TJ, Author at 1Africa | Page 2 of 18

Who Is Your Hero?

July 22, 2015

Recently, I got to watch the trailer for the upcoming superhero flick, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. I have no doubt in my mind, given the names behind it, that it will be quite a hit, particularly with fans of that genre. Multi-talented Ben Affleck, whose career has been marked by some major highs and dramatic lows, makes his debut as the new face of the Caped Crusader – Batman, while Henry Cavill reprises his role as Superman. If you haven’t seen the trailer, we have it for you right here:

Growing up, the image I had of a hero was of a white, well-built man with perfectly chiseled facial features. Whenever the people cried out for help, the hero was never far away. He would come flying, running or racing in a special car to save the screaming damsel in distress or the townspeople terrorized by the dastardly villain. As a little, black African boy glued to the TV, I often wondered if one day I would get to meet a superhero and maybe get to experience some of his powers. With my friends, I would run around belting out the theme song for whichever superhero’s show we’d watched the day before.

Now that I am a man, I realize that I looked for my heroes in the wrong places. In fact, I needn’t have searched at all. They were all around me all along – ordinary people that I actually knew. For, being a hero is neither a race thing nor a muscle thing. Rather, it’s a heart thing. When you give your life to a great cause, you are a hero. My personal heroes are no longer Flash Gordon, Iron Man, or He-Man. My heroes are those who sacrifice themselves and even neglect the feelings of pain, hurt and rejection they may feel, just so that they can make other people’s lives better. If you have ever sacrificed anything in order to make another person’s life better, I salute you.

Who is your hero? Who has given their life for that great cause called your life? If you can think of somebody like that in your life and that person is still alive, how about just giving them a call and saying thank you? It will make such a difference to that person’s day. We often make the mistake of celebrating people only when they’re dead. It shouldn’t be like that.

The greatest hero that ever lived is Jesus Christ. Consumed by a deep love and compassion for humanity, he paid the ultimate price so that mankind could be reconnected to God. Our message on this platform is one in which we encourage you to develop a relationship with him. It will change everything. If you want to know more about this and would like to explore this journey, please click on the banner below.

Are You New To The Gym? Check This Out?

July 21, 2015

Our health matters more than we know. When we are not healthy, whether emotionally or physically, it affects so much. One of the ways we can take care of the physical side of it is to eat healthy and make sure we exercise. When it comes to exercise, there are many ways to go about it but one popular one in our day and age is the gym. A subscription can be very exciting at the beginning but what do you do when you are new to the gym but can’t necessarily afford the additional amount to hire a personal trainer? Well, today, courtesy of The Art of Manliness, we present some tips for gym newbies.

Push beyond the intimidation and just go for it.

I was super intimidated when I first walked into the gym. I had on my athletic shorts, grubby t-shirt, and headphones in hand, and I felt like a total poser. “I’m not a bro, I’m not a gym rat…” Even if you are intimidated, you just have to push beyond it and go for it. Get your foot in the door, and do something. You’ll be amazed how quickly that initial fear goes away when you get your heart pumping and muscles aching. Frankly, you have a lot more to think about at the gym than being intimidated.

And honestly, after being a member for a few months, I’m more inspired than intimidated by the guys (and some hardcore ladies!) on the bench next to me lifting far more than it seems like I’ll ever be able to do.

Another intimidation factor for me was simply not knowing how to use certain machines or do certain exercises. Be it a stair climber or rowing machine or weight contraption, those things can be confusing to use. One route is to simply get on the machine and start doing something. In many cases you’ll figure it out after a couple minutes. Another is to look up a YouTube video or article right then and there if you have a smartphone; I’ve done this a couple times with great success. Finally, you can always ask a trainer for a simple 2-minute tutorial on properly using the machine in question. (I know machines aren’t sexy, but there’s nothing wrong with having a balance!)

Nobody is judging you.

When I checked in to the gym on my first day of being a member, I was sure that everyone there would stop what they were doing, watch me do my workout, and judge not just my form but my meager muscle size as well. Of course, no such thing happened. Especially at my big box gym, there are people of all shapes and sizes, just doing their best to get in shape. From ripped dudes curling 50-pound dumbbells, to old men on the treadmill with their shirts tucked into their pants, it really is a democracy.

