The curious title for this post is because I'm not sure what I'll end up penning (that's code for: "I feel like rambling on some". Today's been one of those weird days: I woke up very heavy hearted and I couldn't pinpoint what the cause was. I just blamed it on the hormones (yes Nosy, it's THAT time of the month).
As I drove to work I took a call from my mom telling me of the passing of Dr Myles Munroe... I was sad to hear the news but I really wasn't shaken. Death makes me sad but I'm not "shaken to the core" by it (story for another day).
As the morning unfolded I had so much on my mind: #Purpose #LivingWell #FinishYourRace #Love #Influence #Legacy these were all influenced by all the tributes I read of this great man.
I'm sitting here right now and I'm just inspired to be all that God has created me to be. If you remember anything from this extremely random post, I do pray it is this: "Life is not as long as we act like it is. Live hard; laugh hard; love hard."
God causes our paths to cross with so many people, if you have the opportunity to leave have an indelible influence on someone - make sure that it's a good mark you leave.
#LetLoveReign in you and through you.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
"When are you getting married?"
Since my late twenties the question I seem to hear more that any other has got to be, "When are you getting married?" ... when I draw a blank or sound non-committal in my response; that question is usually followed by, "Do you WANT to get married?". Oh boy!
For all those who don't know me from a bar of soap, let me start by giving you a bit of background (not too much - I've still to get over my phobia of 'oversharing' on this internet with a memory like an elephant!): I am a 31 year old black woman, living in South Africa. I am a Christian i.e. what I do/ don't do; feel guilty about doing; how I do what I do etc. is always influenced by my relationship with Jesus Christ. I was raised by my single mom, am her only child (and 1 of about 26 children sired by my late father - I tell you no lies #StoryForAnotherDay). I am the eldest grandchild from my mom's family; the first grandchild to go to varsity; live on her own (and behind my back, I know that I'm called "The Independent One"). Okay, I digress but that should give you some indication of what kind of "animal" you're dealing with here.
Now, back to that question. It's not that I don't want to get married and it's not that I don't sometimes miss having someone who will care that I fell and cried like a baby i.e. the small, seemingly unimportant daily happenings in my life - I do want all of that but... well, if it was so easy then I'd have that. Right? I've actually started responding to this question in this way (depending on who is asking):
What inspired me to rant on this blog is a meeting that I had yesterday with an older brother/ YoungDaddy who I hadn't seen in a while. As we were catching up "THE QUESTION" came up once again and I guess that got me thinking. I know that writing about this slight frustration won't stop "my people" from asking me, "When are you getting married?" or the variation, "Why aren't you married yet?" but this sure has helped me get something off my chest.
Thanks for "listening". #AsYouWere
For all those who don't know me from a bar of soap, let me start by giving you a bit of background (not too much - I've still to get over my phobia of 'oversharing' on this internet with a memory like an elephant!): I am a 31 year old black woman, living in South Africa. I am a Christian i.e. what I do/ don't do; feel guilty about doing; how I do what I do etc. is always influenced by my relationship with Jesus Christ. I was raised by my single mom, am her only child (and 1 of about 26 children sired by my late father - I tell you no lies #StoryForAnotherDay). I am the eldest grandchild from my mom's family; the first grandchild to go to varsity; live on her own (and behind my back, I know that I'm called "The Independent One"). Okay, I digress but that should give you some indication of what kind of "animal" you're dealing with here.
Now, back to that question. It's not that I don't want to get married and it's not that I don't sometimes miss having someone who will care that I fell and cried like a baby i.e. the small, seemingly unimportant daily happenings in my life - I do want all of that but... well, if it was so easy then I'd have that. Right? I've actually started responding to this question in this way (depending on who is asking):
- an older lady asking "the question", get's this response "Ma, you need to pray harder for that man to find me!"
- a guy friend asking "the question", get's this response "Bhuti, when are you hooking me up with some eligible brothers?"
- a girl friend asking "the question", get's this response "Sisi, you're dropping the ball - when are you pointing your eligible brothers my way?"
