Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Eden Myrrh Toohey

Into the heart of the sea

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I sat down in the movie theatre not knowing what to expect – my family all discussing what they thought of the book Moby Dick, remembering characters and storylines.

Apparently we were just the audience that director Ron Howard was focusing on when he decided to change the release date of the film from March 2015 to December 2015, hoping to gross higher and hoping that people would be drawn to the cinema because of both the inspirational nature of the film and the season.

The film turned out to be less like Moby Dick and more like Into The Heart of The Sea – the real life story of the same name told by Nathanial Philbrick (2001) where crew of the whale ship, The Essex, experience great disaster after encountering a whale with a “strange human-like sense of vengeance. The surviving crew are shipwrecked at sea for more than 90 days, testing their limits and forcing them to do the unthinkable” (Catarina Cowden, CinemaBlend). Only eight of the ship’s crew survive the entire ordeal and the accounts of it all are told by two: the ship’s first mate, Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), and a 14-year-old cabin boy named Thomas Nickerson (Tom Hollard) who waited 55 years to write his side of the story.

The importance of integrity and other strong values are emphasised throughout the film, but one would find greater character depth in similar films, like The Life of Pi or Castaway. That’s not to say that the film does not have it’s own charm, though. It is what it is and can be appreciated if one pushes aside comparisons.

The story is narrated by a world-worn and tormented Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson) who, in the film, is telling his story for the first time ever. We see Nickerson at war with himself throughout the film because of all of the secrets that he carries, all the stories of atrocities carried during their desperation – most of which would have all been traumatising for any child of 14.

At one point in the film, Nickerson once again feels that he cannot tell his story because he would most certainly be unloved if he did and he would much rather keep the secrets that have driven him to near-insanity and drunkenness for many years. However, he is pressed by his companions to complete what he has started because secrets are where devils flourish. This was definitely a pinnacle in the film for me.

The heartfelt nature of the moment felt so true for me and reminded me of a promise that I made to God when I was 15. I promised that I would always stay accountable and obedient to the relevant leaders that he had put in my life – even when it hurt. At that time in my life, both my spiritual and natural leaders were my parents.

When I first started making good on my commitment, I remember having to force myself to spew my stories to my parents while sitting on the edge of their bed. Every time, I thought they’d hate me after hearing what I had to say. Yes, sometimes what I had to say warranted the crazy response I got (and I had to learn to deal with it); and there were other times when a crazy response was what I expected and it was the opposite of what I got. I’m thankful to say I’ve had more of the latter.

It’s obviously years later and I’ve since been put in many different situations with various leaders where – I’m most thankful to announce – “staying accountable” (open, honest, liable to account for one’s actions) to be a lifeboat for me when the sea of my life gets turbulent.

And, let’s be honest, life gets T U R B U L E N T.

The Bible talks about the power of sin being in its secrecy and that nothing that is covered up can stay hidden for too long (Mark 4:22-23, Luke 12:2-3, Luke 8:17), and that God judges men by the secrets that they’ve kept (Romans 2:16). There is power in confession – just like Nickerson found out:

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working.” James 5:16 (ESV)

That you may be healed! How interesting! The bible is clearly indicating that someone who is open to accounting for their actions is more likely to walk in healing and full health than someone who keeps them in. It is proven that things like unforgiveness, bitterness and guilt (being unforgiving of oneself) can make people physically sick. According to Dr. Steven Standiford, Chief of Surgery at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, unforgiveness is a classified disease in the medical books. A refusal to forgive makes people very sick and keeps them that way, and so forgiveness therapy is now being used to help treat diseases such as cancer (CBN News). I know personal stories of people with terminal illnesses who forgave and were healed.

Other than confession to “one another” (because we can never be lone ships our whole lives), our confession is also to God.

The sea of our lives is turbulent without relief (even if no one sees it) without Jesus – the ultimate wave whisperer. In his example, no wave will be still without us speaking to it (Mark 4:38) and no sin or secret will be forgiven without our confession and him speaking to it on our behalf:

“If we confess our sins to God, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 (NIV).