When I go, there are no eyes following me — except perhaps the old lady on the stationary bike who might be flirting with me. Everyone just keeps on doing their own workouts on their own time. Honestly, I figure if I’m not judging anyone, then it’s likely that nobody is judging me.

Familiarize yourself with good gym etiquette.

While working out is a great way to unleash your primal side, you should still practice good manners and be respectful of your fellow gym goers. Knowing the unwritten rules of the land will not only make you feel more confident, but save you from getting the kind of look that might unnecessarily make the gym feel like an unfriendly place. Nobody may be judging how in shape you are, but they may critically assess your decision not to wipe down a machine you’ve been using.

Do what you enjoy — some activity is better than none.

I started out doing easy workouts — 20 minutes of cardio, 15 minutes of moderate activity on the rowing machine, weights that I was easily lifting, and even time on the basketball court just shooting hoops. I sort of felt like a wimp, but I just wanted to get my bearings and ease into gym membership rather than go whole hog and feel overwhelmed.

The honest truth is that as you go to the gym more, you’ll push yourself more. I’m completing workouts now, just a few months into it that are far above what I started at. Once I established some benchmarks, the natural competitiveness of wanting to beat my times and weights kicked in.

One of the barriers to gym membership, for me, was simply the overwhelming number of competing fitness theories. As Brett and Kate wrote about, the “one best way” fallacy is in full effect when it comes to workouts. Trying to figure out which way is “best” is paralyzing. Ultimately, it will just keep you on the couch. When it comes down to it, doing something active is so much better than doing nothing. I get that the workouts I’m doing may not be the best, but they certainly aren’t the worst — which would be couch-sitting. Getting your heart pumping is better than not getting it pumping; lifting some weights is better than not; a moderate ride on a stationary bike is better than nothing at all. This is my attitude when I go to the gym as a newbie. I’m simply trying to figure out my own fitness and what I like/dislike. As time goes on, I’m sure I’ll refine my workouts, but for now, I’m simply enjoying the feeling of being physically worn out by the time I hit the exit.

Money is perhaps the best motivator of all.

I never really wanted to be the guy who needed to pay to be motivated to work out. I used to tell myself, “If my health and fitness is truly important to me, I’ll get outside and run or I’ll do a good bodyweight workout here at home.” What a load of crap. I was just being cheap and lazy. When you’re paying $30 a month, and in many cases more than that, you’ll get your butt out the door a lot easier than by gumption alone. I didn’t think money would be such a motivating factor until I actually dropped some coin and realized the more I used the gym, the cheaper my per-use cost was, and ultimately, the more I was getting out of my monthly payment. Don’t fear paying to get healthy. And if it’s not in the budget, drop the cable membership. After all, many gyms have ESPN on multiple TVs throughout the facility, and that’s really all you want anyway.

You will progress, but it will be slow.

Our fast-paced culture doesn’t like slow progress; instant success is far sexier, but also incredibly unrealistic. So when people go to the gym and drop their membership after a few months, I think it’s because they’re annoyed that they haven’t instantly been transformed into super athletes. “I’ve been working hard twice a week for three months, how come I’m not ripped yet?! Ugh!” It’s exciting when you PR anything at the gym — be it on weights or a cardio machine — and demoralizing when you fail. In the first few weeks of having a gym membership, I progressed rapidly, and it felt awesome. But then I hit a wall, and actually regressed a little. I wasn’t completing the workouts that I had successfully finished the week before. In those moments, it’s easy to think it’s not working. We actually end up catastrophizing the situation. “I can’t complete this workout, I’ll never be able to reach my goals, I’m destined to become fat and die early.” And then we go back to the couch to live out that destiny.

So how do you get past that? You just have to shift your mind set to one of slow progress rather than instant success and stick with it, even in the midst of failures. If you keep going, and keep working hard, you’re bound to get better. The key is just to not quit. Sound simplistic? It is. But that’s what our world needs when it comes to health and fitness right now. As long as you don’t quit altogether, you’ll progress.

Why South Africa’s Teen Sex Law Matters

July 21, 2015

Earlier this month, a controversial bill, allowing consenting teens to have sex if they want to, was passed into law in south Africa. The ‘teen sex law’, as it is now frequently referred to, has left several faith-based lobby groups irate, while rights advocacy groups are pleased. Before this, teens couldn’t pet, cuddle or kiss – even if both parties were consenting – without breaking the law. Now, they are free to do it and, though the age of consent is 16, the law “includes a close-in-age exception, which means that sexual acts between two children, where both are between 12 and 16, or where one is under 16 and the other is less than two years older, are not criminal.”