What inspired me to rant on this blog is a meeting that I had yesterday with an older brother/ YoungDaddy who I hadn't seen in a while. As we were catching up "THE QUESTION" came up once again and I guess that got me thinking. I know that writing about this slight frustration won't stop "my people" from asking me, "When are you getting married?" or the variation, "Why aren't you married yet?" but this sure has helped me get something off my chest.
Thanks for "listening". #AsYouWere
Friday, October 3, 2014
When I Became a Man
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." - 1 Corinthians 13:11 New International Version (NIV)
Friday, June 13, 2014
Death be not proud...
I've just learnt of the sudden passing of one of my colleagues. In the announcement of his passing, the following was quoted:
Dehino ‘smin yatha dehekaumara yauvana jaratatha dehantara-praptirdhiras tatra na muhyati (Bhagavad gita, Chapter 2, Text 13)
Translated: “As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change”.
I thought that is quite a profound text. Death is not the end, merely a transition. #DeathBeNotProud
I could not help but think of 1 Peter 4:12,13:
"12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." (New Living Translation)
#ThinkItNotStrange
1 Corinthians 10: 13 also came rushing through my mind:
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (New King James Version)
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (New Living Translation)
I cannot imagine what pain his family is going through - or will be going through "when the dust settles". Death is not an easy experience but it certainly is not a unique experience. I pray that his family will be comforted during this time.
Death be not proud...
Dehino ‘smin yatha dehekaumara yauvana jaratatha dehantara-praptirdhiras tatra na muhyati (Bhagavad gita, Chapter 2, Text 13)
Translated: “As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change”.
I thought that is quite a profound text. Death is not the end, merely a transition. #DeathBeNotProud
I could not help but think of 1 Peter 4:12,13:
"12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." (New Living Translation)
#ThinkItNotStrange
1 Corinthians 10: 13 also came rushing through my mind:
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (New King James Version)
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (New Living Translation)
I cannot imagine what pain his family is going through - or will be going through "when the dust settles". Death is not an easy experience but it certainly is not a unique experience. I pray that his family will be comforted during this time.
Death be not proud...
Monday, March 31, 2014
Thoughts from my recent trip to Israel
One of the things that struck me the most during my
recent trip to Israel (1st – 9th March 2014) is how much
of the land the people used for farming and the whole time I was there, I
enjoyed drinking their grapefruit juice and sampling a wide range of fruits on
a daily basis!
In
my ignorance about Israel, I did not realise how advanced their Agricultural
Industry is – I honestly just thought of the “Holy land” as a dry place! I can
compare my surprise to how, when I first arrived in Johannesburg in 2006, I
pleasantly discovered that the “City of Gold” was not the concrete jungle that I
had envisioned – its many trees being the city’s saving grace in this regard.
As we went about our pilgrimage, I could not help but
compare their mostly dry and relatively small land to my home country, South Africa.
I’m no land expert but when I look around, South Africa has far more optimum
farming conditions and plenty of unused land yet the utilisation cannot be
compared to Israel’s use of their land resource. During my 8 days in Israel, I kept on thinking of
the many “idle” fields in my own village and surrounding villages and couldn’t
help feel some sadness.
As I write this, I have
many questions regarding what could have gone “wrong” over the last couple of
decades to shift the priority from the agriculture. What little I know about
farming is that it is not for the lazy! Could it be that we have become lazier…
maybe we’ve gone “softer”? Whatever the answer, I now realise more than I ever
did how precious an asset the land that we have is.
I’m challenged… I do pray that I will not just be challenged without any corresponding action… It is not enough to lament the status quo and do nothing about it!
Some interesting resources:
· http://africacheck.org/reports/is-johannesburg-the-worlds-largest-man-made-forest-the-claim-is-false/
· http://www.moag.gov.il/agri/files/Israel's_Agriculture_Booklet.pdf
· http://israelmybeloved.com/farming-agriculture/
In
my ignorance about Israel, I did not realise how advanced their Agricultural
Industry is – I honestly just thought of the “Holy land” as a dry place! I can
compare my surprise to how, when I first arrived in Johannesburg in 2006, I
pleasantly discovered that the “City of Gold” was not the concrete jungle that I
had envisioned – its many trees being the city’s saving grace in this regard.
