Life as we know it

Isn't stress an amazing thing? Ok, maybe amazing isn't the correct word to use. Let's rather say troublesome... We it is a word that is commonly used nowadays. A word that we refer to when we speak about the future, not really the past. When things are uncertain. The effects of it might be quite severe, especially health problems... Pain of any kind Heart disease Digestive problems Sleep problems Depression Obesity Autoimmune diseases Skin conditions, such as eczema Even the strongest amongst us experience it. So, how do we stop this?  - Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.  - Mark 4:18-19 - Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;   but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.  - 1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time...

Romans 12:1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Lets focus on the last part of this verse. The writer instructs us to also offer our walking around life to God. I wondered what he was thinking as we have dealt with sleeping, eating and going to work. All of those are rather important aspects of our life, why would walking around be singled out? Thinking about my own life, where do I walk around? Here are some insights:  - Church  - Small group  - Exercise  - Watching TV  - Going to sport events (and watching sport)  - Visiting friends and family  - Going on trips (travelling)  - Having a braai  - Shopping (not that keen, though)  - Spending time in the traffic So, apart from sleeping, eating and working, we have a bit of time left to do the above and a l...

Romans 12:1 in the Message again: So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Yesterday we dealt with sleeping, so lets look at eating. I absolutely love good food. During my days at school my brothers and I used to eat 2 loafs of bread for lunch. As time went on I discovered that more is not always better, so I changed to quality. Now I enjoy food, and boy, its great! Why would the writer of this scripture mention that we should also offer our eating life to God? How is it relevant? I think that it is a few things. The fact that it is a necessity to eat. We have to! Also, it requires quite some time to prepare food. Time that sometimes could be spent with Him. But, most of all, I think, it is not just meant literally. It refers to the fact that our bodies are a temple of God. By eating healthy, exercising and not poisoning your body. W...

Romans 12:1 in the Message again: So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. The first thing the writer describes in our everyday, ordinary life, that we should place before God as an offering is sleeping. This makes me quite curious, as I do not know how exactly sleeping can honour God... While thinking about it I could come up with a few ideas, but whether I am right or wrong cannot be confirmed. Whether it matters if I am right or wrong (to me, at least) does not matter. I say it doesn't, as they are all good habits. Reasons: 1 - Have consistent sleeping hours as this gets your body into a routine that gives it maximum energy. More energy ensures that, with whatever you do, your focus is better and thus you can praise God through that. 2 - Wake up (and go to bed) before and after you spent time with the Lord. He carrie...

I am sure most of you have read Romans 12:1 that says: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. This is in the NIV of 1984. Have you also read it in The Message? Romans 12:1 - So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering.  I know a few people that believe The Message is not a Bible per se, but even so, verify it against the actual Bible you use. What it tells us is actually is quite easy to interpret, isn't it? We have to give our lives to God. How do we do this? We submit our normal lives to Him. Those parts of our lives that we cannot be without, that makes us live. We have to eat. We have to sleep. We have to work, both to earn and to stimulate our minds. Also, our walking around life, thus a...

I have never been a big believer of categorising people into boxes. No one likes being labelled. Even though it happens ever so often, we are all guilty of it. He is like that, she does this, they behave like this, that or the other. The bigger problem starts when we start to place ourselves into these boxes. By saying that I can't do something, by even thinking that certain things are not meant for me, I am placing myself in a box. What effect does this have on you and I? Not much, I am sure... To me, personally, it only changes a mindset. How you think about yourself is how you live, how you react and how you dream. If you always think you are a worm, in time, you will start acting like a worm. And I am sure you ain't no worm! Also, it will improve how you think about others. Eventually how you treat other people better. Sounds like happy-go-lucky living. Certainly not! Know who you are in the Lord and you there is no reason you have to be boxed in. So, how ea...