While the law may now be official, what do the people primarily affected by it think about it? Noni Mokati of IOL News, recently took to the streets to find out the views of a few teenagers and, it must be said, a number of the responses are revealing. Here are a few of them:

Errol McKenzie, 15*

”I have no clue what this law says, nor have I heard of it.

“I had sex when I was 15. I wasn’t prepared for it but I did know a bit about it because of what we learnt from school.

“My parents didn’t know about it then and I felt comfortable. I fumbled through my first time. It wasn’t perfect but I somehow managed. Therefore, it makes no difference to me whether there is a law or not. I believe what our parents don’t know won’t hurt them. I would have been too embarrassed to tell them anyway.”

Micaela Levi, 16

“I’ve never heard about this (bill) before. I’m Jewish, so in my belief system, we are not allowed to have sex until we are married.

“It doesn’t make sense why there would be laws prohibiting teenagers from drinking and yet we, as 16 year olds, can have sex. It just doesn’t make sense. It shouldn’t be a right at this age.”

Shannon Lorie, 17

“At that age you are still a minor. People could misuse this whole thing.”

Gabby Gutto, 18.

“I don’t agree with this entire concept. I believe in the old law that (stops) underage kids from having sex.

“I’ve heard of instances where adults can’t even deal with the responsibilities of sleeping around.

“Sex is a decision that should be based on responsibility. I don’t think 12-year-olds are responsible, period.

“At least with the old laws there were consequences. Now it could be a free for all.”

Felicity Gabriella, 17

“I don’t think we should be allowed, period.”

* Not his real name

For me, a good number of these responses are telling because they reveal something that the movement for all rights at all costs keeps missing: young people, regardless of how boisterous and independent they may like to show themselves to be, need the guidance of their elders. Adults are (or, at least, should be) adults for a reason. They should be there to ensure that young people don’t burn themselves and get into complex areas of life that they don’t have the maturity to handle. This isn’t about repression, it’s about responsibility. As much as youngsters are handed freedoms, let them be taught responsibility and be guided on what it means to be grounded. If not, we’re headed for disaster.

The kind of grounding we’re talking about cannot happen without an examination of the spirit and coming to terms with who we really are. An adult or mature person cannot give what they do not have. What do you believe in and what are you passing onto the next generation? Where will it land them in the future?

These are uncomfortable questions for many but they all land firmly on the doorstep of faith and belief. If you have questions in this area, please click on the banner below and watch the video that follows. We’d also like to hear your comments in the box below.

Part of this post was sourced from an IOL News article by Noni Mokati. The views in this article do not represent those of that publication.

Dear Church

Church
Faith

July 20, 2015

As part of our drive to bring you the best content out there, we often come across very interesting and thought-provoking pieces from the minds of others. Today, we source an article called ‘Dear Church’ by Jonathan Aigner, written as an open letter to the church from the generation frequently referred to as the millennials. This is the first part of that article. The second and last part will follow later this week. We’d love to hear your comments, views and opinions.

A lot’s been made over the millennial generation and their religious life. Why they go to church. Why they don’t go to church. What they want. What they hate.

I’m going to do something different here. I’m not going to cite Barna. I’m not going to quote Rachel Held Evans. I’m not going to link to any articles or blog posts.

I’m just going to tell you what’s true for me, and what I’ve seen to be true of others like me.

I am one of those rascally millennials, by the way. One of those enigmatic, paradoxical, media-dependent, coffee-drinking young people swept together under this millennial umbrella. Except coffee tears up my stomach, so I dropped that stuff.

I was born when a former actor was in the White House. I was crushed the day slap bracelets were banned from my elementary school. I remember hiding in my room with my five-inch TV to watch Friends and Seinfeld and the Simpsons, and all the other shows I wasn’t allowed to see. I don’t remember what it’s like to not have a home computer. I can barely recall a time before cell phones. I’ve never left home without one.

I’ve always been in church. I’ve never left, though I’ve come close several times. I would have left in high school if I’d had the option, but in my house, attendance at my cool, hip, contemporary-worshiping, youth-group-glorifying, moralism-preaching, theology-eschewing McCongregation was a non-negotiable.

