But once He is sure that you are worthy of this dream He has planted within you, He will give it to you. For years I have walked around with a picture in my head of the perfect man for me. Through the years the image changes a little, but the basic characterisitics stayed the same. I believed in this dream, but as the years passed by I started to doubt the existence of such a man. Just before I gave up on the dream, he arrived. He is not perfect, our relationship is a work in progress. But I can hang in there, I can give everything, I can enjoy even the hard times all because I did not forsake me dream and it did not forsake me.

• Dreams are influenced by the people we come in contact with. People introduce us to realms previously unknown to us. We can't dream if we don't have something to dream about. Through other people we are enriched, our dreams become weaved around the ones we love and respect. God use people to encourage us to take the risks needed to make our dreams reality. Most of us will know of someone, if not ourselves, who would not have been able to be who they are if it wasn't for the continous support of someone else. Our dreams are shaped those around us.

We might be walking around with skeleton dreams, those dreams where the end is written, but the route to get there is unclear. Those dreams need the muscle of direction to bring them alive. God will use people in your life to become like a honeyguide, showing you the route to Canaan. It will still be your dream, you will still need to take the risks, but don't be afraid to take guidance from others.

Everyone who have had a the privilege of tasting the honey of a dream come true, have an obligation. Use your experience to become a honey guide in the dreams of other people. Use you influence, your faith, your wisdom to help others make their dreams come true. That in itself will be a dream fulfilled.

Stilte

Vir baie lank kon ek nie skryf nie. Dis nie dat ek nie probeer het nie - ek was opsoek na stories, maar selfs met 'n idee in my agterkop wou die woorde nie kom nie.

Tot ek op 'n dag uit pure frutstrasie aan 'n gebrek na iets om the luister, die karradio afgesit het. Toe die stilte my tref was my eerste instink om die radio weer aan te sit. Ek moes vir 'n paar minute veg teen die instinktiewe drang om die leë spasie te vul met klank.

Hoekom is ons so bang vir stilte? Elke oomblik van die dag wil ons gesus word met die wete dat ons nie alleen op aarde is nie - ons wil hoor van ander se ellende op die nuus, saam sing op die maat van die nuutste Highveld Stereo treffer. Ons klou aan ons selfone, praat asof ons nooit weer gehoor sal word nie.

Hoekom is mens ongemaklik wanneer jy alleen is met net jou eie gedagtes as agtergrondmusiek?

Want ons ken onsself nie meer nie. En hoe kan jy gemaklik wees in iemand se geselskap wie jy nie ken nie. Dit vat tyd om iemand te leerken. Die proses is soms langsaam en pynlik, sonder enige waarborge. Wie weet - jy mag dalk dinge omtrent jouself uitvind wat jy nooit geweet het nie, of nie kans sien om in die gesig te staar nie.

Maar ons bly jaag na doelwitte, wat uiteindelik wanneer ons terugkyk oor ons lewens betekenisloos was, omdat ons nooit stil geword het en tyd gemaak het om onsself in ons eie belsuite te ken nie.

Ek kon vir baie lank nie skryf nie, want hoe kan ek skryf wanneer ek my eie stem nie meer hoor nie?

Moenie bang wees vir stilte nie - omarm dit, proe dit, ruik dit, kyk dit vol in die oë. Jy mag dalk net jouself in oomblikke van stilte raakloop.

Suurdeeg

Ek het vandag gaan brood koop - 'n gereelde gebeurtenis. Maar vandag was anders. Terwyl ek staan en wag dat die vrou wat my help die brood in 'n sakkie gooi en 'n prys opplak vang my oog 'n houer met klein bolletjies wat wag om oond toe te gaan.

Klein bolletjies deeg, nie eers 5cm in deursnit nie. Party met sesame saadjies op, party met kaas en ander met 'n bietjie knoffel.

Ek staan met my broodrolle in die hand. Groot, vet rolletjies. Daardie einste rolletjies was ook 5cm in deursnit. Dit was voor hulle vir 40 minute in die oond beland het. Daardie klein rolletjies het, te danke aan die gistingsproses, die kombinasie van suurdeeg en hitte, wat die deeg deurtrek, groot genoeg geword om my maag vol te maak.

Daardie klein stukkie deeg word onder die invloed van daardie suurdeeg groot genoeg om mense te voed, van energie te verskaf. Was die suurdeeg nie daar nie sou daardie stukkie deeg klein bly en kliphard word.

So is ons ook - inherent is ons 'n klein stukkie deeg. Ons voel dikwels of ons niks kan bereik nie, geen verskil kan maak nie. Maar wanneer die Heilige Gees in ons lewe, verander alles. Ons hele binneste word deur die Heilige Gees se teenwoordigheid gevul. Ons rys uit bo ons eie kragte, ons kan ander mense se honger na liefde versadig, ons gee substansie aan ander deur ons teenwoordigheid.

Ons is tot alles instaat deur die Gees wat soos suurdeeg ons hele lewe deurtrek. Sonder hierdie suurdeeg sal ons kliphard word, sonder enige waarde wat ons tot ander se lewens toevoeg.

Soos brooddeeg suurdeeg nodig het om brood te word, so het ons die Gees nodig om waarlik mens te word.

Nuwejaar

Reis skep nuwe openbarings. Jy leer jouself ken, leer om met jouself en ander saam te leef. Die vreemde word die enigste realiteit, jou beplanning geskeduleer rondom die vorming van blywende herinneringe.

Vir my bly een van die blywendste openbarings van reis die unieke kulture en gebruike van die vreemde mense waarmee jy in kontak kom. Aanvanklik klink en kom almal so vreemd voor in vergelyking met jouself. Die taal, eetgewoontes, optrede, manier van dink en waardesisteme van bevolkingsgroepe reg oor die aarde is uniek. Jy verstaan nie altyd hoekom mense reageer soos hulle doen, wat hulle motivering is vir 'n sekere optrede nie. Maar dit alles is deel van die belewenis.

Soos mens meer en meer reis begin mens later deur 'n ander bril na mense kyk. Jy besef dat die mens tog 'n universele wese is. Daar is ooreenkomste wat oor kultuurgrense heen strek. Ooreenkomste wat nie bepaal word deur agtergrond, opvoeding of landsgrense nie. Ons almal ken vreugde, verlange, almal wil geborge voel, 'n doelwit om na te streef.

Almal van ons verstaan die taal van hartseer. Ons almal het al vrees in die gesig gekyk. Almal van ons wil op ons kniee gaan in dankbaarheid, maar ook om woorde in afhanklikheid te prewel.

Handdrukke ken geen dialek nie, 'n glimlag het nie 'n tolk nodig nie.

So is dit dan: tussen die verskille bestaan ook die raakpunte. In ons land deurweef met soveel kultuurklere, mag ons in hierdie nuwe jaar ons verskill omhels, want dit maak ons en die land waarin ons woon uniek.

Ons moet leer bymekaar, en gee vir mekaar.

Terwyl ons dan ons verskille omhels, mag ons ooreemkomste raakpunte word. Mag ons sien waar ons die universele taal van liefde en aanvaarding kan praat. Vrede ontkiem nie daar waar jy die mense om jou verander het om in jou raamwerk te pas nie. Nee, dit is daar waar jy verryk kan word uit die diversiteit wat jou omring.

Jy hoef nie met almal en alles saam te stem nie. Bly jouself, wees trots op wie jy is en waar jy vandaan kom. Gun dit vir jouself, maar meer belangrik ook vir die om jou.

Voorspoedige 2010!