Ultimately, our accountability to Jesus, when we accept his salvation, calms the waves of eternity against us. He came to calm the tsunami that sin was ready to hit us with and cause devastation with when we keep stuff hidden.

My friend, if you feel like you need someone to help you get some reprieve from the stuff that has been going on in your life, I would like to suggest that you click that banner below! Happy Sailing!

I’m single, but I’m married

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“But they seem to love each other a lot?”

“Nonsense! Show me a couple together more than 26 years or something and I’ll show you love,” said my mother in reply to me trying to justify the second marriage of someone we know.

Yes, life happens, things sometimes don’t work out, and for some people (in bad situations) the second time is a charm.

But, I’m not here to speak about divorce. I’m here to speak about marriage – as a single person – that’s never been in a serious relationship.

Yes, me. Why?

Well, firstly because I feel like I have something to say; and secondly, because I really needed to say that something. And no, you guessed wrong: I’m not going to start saying that nonsense about being married to Jesus (although, realistically, we are all a part of his Bride, and one needs Jesus to be their first love before anyone else). I’m coming from a different angle this time.

I can’t remember when it was, but it was a while ago when I was having a relationship talk with my father in the car and he said something to me that changed my life forever.

He said (and I’m generally paraphrasing here), “Live faithfully while you are single. Practice being faithful to your future partner in your thoughts and actions now and you will be able to stay faithful in your thoughts and actions when you are married!”

I have lived by those words all through my life as a teenager and now I am still living by them as a single young adult, and I fully believe that the habits that I have built for this half of my life will sustain me for the rest of my life.

Some people who don’t understand the biblical principle of sowing and reaping might say things like, “But that sounds like you’re chaining yourself to someone,” “It’s okay to test drive,” “I’m still young I need to have fun…” but the Bible (that’s not here to kill your fun might I add) talks a lot about getting back more than what you’ve given. In Hosea 8:7 it says, “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind…”. It also talks about sowing wild oats when one is young and reaping a harvest of evil (eish! Not something I want for my life or for my future children).

  1. The more you practice it, the easier it gets                                                  I remember overhearing some girls speaking about me when I was still in high school: “Ah, but it’s easy for Eden, she’s so holy, she doesn’t even like boys.” URG! Truth in that statement, there is none (Yoda style, in true Star Wars fashion). First of all, liking boys doesn’t disqualify you as holy. God gave us attraction – we know this by now – but what we do with our feelings, thoughts etc. is the actual sin, or rather, downfall. Don’t lust after that married man, and you won’t be committing adultery in your mind. Easy peasy. Honestly, the more you practice not just going after every ‘good looking’ person, the easier it’ll get. You are not an animal. You are a human, made in God’s image.  “So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 18:30
  2. Watch what you feed yourself with                                                    Maybe you really want to please God, and because you love him, purity is always at the top of your mind; but you also love reading Mills & Boons and you feel okay to watch a whole lot of stuff that promotes things that are the opposite to what Jesus says is good – and then you sit there wondering why you’re always finding yourself jumping into relationships that we all know aren’t going to last a week… Your life is just an extension of what you’ve been feeding yourself with. Stop consuming that stuff! I made a decision when I was fifteen and the ultimate bookworm that I wasn’t going to read or watch stuff that went against God’s values. I may have made some mistakes – because it isn’t easy, but there is always hope for a second chance! Keep your mind clean and you won’t have to worry about your actions!
  3. Let God renew your mind                                                                            Many of us know Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” because we’ve heard it so many times before in church, in youth group, in Sunday school – but do we allow it to be a truth in our daily walks as Christ-followers/Jesus-lovers?                                             I know how it goes. I know that we all start off so fired up and love Jesus with a passion. We also want to just tell everyone about him. Then, as we go on, we hear that we have to make the gospel slightly more ‘relevant’ for people on the street and we start relaxing our standards and ultimately some of our core values and beliefs.                                                                                                                       1 Peter 2:11-12 says to “… keep away from worldly desires that wage war against y(our) very soul. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbours. Then, even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honourable behaviour and they will give honour to God when he judges the world…”

The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we want what he wants. If you’re single in this period of your life, it’s probably because you have a whole lot of stuff that he wants you to take care of – and you can’t do that when you’re busy pining all day and all night, can you?