So I went. Through every repetition of “Shout to the Lord,” every True Love Waits commitment ceremony, every rapture-ready dispensationalist Bible study, every sermon series on how to make myself into a good, moral, well-behaved person so that I wouldn’t tick off God and bring condemnation to America.

But I was always a misfit. Always a skeptic. Always a doubter. Always an outsider.

Today, you’re my livelihood, and putting food on my table overcomes the gravitational pull of my mattress on a cold, rainy Sunday morning. Or a hot, dry one. Or any other one. But that pull is still there. It’s always been there. It’s never left.

The truth is, my relationship with you is still love-hate.

I love the theology, but I hate the expectations of pseudo piety.

Love the gospel, hate the patriotic moralism.

Love the Bible, hate the way it’s used.

Love Jesus, but hate what we’ve done with him.

Love worship, but hate Jesusy entertainment.

And those other kids I went to church with, I’ve come to find that many of them were misfits, skeptics, and doubters, too. Some of them still go, but more of them have left.

Some of them left because they had no desire to conform to an outdated cultural norm that demanded we keep up appearances by parking our butts in our regular Sunday pew.

They didn’t believe, and didn’t believe they needed to pretend that they did.

Others have left because they grew keen to the bait-and-switch tactics. They’ve left because they didn’t fit in, and couldn’t pretend anymore. They left because the Jesus preached from the pulpit didn’t look much like the Jesus of Nazareth. They left because all the bells and whistles and hooks and marketing rang hollow.

They left because they had been constantly catered to, constantly kept busy, but had never been taught how to be a part of the church.

The programs won’t bring them back.

The coffee won’t bring them back.

The show – the lights, fog machine, the contemporary worship that we think is essential – nope, that won’t do it, either.

Source: patheos.com

Let Your Pain Be Your Fuel

July 20, 2015

Life is a beautiful thing. Generally speaking, it doesn’t take much to physically witness the splendor of life on earth. At times, all it takes is to open a door and look outside. The wonders of creation as represented by nature are, in and of themselves, quite a thing to behold. However, as awesome as life can be, it is also full of contradiction and pain. Not long after you have spent fifteen minutes admiring that ladybug, a snotty-nosed little boy comes along and squashes it under his feet for no reason. He sticks his tongue out, laughs like a deranged demon, and runs off to commit some other act of evil elsewhere. Or how about this? Barely two months after you’ve uprooted yourself from the city where you grew up and have moved to another town for that young lady, she calls you up and says, “We need to talk.” She then goes on to try and convince you about how it’s her, not you. We all know how the story goes.

As much as life can be full of amazement and wonder, we all have moments where our worlds seem to be spinning and nothing much makes sense. No matter what we try to do, the pain doesn’t go away. Sometimes, trying to numb that pain makes things even worse because numbing is just a temporary fix. We’ve all heard the ‘mind over matter’ discussion much more than is comfortable to stomach. “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it”. “Your attitude determines your altitude”. Let’s be honest though: when life has just knocked you where it hurts and it’s pretty hard to see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, it’s easy to start resenting the words of encouragement and the oft-quoted sayings. The reality is that it’s easier to sulk and feel like life’s unfair than to put in the work of dusting ourselves off and starting again. But the thing is that truth is truth. It doesn’t change whether we’re in a space or place to accept it or not. Ultimately, in every moment of struggle or difficulty, it comes down to choices and will. When it comes to pain, you can either get depressed and swallowed up by things or you can let your pain be your fuel.

Without delving into the philosophy of it all, I think it’s safe to say that there are times where it comes to just making a decision about turning left or right. This is so, regardless of how awesome the highs are or how tough the lows are. In almost all cases, it’s much easier to focus on the lows than to be grateful for the highs. Today, make a quality decision for yourself and, like the great investors of this world, make the pain work for you and fuel you to glory.

The Bible provides us with the example of Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was faced with pain, betrayal and rejection at a level that would make many of the things we complain about look like a joke. It is made clear that we are to follow this model of one “who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”. If you’d like to know more about Jesus Christ, we would love to share his message with you. Please click on the banner below.

Should I Repair Or Replace My Gadget 2?

July 17, 2015

Watch Out for Refurbs and Extended Warranties

Before you decide to repair or replace, make sure you’re not giving up rights to future repairs or customer service when you make your decision. In some cases, getting a replacement from a company instead of repairing your old device means that you’ll get a refurbished version, or even a used one. Of course, “refurbished” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In many cases refurbs are a better deal than new, and come with full warranties and other protections that you won’t get by repairing your old tech. Just make sure you’re buying from a trustworthy company. However, refurbs offered in the place of repairs may not come with the same warranty or purchase protection that your original item did. Make sure to ask.

