People Followed Jesus Immediately, Without Question or Hesitation

"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned."

From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men." They immediately left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them. They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

(Matthew 4: 15-25 WEB)

Culture as a Form of Self Regulating Management

Imagine the following scenario: You are a single woman who has moved to a new neighbourhood and you visit the local church one morning for a church service, as you miss being part of a regular community of worshippers. You enjoy the praise and worship and the sermon inspires you. This seems to be the church for you! Over the coming weeks, you experience a sense of disquiet as you realise the pastor holds a different view on an important topic and this seems to be very different to the views you have been taught over your many years as a Christian. You schedule a meeting with the Pastor and thoroughly discuss the matter. You feel quite strongly over this matter, as the Bible makes the point quite clear and in your mind you hold no doubt that you are debating on the side of righteousness. The meeting seems to be friendly and you both part with a smile. You are aghast when, in coming weeks, your name is removed from the email list and you don't receive the regular weekly church newsletter. When you put your name down as a volunteer, you don't get a phone call in return, and none of your phone calls or emails are returned. Yet, everyone still seems to be friendly to you when you attend the church. It takes quite a while for you to realise you are not welcome and you leave, devastated, with a psychological injury in the form of trust broken that you feel will never heal. Your only solace is that you did not pursue the matter and you found out about some of the cultural norms before you had invested more time and effort at the church.

Tough Love

What do you do when you have a family member who needs help, and who is not able to help himself or herself? Perhaps the person has a mental illness or is in generational poverty, unable to get a job. Imagine you know someone like this and then consider the situations beneath.

What do you do if you know the person has a drinking problem, or takes drugs, and then asks you for money? You know that any amount of money you provide will probably be used to buy alcohol or drugs, and not food. No matter how much money you provide, it never seems to be enough. What do you do when requests for help become demands and include ludicrous threats of blackmail?

Biting the Hand That Feeds

I am sure you have heard the phrase, "a leopard cannot change its spots" (Jeremiah 13:23). Leopards are born with spots and they live with spots their whole life. To expect a leopard to look any different is foolish, and one must accept them as they are. Even were a leopard to try and change its spots, it wouldn't be able to. Just as leopards do not change their spots, seldom will a leopard ever change its nature. Leopards are hunters, fierce wild animals to stay away from. One may tame a leopard, if one finds one very small and hand rears it, but would you ever totally trust that leopard, especially alone with your children? Such is the nature of the beast.

Remember the Way Things Used to Be?

Have you heard people grumble unhappily that they are messing this country up? You know what these people are referring to, as years ago people seemed to look and be the same wherever they were from. If you visited a particular area of the world you noticed that everyone seemed to have the same culture. Now your neighbourhood is changing. You can see inroads being made into your city. You don't like this as you are happy with the way things have always been and you like the culture that you are used to. You feel your way of life is threatened by all these strangers. What do you think the new people who are moving to this neighbourhood are experiencing? They are overjoyed to be here! They may have given up jobs on the other side of the world, packed up all their earthly belongings, said goodbye to friends and family they have known all their lives and they arrive with hope in their hearts for a wonderful new future. Some of these people bring different customs with them, a totally different culture and religion. Days turn to months and the new people struggle to find jobs and have difficulty coping with a foreign culture. Will they leave? No! They are here to stay. They have no money to go back home and the ills where they come from still outweigh the potential they see all around them. They love this new place they find themselves in. As time goes on and if they still feel isolated, they may start to look with loathing on the community around them.

Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You (Part 2)

In blog article Do Unto Other As You Would Have Them Do Unto You (Part 1), I gave a brief synopsis and example of why we should treat each person we meet with respect. People have long memories and may hold grudges long after an incident has passed and the key to avoiding much conflict is probably to treat people the way we would want to be treated ourselves in the same situation.

I believe most of what I write, can be applied in different contexts, for example, a personal dynamic between two people could be extrapolated into a dynamic in the office or a dynamic between governments and nations. If individual people who are treated badly on a personal level harbour grudges towards other people, could the same principle be applied to nationalities or cultures who believe they have been treated badly? I wrote a blog article called Learning From the Fear That's Motivation For Discrimination, in which I mention that much animosity between people may be due to learnt fear and generational fear.

Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You

"As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them." (Luke 6:31 WEB)

I am sure you have heard of the saying, be careful who you step on on the way up as you may meet them on the way down. I am not sure who first came up with this saying, but I have read a few variations along the same principle, which essentially is to avoid bullying people to achieve your own ends and to treat people well and this will avoid you being a target yourself. For example, if you work in an office and do not treat all people well on your rise to the top, you may regret some of your actions if you encounter some of those same people later during your career, who may then be your equals or superiors, or it may be people lower down in the ranks who topple you from power. People tend to have long memories and not all are willing to let past wrongs go unpunished.

