#1. you have a reason to go somewhere else - i understand for some people if they are living in fear and feel like for family and children's sake that they need to be somewhere else then sure, maybe you need to do that. Val and i went to the Simple Way because we felt God was leading us there and we are now part of Relational Tithe/Common Change as we feel like it is [...]
well, not really, but i think the permanent ADT guard who lives in a little wooden hut across from my buddy Dunc's house where i stay may be suspecting that's what i do... purely for the number of different cars of all shapes and sizes that he has seen me drive into 2 Smithers Road over the last two months... i am always friendly and i always wave at him [or hims, because i think [...]
one of the first things i want to do once i am settled in Americaland is buy a copy of this song 'You won't relent' by Jesus Culture - i find the lyrics and the singing of it so powerfully haunting and it just resonates s completely with my soul in terms of catching a glimpse of how God sees me. i am reminded of this passage from 2 Corinthians 2.14-15 which says, 'For Christ's [...]
Robert is a friend that tbV and i met once in Americaland at a protest of sorts and have since become strong online friends and co-appreciators of Pearls Before Swine and other shared forms of humour as well as sharing in a hunger for following Jesus - he has been married to Heather for close to 18 years and while this is more of a story than a 'one thing to learn' piece, there is [...]
Continuing my sharing of positive news: Anyone who has heard Nick Vujicic speak or seen him on a video will have been deeply inspired... Nick's Wikipedia page gives a brief intro to this giant of a man: 'Nicholas James "Nick" Vujicic (born 4 December 1982) is a Serbian Australian evangelist and motivational speaker born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare 'disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. As a child, he struggled mentally and [...]
in the light of the Oscar Pistorius case and other heavy negative stories that are filling up the newswaves, it is good to be reminded of some of the good stories that are taking place out there: 'At the end of January, eight days of rain left the people of Limpopo reeling. The district of Vhembe was one of the worst hit areas. Homes were damaged, water pipes broken and uprooted, and at least eight [...]
in the midst of all the recent focus on murder and rape and negativity that has been jamming up the media and our minds and social networks, i figured it was time to seek out some inspirational life-giving stories of positivity and hope - what a gem to begin with: Just 23 years old, Nicholas McCarthy also appeared at the 2012 Paralympics 'although McCarthy’s moment of fame came as a musical performer when he played [...]
my wife, the beautiful Val [tbV], is an incredible writer who does not blog often enough - i tell he this often and she agrees and one hope i have of this coming 18 months where our work week looks like it should be a lot closer to 30 hours rather than 80 might just give her the opportunity to do so... if you have never read her stuff before than you should and especially [...]
instead i got to hang out with my buddy Uel Maree for about an hour, catching him up on my story for the last two years and getting to hear some of his. Just over a year ago now, Uel Maree, helping out a girls group on an adventure camp, dived into a river in a spot he knew well as one where they launched canoes regularly, but this time something was different. He has [...]
one of my favourite pics ever! some friends of mine ran a worship camp in the middle of a farm in Namibia and i was part of helping put the thing together - one of the best aspects was being out of cellphone contact and apart from some electricity for instruments it was amazing to be almost completely 'unplugged' for the four days of camping [knowing that hot water could be boiled on the fire [...]