If you’re buying new, you get the same warranty and purchase protection that any new item offers (plus whatever your credit card may offer you.) On the other hand, if you pay to get your phone or laptop repaired, there may be a short warranty period for the repair work, but if you have future problems you might be out of luck if you don’t pony up for an extended warranty. As we’ve said, extended warranties are rarely worth it. When you’re making the decision to repair or replace, remember to factor in potential future repairs into your mental math.

Consider The Value of Your Time

Your time also has value that’s often overlooked when making the decision to repair well-used and loved tech versus replace it outright. It makes sense to try and approach these things logically in terms of specs and dollars, but keep these things in mind when making your decision as well:

Consider repair time and how long you’ll be without your devices. If you choose to repair your current devices, make sure to find out how long you’ll be without your tech. After all, if your primary laptop is the one that needs repair, you’ll be without a computer for a while unless you have a backup. If it’s your phone, it could be even worse. You don’t want to be stuck in a never-ending repair hell where your laptop is in the bowels of some repair shop for months upon months while you wait. If a little more money could get you up and working in hours instead of weeks, it might be worth it.

Consider set-up time, and how long it’ll take you to get back to normal. If your repair is something that can be done quickly, or even while you wait, it might not make sense to upgrade. You’ll probably spend hours trying to get your laptop or phone up and running with all of your settings. Even then, it’ll take you even longer to get back to that “productive” normal, where you don’t try to do something and realize you don’t have the files or apps required. While it’s fun for some people to break in new tech, others prefer to just turn it on and go to work. Make sure you know which one you are before you choose.

Many years ago, I had so many issues with an old computer that it spent more time in a repair shop than it spent under my desk. For all the money I spent on it, I probably could have just demanded a replacement, but I had put so much time and energy into setting it up just the way I wanted that I kept thinking that a few more days in the shop wouldn’t be a big deal. After a few months of that, I realized the error of my ways. Your time is important—sometimes it’s worth considering which route will just save you the most time and let you get back to work (or play) as soon as possible.

Sentimental Value Actually Has Value

Finally, keep in mind that the value of your tech to you counts for something. This varies for everyone of course. Some people don’t get attached to their gear at all and treat it like cogs in a machine. Others will cling to an old laptop or smartphone for years upon years because it’s familiar, it works, and it does what they need it to do. Whichever camp you fall into has a huge impact on whether you should repair or replace. If you absolutely love your sticker-covered laptop and would rather get it fixed and use it for a few more years, that’s important and worth keeping in mind, even if your logical self (or friends) tell you otherwise.

At the same time, you should also keep that sentiment in check so it doesn’t overwhelm everything else. It should be a factor in your decision making, but not the only one. Sentimental value can often make us keep things we should really get rid of, or repair items that would be much better replaced with something new. So remember, if it’s a tough decision and everything else is equal, maybe sentimental value tips you over to repairing rather than replacing, but if the chasm is wide, stickers can be moved and old tech repurposed. Plus, you’ll probably grow just as attached to your replacement as you are to what you have now.

Of course, the actual decision is up to you—there’s no one answer that applies to everyone here. Sometimes it makes more sense to get your old, reliable, and trusty gear repaired so you can enjoy it longer than it does to spend the same amount of money on a new device that could be refurbished or problematic on its own. Other times, if you can score an upgrade or get the same item without the wear and tear you’ve put on the one you own, it’s a better route. Weigh your options—including the value of your time and how much the item means to you—and make a carefully considered decision from there.

Source: lifehacker.com

What Google’s Material Design Teaches Us About God

July 17, 2015

Last year, Google launched what was probably their biggest upgrade to its mobile operating system, Android. Known officially as Android Version 5.0 and nicknamed Lollipop, the OS was most notable for its shift towards an emphasis in beauty, color and boldness. If you look at the history of Google and its platforms, the company has always ‘ignored’ design in favor of the pursuit of other aspects of engineering and development. Lollipop, however, seemed to be an acknowledgement that design does matter and that engineering – whatever that meant to them in the past – doesn’t need to come at the expense of style and class.