On my bucket list I had a goal to run at least 6 half-marathons in my life. Why I made it 6 I could never recall. Quite a random number on hindsight... I was never a great jogger, actually not at all. I used to tease my wife at school by using the popular verse in Proverbs that says only a fool runs if he is not chased. Not quite what it is intended for, but funny at the time. Since the operation I decided with my friend in Cape Town that we would do my first one  together at the Table Mountain National Reserve. I've been there twice, both times with him. It's one of the most amazing places in the country, and I've seen quite a bit of the RSA. We call it "The Point".  So, the last few months my wife and I made a commitment as well some lifestyle changes. Very refreshing! But why am I telling you this? Quite simple: To change one's lifestyle is actually very simple. The lack of interest I showed before in running versus my current apatite for it indicat...

There is only 24 hours in a day. We all have the same amount of time to use as we please. We had an advertisement on the radio a while ago that stuck in my subconscious. They mentioned that everything we own cost us time. Although we paid in money for it, we spend time earning the money we use for the purchase. It makes sense in a way, as we have to be at work, or be self-employed, to earn. We cannot take for granted that we have to work. It is also in the Bible. We have to choose how we spend the rest of our time then. This weekend I spend time with my family at a wedding. We picked up the stings and shared some new stories.  I have also seen people during the past week who procrastinate at almost everything. No drive, no purpose at what they do. I then naturally wonder what kind of relationship they have with their Maker...  There are a few things we have to think about here: 1 - To have a relationship of any kind, communication is key 2 - In order for th...

Someone sent me this recently. It was interesting, but also inspirational THE PRAYER THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard: "Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good", but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.   v   We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. v   We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. v   We have killed our unborn and called it choice. v   We have shot anti-abortionists and called it justifiable. v   We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. v   We have abused power and called it politics. v   We have coveted...

Visiting Vic Falls recently opened my eyes to a deep spiritual truth. Looking back at the pictures, this specific rainbow caught my eye. We needed to approach the fall at exactly the correct angle to be able to see this picture. To me, the rainbow represented God's grace and promises in our lives. The rainbow was there the whole time, but I only saw it when we came really close. Life entangles us and keeps us so busy that we rarely get a chance to revisit spoken promises over our lives. It may even seem dark while focusing on our minute problems. I stood still at the lookout point with this rainbow, realising that if I look down on all my shortcomings, I miss out on God's grace majestically rising over my life. I need to see things the way God sees it. The light from the sun had to break at the correct angle through just enough mist to display his favor in our lives. Mark 4:18-19 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, bu...

As we travelled north from Pretoria on Friday to the Victoria falls, we had quite a rush. Although we had to find a lot of places and get in and out of buses, border posts etc, we also had a lot of fun. In all, since we left our house at 06:15, until now 20:15, no break was taken. Still, though, we were so relaxed and could just take everything in. More of that later... As we walked back from the falls to the lodge tonight we met the lady on this photo: If you look carefully you can see all her luggage. Her handbag, the other bag and the massive folded 'bag' on her head. This is quite common in Africa, even in the RSA. Before we left we also packed our luggage: clothes, toiletries, all our gadgets, required documents, this, that and the other. A whole host of things. In our lives there is a difference between luggage, as described, and baggage. Baggage is more of a "slang" word for emotional scars from the past that you carry with you. Things that ha...

I thank the Lord a lot for the career I am in, as well as the life that I am able to lead. I am also grateful for my workplace. Please remember that there should always be a balance to everything... "American Dream" All work no play may have made Jack a dull boy But all work no God has left Jack with a lost soul But he's moving on full steam He's chasing the American dream And he's gonna give his family the finer things Not this time son I've no time to waste Maybe tomorrow we'll have time to play And then he slips into his new BMW And drives farther and farther and farther away So He works all day and tries to sleep at night He says things will get better; Better in time And he works and he builds with his own two hands And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands His kingdom stands His American Dream is beginning to seem M...

These days we face a lot of extremism. People who go to extremes in order to defend what they believe in, either their religion, their country, their family, whatever it may be. Normally they can justify it via a video as revenge for one or the insult or an offending act. It really does not matter to me at all. I will not insult or discriminate against others based on their race, religion or other preference. Rather, we as christians should start praying for (or against) this. Not by cursing or hitting out, but in love. We have to love our enemies. We do not have to fear anything. To live is temporary, to die a blessing. Read: Matt 7:7 ” Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you . Matt 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Mark 9:29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe ...