a short while ago i stumbled on to this link about these 2 college students who snuck into an empty classroom and then did some incredibly creative stuff. i can only imagine the effect it would have had on the students. the anticipation that it would have built up in the whole school of which class is going to be next, what saying is going to appear, how is it going to look and all [...]
[Tuesday May 13th] I am taking a break from a Share conference I am attending as part of Common Change... I really wish I could capture the heart and essence of the opening remarks and the morning's sessions, but I imagine I will fail dismally. But I will try out something together anyway because I really believe this is something we all need to be thinking about, reading up on, talking about and getting [...]
Wow. Boom. Things just got real people. Having just witnessed Simon Peter's 'Life or Death' declaration of absolute faithfulness to Jesus at the Last Supper, we now have this follow up story where Peter is denying Jesus left, right and centre... until suddenly, the piercing sound of a rooster is heard... Join me as i work through Mark 14.66-72: [For the next passage which sees Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate, click [...]
Continuing our journey with Mark as we head towards the end of Jesus' life as He heads for the garden where He will be arrested and then later tried. i take some time to look at what He does or maybe more importantly what He doesn't do - what He says and what He doesn't say, to see where we can learn how we can and should respond in similiar flavoured circumstances:. Join me [...]
As we continue on with Mark, we have this very interesting passage that might leave us wondering why Jesus kept the disciples around. But then if you're anything like me, you'll probably be super glad that He did. [and does!] Join me as we look at Mark 14. 27-42 and maybe take a moment to thank God that He uses the foolish of the world to confound the wise... [For the [...]
yesterday, tbV and i went to visit our friend Lilly Lewin in Napa for a morning activity of prayer, reflection and listening to God that she calls 'Time in the Vines'. one of the activities was selecting a stone with a random word on it and the word i picked was 'Gratitude' and one of the things i did while reflecting was write this poem: GRATITUDE as i drag my almost lifeless body one more [...]
yesterday as we drove to park our car before work, tbV and i saw some traffic cops putting a white piece of paper on a parked car... immediately we jumped to the conclusion that it was a parking ticket and went to that place you go to when you see a cop sticking a ticket on a car [even when it's not yours] - Urgh, shtupidt cop! or some rendition of that... as we drove [...]
This is such a short baby of a psalm that it is worth publishing the whole thing here: 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity [...]
"Not taking offense is 10 times harder than not giving it. Try going a day without taking offense when criticized." That is how Peter Enns ends off this simple but profound blog piece titled '6 thoughts–let’s call them tips–on publicly criticizing and being criticized' and while you should totally go and read the whole piece to see his explanations of each point, i thought i would simply share the six points he makes: 1. To write is [...]
i remember the day my pastor boss from the Vineyard church in Stellenbosch asked me something along the lines of: IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE? and my answer really seemed to impress something upon him, as he brought it up on many occasions after that, but it was something like: THIS. THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO. we like the idea of being 'called into something' [us christians [...]