At the heart of Lollipop was a new design language called Material Design, characterized by a very specific set of styles and principles meant to improve users’ interaction with their devices. This language was not just limited to the mobile platform but was meant to unify the user experience across the board, regardless of whether one was using a phone, tablet, PC or smartwatch. In the world of Material, there are do’s and don’ts and, once an app developer signs on to upgrade his or her app to this language, they have to ‘speak it’ fluently and not deviate from it. Certain user experience actions cannot happen in the world of Material because they break its laws. The video below gives a brief introduction to Material Design and how it works.

I have to put a little disclaimer here and say that I’m not a designer. If anyone were to ask me about the fundamental ins and outs, I wouldn’t be the best qualified person to talk design. What I can say, though, is that I love drawing parallels around various areas of life and learning from them.

Listening to Google’s VP of Design speak so lovingly about Material Design and its principles in the video above, reminds me of something that I was taught growing up and still live by today – that I am created – as we all are – by a God who knows us inside out. Not only are we created beings, but this entire world is created by Him too. I simply cannot believe that the intricacies of the human body and the majesty of an eagle in flight or a cheetah running at over 100 km/h in the savanna are just things that happened. Just as the Google Design team are familiar, to the detail, about how the world of Material works, so I believe that God knows how the world works, down to the last detail. Granted, we don’t always accept and understand everything but that doesn’t negate His existence.

Just as the proper execution of the design principles of Material (or any other human design language for that matter) will result in a “magical user experience”, to quote the Senior Designer at Google, it’s possible then that if we follow God’s principles as set out in His Word – the Bible – we will always live a life we could never have imagined. Perhaps it seems like over-simplification but then again, what’s wrong with simplicity?

Here at 1Africa, we believe in an abundant life that is exciting and full of discovery and adventure. However, we believe that this life can only really be found in God. It is possible to have a relationship with the great designer, the one who knows us all inside out. If you’d like to find out more, please click on the banner below.

5 Things To Know About Being Hurt By Christians

July 16, 2015

In the military, there is a term that is used when a soldier is hit by a bullet fired by another combatant on the same side. We call it ‘friendly fire’. In most cases – if not all – it happens by mistake and the soldier responsible has to deal with very difficult emotions, particularly if the friendly fire results in death.

What happens when the friendly fire isn’t friendly at all? Worse off, what if the bullet is fired in the one place where people are supposedly ‘enlightened’ and full of love and compassion – the church? The reality is that, when Christians hurt other Christians, it’s a big deal. The main reason is because of the high level of expectation that we place on people because of what we believe they believe in.

Having said that, here are 5 things to know about being hurt by Christians:

1. Christians are not perfect people. I am of the firm belief that the reason why people take it badly when they are hurt by fellow Christians is because of a misguided belief that Christians are perfect. The sooner we learn that people are people, the more we may be able to take certain things in their stride and better be able to absorb friendly fire, whether it’s actually friendly or not.

2. Christian leaders are probably the biggest culprits. The great leadership guru, John C. Maxwell, said “Everything rises and falls on leadership”. The most hurtful pain in life usually comes from people we look up to, admire and respect. Christian leaders, over the years, have probably caused more damage than they realize.

3. The Bible makes frequent reference to issues being resolved between ‘brothers’, which means this subject is neither a surprise nor something new. A lot of people have the mistaken view that offence between fellow Christians is a new phenomenon. It’s really not. Forgiveness is a central theme of the Christian faith and most issues relating to this theme involved reconciliation between people sharing the same beliefs. That should tell us something.

4. It’s permitted in the Bible to walk away from people who are divisive. That doesn’t mean you stop loving them or that you don’t forgive them but you can stop associating with them, lest they cause you more harm. Titus 3:10 says, “Warn a divisive person once, and then a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” Wow, that seems pretty harsh but it makes sense. Sometimes, we have the false belief that Christianity is all about love, poodles and hugs but there are times, even in dealings with people, where we have to take a tough stand.

5. Ultimately, our focus should be on the right place. While it’s perfectly understandable to hold Christians – particularly Christian leaders – to a high standard, Christianity is a call to follow Christ, not Christians. This is not to say we are to be so disconnected from people that we become spooky and weird but if we know what the real focus is, we will be able to take anything that comes our way. Have you been hurt by the words or actions of people you thought highly of? All hope is not lost. Place your focus back on God and you will be well back on the path to healing. If you’d like to reconnect with God and want to find out how you can, please click on the banner below.

