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all human – a poem by Michael Toy

all human we are all fools all believe something which if we were suddenly pressed we would deny quickly or slowly slink away we are all heretics holding onto one secret thought which would make us outcasts we all wish for one thing with all our hearts which, if it came true would leave us wishing for something better we all forgive as little as possible and only if we think we'll get something in [...]

Love, Patience and Stupid People…

As a follower of Jesus, this really is my mantra. Love one another. This is how you will be known to be My [Jesus] disciples, if you have love one for another. When i spend a decent amount of time online challenging people about their beliefs and actions, this often comes to mind. After all the church has a pretty bad history of typically being known more for what we are against than what we [...]

By |2015-09-24T10:02:51+02:00September 24th, 2015|challenging thorts, things to wrestle with|0 Comments

It started out as an apology of sorts…

So, as you may know if you are someone who follows this blog, this last week has been a little rugby-enduced fighty on the Facebook. i had two people in particular who pointed out to me the problem [me] which seemed to somehow be linked to my having too much opinion on too many things on Facebook: I'm troubled by the fact that you have an opinion about everyone and everything Brett, you do seem [...]

By |2015-09-23T13:29:14+02:00September 23rd, 2015|fun|5 Comments

Breaking Bread [with Trev]: Changing your Mind mid Conversation

They say you can't really be friends with someone you've only met on the internetweb. i say pot-ah-to. Trevor Ruddock Black [or Trev, to keep things, you know, moving along] is one of a number of those people. He has guest posted on my blog and allowed me to do the same on his. The thing i like most about Trevor's blog aka Swart Donkey, is that he seeks out stories and posts of good [...]

By |2015-09-22T06:57:24+02:00September 22nd, 2015|fun, thorts of other people|11 Comments

Whose Line do you listen to, anyway?

This week has been a little fighty fighty on the Facebook and i'm not sure why. i strongly suspect it is linked to the Rugby World Cup that has been happening as touching on that 'holy grail' in a country so passionate about the sport definitely touches a nerve. As does most conversation about race. So in the midst of three days of more 'taking people on' than i am typically used to, i had someone [...]

How to be an Ally: The Ten Commandments of Communication

My friends Alexa Russell Matthews and Nicole Joshua recently ran a workshop titled, "The 'Colour' Elephant in the Room" which you can read some of a participant's experience of over here. What stood out to me though was this list of what was referred to as the 'Ten Commandments' which was the basis of a commitment to engage well with each other. For those of us seeking to be positively involved in conversation and action in the [...]

How to be an Ally: Intro

When i was looking for an image to reflect the idea of becoming an Ally i found this poster and really liked it. Because the question that i am wrestling with at the moment is just that: How to Be a Better Ally, specifically when it comes to matters of Race. And possibly one of the biggest pieces of this puzzle is that the answer should not have to come from people of colour. [...]

Where the Hope lies…

In a moment of brave-ity two night's ago i decided to ask the South African internet a question. I was reading a book that pointed back to the idea of South Africa being renamed Azania and i didn't think that was the worst idea. After all 'South Africa' is just a direction, right. What do you think? Who would be okay with a name change and why? i also posted an article by Xolela Mangcu [...]

How to Lose a Friend in Ten Ways – part Late and Worse

Let's face it, most of us are going to be late occasionally. But it's when you make it a consistent habit that it becomes annoying and it is another character trait that can really affect a friendship. Especially if you do it enough that you become known as 'that guy/that girl'. [And it might be important to throw in a cultural disclaimer here cos this is definitely a very western time-focused mindset to have and [...]

By |2015-09-16T09:05:20+02:00September 16th, 2015|friends and enemas, pain and Hope, tricky things|2 Comments

Taboo Topic: Cancer – Journeying with Aaron [Testicular Cancer] – Part Glimpses and Truths

Continuing to share some of Aaron's story of his journey with and away from testicular cancer which you can find in full over here, i decided to grab three sections from three longer posts to share some of the insights he gained along the way as well as some of the challenges he faced and encouragements he received along the way. There is something for us all to learn here: = = = = = [...]

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