I find that even as a long-term lover of Jesus (especially as a long term lover of Jesus), I have to keep on asking him to renew my mind, by spending time in HIS WORD and listening to stuff that ignites and feeds a hunger for him so that my life continues to be a testimony to the people around me.

“So think clearly and exercise self-control… so you must live as God’s obedient children…”

My mother always uses the best illustration when she goes to schools to talk to children about living and walking out purity. She brings out a funnel.

Basically, the funnel has two sides to it: a small side and a huge side. A lot of us want to live through the big side very early on in our lives and so we sow a ton of wild oats, making the mistakes that we didn’t have to make because we wanted to experience it all for ourselves instead of just listening. Because of this we end up living the rest of our lives restricted by the bad choices that we made – or rather, because of our rebellion. However, if we choose to live life through the small side of the funnel, and choose to listen, not date person after person, not over-invest, always seek counsel, not feed ourselves with stuff that makes us lust and pine over something that isn’t ours to have, we are setting ourselves up for increase later on.

I have already seen the benefit of making GODLY decisions or rather, decisions that are based upon his word. No jokes!

If you want that kind of freedom in your life, and would like to know more about how to obtain it, why don’t you click on the banner below?

FINDING JOY

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There’s a reason why I don’t read the reviews and don’t watch the trailers.

I don’t want to be warned or excited; don’t want to get my hopes up or get them dashed upon the rocks of remorse.

Obviously, there are times when one can’t help but watch the trailer. Like, when you go to the movies to see something else or when you’re scrolling down your Facebook and that new feature that they’ve introduced starts working. You know, the one where the videos start playing and the sound doesn’t come on until you’ve actually clicked on it? Yes, it was during one of those times that I briefly saw the trailer for Joy (saw and not heard, mind you).

Loosely based on the life of Joy Mangano, Joy tells the story of a determined single mother (Jennifer Lawrence) who rises to become ‘the founder and matriarch of a powerful family business (IMDb)’ after inventing the first self-wringing mop. The film includes the likes of Bradley Cooper and Robert Di Nero, and takes us on an emotional journey that holds themes like perseverance, family (however imperfect they may be), honour, and faith.

My mother read the critic’s review loudly to me the other morning after watching the film – and I stopped her – it was all negative. You see, I’m not an ‘inspirational’ films ‘gal and would have been gravely disappointed (purely because of personal preference) if someone would have told me that this was just that beforehand – so good thing they didn’t, right? I needed to watch this. Why?

There was a degree of truth that resonated within me throughout the film – something hardly found on screen today. The dialogue is impactful but not dramatic. Real. The story is enchanting and momentous, picking you up wherever you might find yourself on your journey and pointing you in the direction of your dreams so that you might fight on through your lowest moments.

“We got here from hard work, patience and humility. Don’t think that the world owes you anything because the world owes you nothing…” – Joy

It’s so interesting that the main character’s name is JOY because that is one of the fruits of the Spirit – one of the evidences of a true relationship with Jesus.

Just like a fruit tree is designed to bear fruit, each of God’s children are also called to/designed to bear fruit. The word fruitful means fertile, causing fertility, prolific, often remunerative and the opposite of that, I suppose, would be fruitless which means not bearing, useless or (in) vain.

The thing is that we live in an intensely wicked and ‘anti-fruit’ world, where we have to determine to produce good fruit (Isaiah 60:2). Producing good fruit is not only what we were designed to do, but also what Jesus expects of us just like in the parable of the three servants (Matthew 25:14-28). There are two kinds of servants ‘the lazy and wicked servant’ and the ‘good and faithful’ one.