Why Do Some People Say Believing In God Is Like Believing Father Christmas Is Real?

I have occasionally heard people say, in their arguments against the existence of God, that believing in God is like believing Father Christmas is real. They may grin and say sardonically, sure, you can believe Father Christmas delivers toys to every girl and boy around the world on Christmas Day if you want to.

Is It Politically Correct to Help People On the Other Side of the World?

I have mentioned how I see homelessness and poverty growing around me (Tipping Point--What's Below the Iceberg?). It is an entrenched part of society. The usual response to these problems seems to be to ignore them and the people involved. I have noticed a general stereotype forming where we tend to look down on the people in poverty around us. We tend to place them in another bracket, creating an us and them mindset. These people are all around us but we don't really see them and, if we do, we tend to avoid any interaction. Maybe we do so to obliterate guilt from our minds and to make sure other people's problems do not become our own? Perhaps we do not understand these other people and we fear them as we are not sure how they will react in a given situation? Maybe we don't like to burden ourselves with the dark parts of life, instead preferring to surround ourselves only with uplifting and positive images to lull ourselves into thinking life is all good?

Where Are You From?

Imagine the following situational analysis, which is purely fictitious:

 "Where are you from?"

I stare blankly back at the grey haired, smiling lady, as her question sinks in. The first words she has uttered to me, after we exchanged names. I grin widely. "I'm from Jo'burg", I say vaguely, giving a general answer.

"But where in Jo'burg?" She smiles politely, rocking back slightly on her heels and straightering up. "I'm from Sandton", she says, "to the north of Jo'burg".

"Ah yes", I say with a drawl as realisation hits me, "I'm from Roodepoort", and I place emphasis on rolling the "r" and elongating the "oo" sounds.

Her smile shudders slightly and her interest wanes. "Well, better run", she murmurs as she grabs her handbag and turns to go. "I have a long day ahead of me."

I watch her go. She really seems to be hurrying away.

I giggle to myself. Should I perhaps have answered, "near Ruimsig", which is part of Roodepoort, when she asked me where I was from? You know, Ruimsig, the home of the country club and prestige golf estate and luxurious country manors? Or I might have said "Weltevredenpark", which has some really wonderful houses. Roodepoort sounds so, well, hard to explain really. When I say Roodepoort I think of run down houses crammed together, and it's not necessarily a place you would proudly say you were from if you suspect a motive behind why you are being asked. Why did she want to know anyway, I wonder, as we both now live worlds away in a new country, where different cultural norms are at play? Do the same rules still apply? Why did she hurry away like that? Am I judged on where I am from even before I have said my first real sentence?

Where are you from? Does it matter?

Being God's Hands and Feet

Do you know that people are God's hands and feet? I have heard this message preached at various churches, on a few occasions. God, I am sure, does not want to see anyone who is lonely or hungry or in need of shelter and He will make sure to send people who can help when He is called upon to do so. But, was I perhaps the one He first sent to someone when I may have walked on by? This is a sobering thought. It is sobering because I may have been able to help someone who I let down and I may have let God down in the process and because perhaps I failed a test God gave me. How much sooner could change happen if we all take the first opportunity to help others? When we walk past hurting people or people in need, we miss opportunity to do God's work.

As with any subject, there is more than one way to view this topic, of course. Each one of us has finite resources to call upon, whether this be money or emotional resources or safety, and sometimes helping other people may place the helper in harm's way. We cannot help everyone we see in need or we would be a wreck ourselves.

Appearance versus Judging Appearance

Should you be mindful of your appearance for others or should others accept your appearance?

I heard a brief comment from the pulpit in a church recently that you must be aware of the way you dress and the haircut that you have and the way you present yourself in general, as all of this has an effect on the way other people react towards you, and essentially to be mindful of yourself out of respect and caring for others. 

The Art of Debate

Is truth absolute? Is truth a point of view? Is truth a factor of perception?

I recently observed someone's quest for truth about a subject in the Bible. He researched the subject extensively and watched many videos by different people posing individual points of view. What struck me is how the same subject could be approached from different angles by these different people, yet using the same Bible verses to back up what they were saying. How astounding that one person could say a verse meant one thing in support of the viewpoint and another person would take the same verse and use it to show it meant a totally opposing viewpoint. It seemed to me that, in some cases, subtle word play was used to twist meaning. I wondered if I may do the same thing unconsciously in writing this blog. I write about many subjects and write from my point of view as I understand things, and someone else may totally disagree with what I write and might phrase the same topic very differently, approaching the subject from a very different angle. Who is correct and is there such a thing as correct? Are these different viewpoints what is known as individual ethics?  Might this be viewed as subtle manipulation by an author to influence an audience's point of view? Is this the art of debate, to pose a compelling viewpoint of a subject from a particular angle?