A quick Google search revealed the following
interesting facts:
“Agriculture in
Israel is a highly developed industry: Israel is a major
exporter of fresh produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies
despite the fact that the geography of Israel is not naturally conducive to
agriculture. More than half of the land area is desert, and the climate and
lack of water resources do not favor farming. Only 20% of the land area is
naturally arable. Today agriculture represents 2.5% of total GDP and 3.6% of
exports. While agricultural workers make up only 3.7% of the work force, Israel
produces 95% of its own food requirements, supplementing this with imports of
grain, oilseeds, meat, coffee, cocoa and sugar.”
As we went about our pilgrimage, I could not help but
compare their mostly dry and relatively small land to my home country, South Africa.
I’m no land expert but when I look around, South Africa has far more optimum
farming conditions and plenty of unused land yet the utilisation cannot be
compared to Israel’s use of their land resource. During my 8 days in Israel, I kept on thinking of
the many “idle” fields in my own village and surrounding villages and couldn’t
help feel some sadness.
My mom is fond of reminiscing and sharing stories of
her childhood with me. Whenever we drive around the Eastern Cape, where we both
were born, she always points out how many trees there were and how once upon a
time the people used the land to reap a plentiful harvest – year after year!
As I write this, I have
many questions regarding what could have gone “wrong” over the last couple of
decades to shift the priority from the agriculture. What little I know about
farming is that it is not for the lazy! Could it be that we have become lazier…
maybe we’ve gone “softer”? Whatever the answer, I now realise more than I ever
did how precious an asset the land that we have is.
Often the tilled land that
I saw in Israel was surrounded by rubble or by stony terrain and some of the
greenhouses were not what one would call “state-of-the-art” but it was clear to
me that those less than ideal factors did not deter those farmers from using
their land.
 |
| Banana trees with rubble and "dirt" right where they are growing |
I’m challenged… I do pray that I will not just be challenged without any corresponding action… It is not enough to lament the status quo and do nothing about it!
 |
| A 2000 year old tree in the Garden of Gethsemane ----oOo---- |
· http://africacheck.org/reports/is-johannesburg-the-worlds-largest-man-made-forest-the-claim-is-false/
· http://www.moag.gov.il/agri/files/Israel's_Agriculture_Booklet.pdf
· http://israelmybeloved.com/farming-agriculture/
Nakedness...
...or more accurately - the fear of appearing naked before another person... that is what is on my mind as I type this.
I was just thinking about how much more I would like to write but am just too afraid to. Maybe that's akin to wearing a mask or maybe that is just self-preservation - whatever it is, there are just some thoughts that I am more comfortable "covering up" and only letting them be know to God and myself.
Lately the theme of nakedness/ vulnerability has surfaced in different conversations I've had and so this topic is one that has captured my thought-life a lot over the past couple of days.
I smile and speak to a lot of people everyday but I don't "bare my soul" to most of them... some of you might say that that is prudent and how we should interact with people and some might argue that this borders on presenting a false version of yourself... Getting to know someone new requires some work and some level of vulnerability as you present to them who you are...
The thought of opening myself up and then being rejected is something that actually scares me into my shell at times... well... that's how I was:-) A relentless young man has been pursuing me for a couple of months now and while I like him enough to not tell him to "buzz off"', I was too scared to let him come too close. I've been down this road before, you see? You bare your soul, you allow someone to see the "real" you and they decide that they don't like what they see... I know that it's best that those kind of people don't stick around but that doesn't make that bitter pill any easier to swallow.
Well, I've decided to be naked and unashamed with this dude... he seems "safe" enough... only time will tell whether my "discerner" picked him up accurately enough...
I was just thinking about how much more I would like to write but am just too afraid to. Maybe that's akin to wearing a mask or maybe that is just self-preservation - whatever it is, there are just some thoughts that I am more comfortable "covering up" and only letting them be know to God and myself.