It’s so interesting…

  • GOOD: Agathos (In Greek) – pleasant, useful, excellent, distinguished;
  • FAITHFUL: Pistos (in Greek) – trustworthy (trusting in Jesus definitely increases our capacity to be faithful);
  • WICKED: Poveros (In Greek) – degeneracy, vicious, harassed, diseased or blind;
  • SLOTHFUL: Otheros (In Greek) – tardy, sluggish, backward…

“… but too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things so no fruit is produced…” Mark 4:19

HOW DOES ONE BECOME ‘FRUITFUL’?

Well, fruitfulness begins and ends in loving God – loving Jesus. All fruit needs a root and Jesus is that (John 15:5) for us. If we really love, we will listen.

A great example of someone who was fruitful when he listened because he LOVED – was Noah.

During Noah’s time man was insanely evil – “the Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil…It broke his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6) – but even in this time “vs.9 Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth… and he walked in close fellowship with God … vs.22 So Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him…”

Noah got to work and built the ark and ended up saving a generation, his family, and a ton of animals – just enough for God to rebuild again (read the rest for yourself to get a more in-depth understanding).

I wouldn’t be lying if I said that the world we live in now is evil. There are tons of things that we as humans everyday do that are totally against all that God says or considers right, there is also a ton of aimless, fruitless living going on. Jesus came to show us the perfect way as the supreme Saviour and Servant of the world – allowing us to live supremely fruitful lives.

He did everything that he was called to do in his life time, not just saving a generation like Noah, but the WHOLE world, and every generation to come.

If you are unhappy today, can I suggest true joy to you? The true joy that only comes from reconnecting once again to the true vine, Jesus, who makes each of us fruitful and able to achieve everything we were made for. Each of us can have a remarkable story, just like Joy, and even better because of Jesus! Click on the banner below if you are interested in finding out more!

WHEN THE WRONG ONE’S CROWNED

I recently watched comedic legend, Steve Harvey, probably make one of the most public and unforgiving mistakes of his life. Harvey who was the host for this year’s Miss Universe was confused by what was written on the small placard given to him and named the wrong woman, Miss Columbia (Arianda Gutierrez), ‘Miss Universe.‘ After which, he had to apologize, strip the crown from Miss Columbia and re-introduce the new ‘Miss Universe‘ as Miss Philippines.

Like normal, social media has prepared a “funeral” for Harvey, and the ‘de-crowned’ Miss Universe. However, I think it would be kind to stop and think about the repercussions and the emotional rollercoaster that everyone of these ladies might have been facing in the moment.

Entering into an event or competition of that magnitude is life changing and is intensely emotional, physical and psychological stress. So we’d understand it if the women’s faces said it all. Obviously, there was a certain amount of surprise/shock shown on the faces of the two women (and I bet, the rest of the ladies) but all in all, they handled it very well. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what was racing through their mind’s at that specific moment.

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honourable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom…” James 3:13

In both public or private embarrassment, or public and private exaltation – there is wisdom in humility – of the heart, not just of the face.

Both women did awfully well in that moment, but now, after it all, when everyone’s alone in their rooms, the real reaction will be the biggest test of character.

How do you react when you’re faced with embarrassment or exaltation (of, let’s admit) a lesser scale? It’s easy to slip into the need to validate oneself and try to prove how right one is.

Look at the life of Jesus – I think death on the cross, and having his Father turn away could have been the greatest embarrassment of all time. Instead of showing all of the people who ridiculed him that he was king by ruling them while he lived, he humbled himself (MAJORLY!) and was murdered by them (Public Humiliation). The best part though, is that he rose again three days later (Public Exaltation) – showing us that we can have victory!

I am learning humility in exaltation as well as humiliation (although, I feel that humility in exaltation may be the harder of the two). It’s good for us to have a good understanding of the fact that everything happens by grace and for a reason.

It’s the end of the year now, so now would also be a perfect time for us to check ourselves, our reactions and how we’ve treated people in our winning or losing.

If you feel that you have no idea how to do that and need some help there’s a guy called Jesus who is pretty good at helping you sort through that in your heart. If you would like to know about him and how to build a relationship with him, why don’t you click on the banner below?

THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST PT. 1

“…Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God called you to do and he will bless you for it… If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace and work to maintain it.” 1 Peter 3: 8-12

It’s like God has been highlighting the theme of this scripture over and over to me the last few days. So it was just the icing on the cake when I opened my podcasts and put on a sermon by Bethel pastor, Bill Johnson called The Last Will Be First. It was definitely one of those moments when I’m like, “OKAY GOD, SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY!” So, I decided to share some of the stuff that I’ve learnt with you in a series of blogs rightfully called, The Last Shall Be First because I’ve experienced a ton of that in my life (coming last, I mean)…

See, friend, something happens when we spend time with Jesus that stirs up our eternal purpose; our dreams and passions start to change. Sometimes the root system of the dream is right – it comes from the right source – but the manifestation of it is all wrong… and so, Jesus decides to prune that branch (cut off that opportunity, close that door). No, your dream isn’t wrong, just the direction that you were going – and, let’s admit it, we all can get pretty heart sore about it asking things like, “Why did God let me go in that direction if he wasn’t going to open the door?” Well, mostly because you can’t prune a branch that you can’t see, and all God-birthed dreams will bring forth the wrong manifestations if they are left alone. Jesus likes to put us in environments where things can be pruned. It is proof that we are a son and daughter!

HOW DOES JESUS “PRUNE” US?

Well, firstly, we have to let him talk to us through his WORD everyday – that is what keeps us pruned. Pruning is a reward of growth (- For all of us asking why we continually get tests and stuff. I just wrote a great piece on some reflection concerning that)!!!

I’ve recently felt the effects of both growth and pruning through the WORDS in the WORD! My attitude towards certain people and things had to be checked, and Jesus used 1 Peter 3:8-12 to do that – even in a time of GREAT BLESSING FOR ME (And, I’ll speak more about that passage of scripture in the PT.2)!

Even when I am being rewarded for being entirely faithful – it is all by grace, and he wants us to remember that! He wants ME to remember that! I mean sometimes we’ve been entirely faithful, but the person who’s done less work, or came after us, gets rewarded before us… why? Firstly, because the last shall be first, and secondly, because He has to continually make sure that we’re capable of carrying what he gives us! God is so merciful; he disciplines us so that his blessings don’t kill us.

Through it all, Jesus wants to only form things in us that REPRESENT HIM WELL! 

“…I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars, so that you will never again worship the work of your own hands…” Micah 5:13

I know, I know, I know, how easy it is to get lost in the dream and in working towards the dream. So much so that we forget to allow our leaders, and the general authority God has placed in our lives to speak into the areas that need correcting.

I’m not sure if this has spoken to you, but I’m telling you that if you’ve been frustrated with where you are and your progress then it may be because you need to allow Jesus to do some pruning in your life! If you understand what I’m saying but do not have a personal relationship with Jesus then I encourage you to click on the black banner below to learn a bit more. There is so much to say and this is just the beginning!

So humble yourself under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to the Lord, for he cares about you…” 1 Peter 5:6

ANCHORING AUTHORITY

The joy of social media is that as soon as I got home last night, President Zuma’s decision to replace David van Rooyen with Pravin Gordhan only four days after appointing him as the new minister of finance was all over most of my networks.

Rooyen was set to succeed previous Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene, who was unceremoniously removed from his post last week Wednesday. The minister was dumped because (according to most analysts) of “doggedly sticking to fiscal discipline and refusing to budge on many of the president’s risky investment plans.

The timing of it all has sent the country into shock and the rand (the South African currency) has since been devalued by over 5% resulting in an R11bn loss by the country since Nene was fired.

There are many things that I’d like for my country and at the top of the list would be for it to be run/ruled fairly, for justice to be upheld and for us to thrive because we walk and make decisions according to the principles of God.

My heart breaks not only for my country but also for the state of the world right now. A lack of godly principle has led us down a road of disaster, but Luke 18:8a says (Passion Translation), “God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, just like the widow with the judge…”

1 Timothy 2 also talks about praying for our leaders: (vs.1-3), “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior…”

This means that no matter what happens it is still not okay to ‘bash our nation’s leaders with reckless abandon’ because it is directly opposed to God’s views. The apostle Paul is basically saying that we need to pray for our leaders so that we can live in a stable society that allows us to focus on worshipping God.