Should I Repair Or Replace My Gadget 1?

July 15, 2015

Sometimes fixing a dying laptop, cracked screen, busted motherboard, or blinky game console is almost as pricey as buying a new one. When that happens, you have a pretty tough decision to make: Do you stick with what you’ve been using and love, or get something shiny and new? Here’s what you should consider before making the choice.

It might seem like new tech is always preferable to repairing older gear, but that’s only true if every upgrade is a good one. When we talked about how to make this decision when it comes to cars, we noted there’s a lot more to the picture there, and there’s more here too. Let’s tease out some of the things you should think about—depending on your situation, spending some cash to get new might be better than repairing what you have, and in other cases you might be better off fixing what you have.

See If Buying New Is Actually an Upgrade

Remember, not everything “new” is an “upgrade.” It might seem like you’re getting something better by nature, since presumably you’ll get a new, unused item instead of repairing your used gear, but if the thing you’re buying new doesn’t suit you as well as what you have already, it’s not an upgrade. For example, the current-gen Moto X is a great phone, but if you, like many people, preferred the smaller, thinner version compared to the newer, bigger one, you might be unhappy with the upgrade. Sure, it’s technically better, spec-wise, but we all know that whether you enjoy using something comes down to more than specs.

On the other hand, the money you’d spend repairing your old device could go towards getting you something new. Maybe instead of repairing a cracked screen, you can spend a little more and get a newer phone with a better camera, or instead of replacing your laptop’s motherboard you can afford the latest model with more storage and memory than the one you had. Think about that before you make the decision to repair your old device or buy a replacement. If you’re going to spend your money buying new instead of repairing what you use and love, you should make sure you’re actually getting something that’s better for you than what you have.

Try to Offset the Cost by Selling the Broken Tech

One thing to keep in mind when you’re comparing the cost of repairing broken tech to the cost of buying new is how much you’d make if you sold the broken item. Remember, people pay good money for broken tech on eBay and other places, so you can easily offset the cost of an upgrade by selling the broken item. That means if it would cost you $500 to repair your broken laptop, and a few hundred more could buy you a new, similar laptop, think about how you could soften the blow once you sold the broken one for parts, or how much more you could get for your money after you sell it.

That’s just an example, and there’s no guarantee that your broken tech will sell for enough to make a difference, but do some research. Keep in mind some people might want your broken model for its working screen, battery, or other parts they can use to repair their own. The money you might make on your broken one may soften the cost of the whole affair. Just make sure to properly erase your phone or computer before you sell it.

Stay tuned to 1Africa for Part 2 tomorrow.

Source: lifehacker.com

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler do The Tonight Show

July 15, 2015

Superstar comediennes Tina Fey and Amy Poehler appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon recently. True to form, they were hilarious as ever as they played a fun ‘truth or lie’ game with the show’s host. In the game, ‘True Confessions’, each of the participants holds up two envelopes. One of them contains something that really happened to that person and the other contains a lie. One of the other players then picks an envelope with a statement which then gets read out and, over the next minute, the others must determine, through asking questions as probing as possible, whether this statement is actually true or not. At the end of the round, the player whose turn it is then announces whether it was true or a lie. Anyway, let me not squeeze the life and fun out of it. Check Fallon, Fey and Poehler in action in the video below. It’s a bit of a long one but worth every minute.

While the video is hilarious and, on the face of it, seems to be nothing but humor and laughter, it does carry some serious themes that affect us daily. What is truth about us and what is a lie? Have you ever taken the time to think about that? Without realizing it, each of us will say things about ourselves on a daily basis. What we say falls into one of two categories – truth or lie. We say things like “I don’t have what it takes to do this”, “this fancy place isn’t for people like me”, “I’m too fat/skinny/dark/light”. The list goes on. Sometimes, like we see in the video above, it’s other people’s voices telling us what they believe to be true about us. People, based upon what they believe us to be, utter things about us and, more often than not, we buy into the lies and hold onto them.

We want to share a simple truth with you today: what matters is not what people say about you. It is God’s truth that is supreme and it starts with you knowing that He loves you unconditionally. Regardless of what others may say about you, He tells you that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. The good news is that it doesn’t end there. There’s so much more.

If you’d like to know more about God, faith and truth, please click on the banner below.

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TJ

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