Lately the theme of nakedness/ vulnerability has surfaced in different conversations I've had and so this topic is one that has captured my thought-life a lot over the past couple of days.
I smile and speak to a lot of people everyday but I don't "bare my soul" to most of them... some of you might say that that is prudent and how we should interact with people and some might argue that this borders on presenting a false version of yourself... Getting to know someone new requires some work and some level of vulnerability as you present to them who you are...
The thought of opening myself up and then being rejected is something that actually scares me into my shell at times... well... that's how I was:-) A relentless young man has been pursuing me for a couple of months now and while I like him enough to not tell him to "buzz off"', I was too scared to let him come too close. I've been down this road before, you see? You bare your soul, you allow someone to see the "real" you and they decide that they don't like what they see... I know that it's best that those kind of people don't stick around but that doesn't make that bitter pill any easier to swallow.
Well, I've decided to be naked and unashamed with this dude... he seems "safe" enough... only time will tell whether my "discerner" picked him up accurately enough...
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Miss Reluctant Lovesick Puppy
So here I am, sitting at my desk sipping on some tea - trying very hard to pretend that I am not aware of my loudly silent phone. I keep glancing at it even though no message notification has "sung" the all too familiar bell. I feel silly for doing it but find myself doing it again... and again... and again... hoping that maybe this time I'll find the "you've got mail" icon flashing. *sigh*
That is what I've become since he has come into my life. I have not know him that long and I am reluctantly liking him more and more with each passing day.
I've been in love before (I'm talking of romantic kind of love) and I am surrounded by people who love me... friends; family and the most amazing Love of all (God's unconditional Love). I have also known heartbreak (and caused some heartbreak too!) ... maybe that explains my reluctance to be the Lovesick Puppy I see myself becoming.
Yes, I'm scared... but in the poetic words of Daughtry, "I'm starting to believe this could be the start of something good."
Yes, I'm scared... but in the poetic words of Daughtry, "I'm starting to believe this could be the start of something good."
Hang on ... what's that?! A message from him:-) Finally!
...because You say so, I will lower the nets again...
God wants to change your life story! The question is, "Are you willing to partner with Him?"
When a word comes, you need to align with it. The word will be tested but HOLD ON, stay aligned and keep your position.
"And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again]." - Luke 5:5
Yes, you've tried before and failed BUT because HE has sent His word - let down your nets AGAIN. Dust yourself off, and go at it AGAIN.
Allow God to do something extraordinary with your life. We know how your story would probably end BUT you've met God... but GOD has showed up! You have encountered the God who created the heavens and the earth, the God who owns a cattle on a thousand hills. You gave your life to THAT God! Allow Him to do something unexpected; unpredictable - absolutely extraordinary with your life, something that if you were told about it - you also wouldn't believe it.
Do you remember Sarai? The barren old woman who was told that she whould be a mother of nations? Sounds absurd, doesn't it? Yes, she also laughed! After decades of "toiling" and catching "nothing", she was told that she would conceive! Sure enough, she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy! God will make you laugh.
Stay connected to Him.
When a word comes, you need to align with it. The word will be tested but HOLD ON, stay aligned and keep your position.
"And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again]." - Luke 5:5
Yes, you've tried before and failed BUT because HE has sent His word - let down your nets AGAIN. Dust yourself off, and go at it AGAIN.
Allow God to do something extraordinary with your life. We know how your story would probably end BUT you've met God... but GOD has showed up! You have encountered the God who created the heavens and the earth, the God who owns a cattle on a thousand hills. You gave your life to THAT God! Allow Him to do something unexpected; unpredictable - absolutely extraordinary with your life, something that if you were told about it - you also wouldn't believe it.
Do you remember Sarai? The barren old woman who was told that she whould be a mother of nations? Sounds absurd, doesn't it? Yes, she also laughed! After decades of "toiling" and catching "nothing", she was told that she would conceive! Sure enough, she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy! God will make you laugh.
Stay connected to Him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)