Right now our prayer as South African’s should be for Zuma first – that God would speak to him and lead him. Crying out to God for the ‘justice’ of having him overthrown or removed is not what we are meant to be praying – even though we all feel that a new president would be great right about now.

This principle filters into every part of our lives concerning our relationship with and response to authority (our parents, our bosses etc…).

Actually, the most important act any of us can ever make can ever make when responding to authority is to say ‘yes’ to and give the seat of the throne of our lives over to Jesus. Before we do this, we are the ruling party, and we are inevitably leading the ‘country’ of our lives towards destruction. All of those bad habits that we collect and bad decisions that we make along the way add up and go a long way to evaluating the true gifting inside of us, never allowing us to truly flourish in the fullest of our God-given capacity (we see this happening in our country and many others right now).

Friend, if you feel like you understand and may relate to what I’m saying, I invite you to click on the black banner below so that you can hear a bit more! Don’t go into the new year without knowing that you can be the best that you can be, and that means giving all authority to Jesus!

Stronger Than Ever

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When you first meet me, you might be taken by my smile, or my strong and assertive personality, or maybe just my ‘nice-ness.’ Regrettably, I am not strong as you might suppose – I am weak.

More than ever now, I am beginning to understand why the Bible refers to life as a race. You see, over the past few years, I have gone through a lot of things that I saw as opportunities for character growth. They were hard, but I felt that I was able to overcome a whole lot of it and become a much better, wiser, person – with a greater ability for faith, patience, and trust than ever before. I felt that Jesus had truly taught me some stuff, and He had. But that was only the beginning – not even half way through this hurdle race called life.

2015 was a good year – I could see growth within myself and I was happy for it, and just when I think that I’ve steered clear of anything that could happen, and just wrote a post about Resolutions here I get stuck in a situation that commands a greater trust in who Jesus says I am than ever before.

“Seriously? Why this at the end of the year when I’m tired and would like a rest? Haven’t You done all You could this year? Can’t I just have it easy until the end of the year? Bring on the battles when January comes….”

That was the type of stuff I found myself saying to God just this week. That was before I read Hebrews 13:12-13 (NLT), “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”

“But God, how can I mark out a straight path for others when I myself feel weak?”

“So do not throw away confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive what he has promised!” Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)

The Bible is full of paradoxes. The weak are strong, the meek inherit the earth, the humble are exalted, the servant is the leader and the list goes on and on… And here, now, God was asking me to (ONCE AGAIN) throw away all confidence in myself and fully hold onto confidence in Him. This doesn’t mean that one must have a weak self-esteem; in fact it means the exact opposite – it is one of those paradoxes.

In one of the songs that I wrote I say,

“Mind shift – in fact I need a new one see,

I’m not accustomed to the way You do life

The biggest change is loving – school me cos’ I’m a long way off

From where I need to be…

… So can I sit beside you, learn about you, get to know you

And can you never leave me…

You’re my living, loving, believing, hoping, and dreaming

All I need – yeah, yeah”

I feel that every day when we wake up ‘our weak hands should take a grip on’, ‘our weak body should sit next to’, ‘Our weak minds should focus themselves on’ – JESUS!

Meditation, unless focused on Him – will never work.

Clearing your mind without filling it with him – will end in disaster (!!!)

Looking inside oneself, without looking into his eyes to see what He sees – will never work.

Why?

Because within us there is nothing…

I honestly, now think, that Jesus keeps the hurdles there to keep us holding on to him. Throwing oneself on him daily. The obvious paradox is that when one feels weakest and throws himself or herself onto him that is when one is STRONGER THAN EVER.

“… and now let the weak say I am strong…”

If we allow it, God wants that everything that happens in and through our life to bring Glory to him…

Isaiah 40:29, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faith”

I sincerely hope, that you find that you are stronger than ever – IN HIM, today. However, my friend, if you are reading this and have no clue about what I am saying and would like to know more than feel free to click on the black banner below? I encourage you to seek the source of true strength!

Romanticising Rape Culture

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Sunday evenings are the only times that I get to watch television in the week, and I enjoy it along with half of South Africa who ‘sit beside me tweeting’ as we watch – well, at least it feels like we’re sitting beside each other.

One particular Sunday, however, there was uproar after the popular South African television show, Our Perfect Wedding, broadcasted an episode that showcased a couple that had met when the bride was 14 and the groom was 28, which Doctor, Tlaleng Mofokeng decided to speak out against not just through Twitter, but also through the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) reasoning that it justified a rape culture.

In an interview with News24 yesterday Dr. Mofokeng states that she has dealt with rape survivors and abused women all the time and was understandably ‘outraged’ when the groom claimed that he was “sleeping with three to four women a day and would target young girls during the ‘after school rush’. He would then take a schoolgirl home with him.”

Thankfully, the doctor has said that the BCCSA has responded saying that it will look into the matter and ABSA has since pulled it sponsorship from the programme. M-Net’s Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) as well as Connect TV, the production company, have apologized for broadcasting the Sunday episode mentioning that the content was “clearly offensive and wrong”.

Mofokeng, was disappointed that the show’s executive producer, Basetsana Kumalo could allow such an episode to be aired – as Kumalo was someone that she saw as the Julia Roberts of South Africa and someone she looked up to when growing up, and hopes that Kumalo will speak out giving a statement about the episode.

I am personally so inspired by Dr. Mofokeng and her choice to speak out against what she saw on her screen. In an age where we are bombarded by opinions and such on social media, one can be easily intimidated by the response that they might get, so never speak out against an injustice if they aren’t sure that they are going to be backed by anyone else.

I’ve been reading the bible since I was young, but I don’t think I was ever fully aware of God’s heart for justice until the last few years, since then I have made it my duty to always speak out for the people who can’t speak out for themselves – or, in this case, speak out for the people who might not even have seen it as an injustice because they didn’t know any better. What that groom was doing, is a lot of the time, seen as a normal occurrence in a lot of the rural areas in South Africa and around the world (actually).

Amos 5:24 (ESV), “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” 

Isaiah 1:17 (ESV), “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” 

If you’re reading this and have never had anyone speak out for you in your life, I want to let you know that Jesus is the official voice for those who are powerless. He came to correct the oppression that was put on us by sin. Oppression can look different in all of our lives –  depression, poverty, indecisiveness, sickness – and the list goes on… Jesus came to give us a voice and set us free… There is no romantic side to what sin has done to many of our families and homes where havoc reigns. If you want to know more about this Jesus, why don’t you please press on the block below:

 

Pursuing Purpose, Or Just Daily Bread?

I’m a pastor’s kid, and the grandchild of a pastor, so, thankfully, I’ve not had too much space to steer off course. I’ve always sensed a DEEP need to pursue everything that I was made for – for all of my potential to be used up before I die. Sometimes, though I lose steam – especially in times like now – the end of the year. On Sunday, I heard my dad preach a sermon that somewhat motivated me for the next year and I thought to share some of it with you. My dad is one of the most purposeful people I know. With him no minute is wasted – NOT ONE. He has achieved a GREAT deal in his 52 years of life and sometimes, I find myself wishing that he was given two lifetimes because surely no great person should only be given one life? LOL! Well… God knows…

Matthew 6:9, “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…”

The famous prayer that Jesus prayed when teaching his disciples to pray… and, its key to notice that praying for daily bread comes after praying, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. You see, it’s human nature to give oneself to bread (making money, pushing our careers, and doing everything we’re not supposed to be wasting time on – especially the things that make us busy), because of this we end up living on the crumbs without understanding that the bread is in fact a by-product of the purpose – seeking the God’s kingdom, and His will on earth. He’ll give it to us if we seek him first, rather than try and do it ourselves.

Each of us, as people, as Christ-followers have to choose between OUR purpose and OUR impact or, just, the daily bread.

HOW CAN WE LIVE ON PURPOSE, AND NOT BY ACCIDENT?

“When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable” – Myles Munroe

THE GREATEST AMBITIONS OF HUMANITY ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO KINGDOM PURPOSE

  • Where we’re going, they don’t use rands so then, why do we try and gather up as much as money as possible as a good investment (1 John 2:15)?
  • It’s important to putting more effort to our eternal rewards – let’s invest for eternity
  • The greatest investment is what we can give into people – there are multiplied rewards for this!

FOR THE SINGLE (LIKE ME HAHA!) – PUT PURPOSE BEFORE THE “THIRST”

  • Put purpose before the hunt, and way before the drive to be found by your mate or to find your mate…
  • Matthew 6:33, “People who don’t know God and the way that he works fuss about these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” Now, if that isn’t ‘wow’, then I don’t know what is…

PRIORITY IS KEY TO PURPOSE!

  • Often, as ‘the church’ we mix this up. It’s not enough to generally go in the right direction!
  • The Spirit empowers us for witness (Acts 1:8)! We can become consumed by the power and ‘the anointing’ and forget about the witness! The power and the manifestation of the power are for the witness! That means, telling as many people as possible about Jesus, who he is and what he does/did!

TOTAL FOCUS!

Proverbs 4:25-27 (THE VOICE) says, “Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead, and your focus fixed on what is in front of you. Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth, and you will safely reach the end of your road. Do not veer off course to the right or the left; step away from evil, and leave it behind!”

Friend, God is calling us to live with skill, and we need to do everything we can to walk forward in the fullness of that call! We must fulfil kingdom purpose! We mustn’t allow ourselves to get tired from the little things in life! Kingdom purpose transforms us and makes us powerfully effective!

I am determined, that my life will not be for nothing, my days will not be wasted and I will leave a legacy and I will pursue purpose, what about you?

ACTing On Your Activism

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After being closed for three days this month after the wave of terror attacks on Paris and being lit in the French national colours, blue, white and red when it reopened, the Eiffel Tower turned green!

“Everyone will be able to plant a virtual tree on the Eiffel Tower, which will grow to the beat of their heart, and then every virtual tree will be really planted in a reforestation programme,” said Naziha Mestauoi, the digital artists behind the project that turned the Eiffel Tower green on Sunday the 29th of November for the opening of the Paris Climate Conference.

The launch of the week-long 1 Heart 1 Tree project (which allows smartphone users to ‘plant a tree’ on the tower) was attended by both the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and Oscar Winning French Actress, Marion Cotillard.

The 1 Heart 1 Tree project launched as 150 world leaders gathered in Paris for a fortnight of talks starting today that are intended settle the first international pact to limit emission of the same greenhouse gasses blamed for climate change.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Participants who want to take part in growing a ‘virtual tree’ do so by using a smartphone application that records their heartbeat via a sensor and then projects this along with the image of a tree, their name, and a short message onto the landmark, using lighting and mapping technologies.

This is all in aid of reforestation, and so it does not stop there. The real-life trees’ growth will be able to be tracked by each of the participants. The trees will be planted in areas on Australia, Brazil, Senegal, India, France, Peru, and the Ivory Coast from 2016, and each trees costs between three and 10 euros, depending on the species.

ACTING IN THE ‘TANGIBLE SENSE’

Mestauoi the artist behind it all says that, “the idea is to connect the virtual and the real, technology and nature, and to give everyone the opportunity to act in a tangible sense,” and isn’t that what we’re all looking for? Something that gives us the opportunity to act in the tangible sense, beyond the hashtags and screens? Something that makes us feel that we are not just virtual fists?

Probably the most popular passage of scripture talking about trees in the Bible (and there are many) is when Jesus got onto one to be crucified and cursed on behalf of us (Galatians 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:23).

The ultimate act of activism;

The ultimate ACT!

Just like that French artist is trying to get people to act along with their social activism, you can act in response to the greatest ACT of love done by one man. To do this you have to accept Jesus as Lord over your life and accept a life of walking in relationship with him – it is the greatest ACT you’ll ever have the opportunity of committing in your whole life!

If you want to learn more about how and why you should do this, why don’t you click on the black bar right underneath this article!

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