Why IS Miss South Africa 2012 White? Actually, Why Not?

I read an article today called: "Why is Miss South Africa White?". Even though I am a White South African, I found I was also surprised to read that Miss South Africa is White. Oh no, I thought, how many White contestants were there, and I hope there were many Black contestants too?! You will see the comments of the article state the same surprise as an outcry against a White person winning a beauty contest to represent an African country.

Then I wondered the following about this beauty contest, which is purely hypothetical, as I don't know who entered Miss South Africa: if Miss South Africa has 7 Black contestants, 1 Indian contestant, 1 Coloured contestant, 1 Chinese contestant, and 1 White contestant, and all are South African citizens, must one of the Black contestants win? Why should I think this should be so? And what if the Indian person or the Coloured person or the Chinese person had won instead of a Black person or a White person? (though for BEE purposes (1), these people are classed as Black) Would there still be an outcry? Why are we dividing contestants in a beauty competition into race groups? If a Black person should win, then are the other contestants token entries only who are wasting their time trying? Why must the winner of any beauty contest be chosen on the basis of her colour?

Silence Means Consent!...Does It Really?

I have been told by many people that silence means consent. Consider the following example: Imagine you are listening to a complex conversation. The person rattles off facts and figures, and you vaguely listen as you think about what you are going to cook for dinner than evening. The next day the person posts on Facebook that she is so happy she has finally found someone who agrees with her, and she names you. Huh! You don't even remember any of the conversation! Or, should you have been paying closer attention to make sure you disagree when you do, and was the onus on you to make sure to correct any incorrect facts too?

Faith is an Individual Journey (Romans 14 World English Bible)

I have many lessons of my own to learn, and I know I can sometimes be too opinionated, yet, at the same time, I am searching for my own answers and truth. I love Romans 14 and the way this chapter sums up this oft struggle, showing how the main aim should be to walk by faith, and be led by the Spirit, and allow each person his or her own journey in Christ.

This version of Romans 14 is taken verbatim from The World English Bible:

A Friend of the World, or of God?

"Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members? You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask. You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures. You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit." Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that." But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil. To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin." (James 4 WEB)

Sing, Sing a Song

When I was about eleven or twelve years old, I remember hearing a song playing on the radio, and I was captivated by the voice I heard, which seemed to me somehow perfect. I hurried through to my parent's bedroom and lay on the bed and listened, spell bound. I found out that I was listening to the Carpenters and how I loved Karen Carpenter's voice. The Carpenter's songs gave me comfort over some tough times and I would later listen to their music for hours, over and over. I was saddened when I found out Karen Carpenter had died, which must have been only a short while before I discovered her singing. I became a collector of most of their CDs and records and knew most songs by heart.

One of the songs I enjoyed listening to was “Sing, Sing a Song”. The song, “Sing”, says to sing even if what you may sing is not good enough for anyone else to hear. How often do we listen to the opinions or advice of other people who tell us, for example, that we can't sing, or that we will never be good at something? Or we may tell ourselves this, not believing in our own abilities. Imagine if Karen Carpenter had decided not to sing because she was told she would never be successful or that she could not sing well enough? I am sure there may have been some detractors telling her this. Yet, the Carpenters were a very successful group. They might not have been liked by some people, but there were plenty of other people who did like them, millions in fact, including me, a teenager who loved their music when others my age were listening to a range of what would have been considered more suitable music for teenagers. Would Karen Carpenter have been a singer even if she thought she would never become world renowned? I am sure she would have carried on singing still, perhaps in a church or in smoke filled bars or at home alone.

Not everyone who sets out to be a singer may achieve any measure of success or become world famous, but the key is to follow your heart and do what you love to do and to do so in spite of opposition. We cannot know the path that lies ahead, we can only carry on walking down the road hoping we are aiming in the right direction. Use your God-given gifts with abandon and do what you love to do: Sing with joy. Paint with passion. Dance with merriment. Maybe you will be successful. Maybe you won't. You will certainly be happier when there is alignment between who you are and what you do and when you find and live your purpose. Be yourself.

The Veracity of Eye Witness Testimony

If you know there is an eye witness to a crime, would you believe the person's testimony? After all, the person saw what happened, right? What if that person was you?

Books That Breathe

Have you ever wondered at the wellspring that is creativity? How do some people write 20 or more novels, and each is unique and wonderful and gripping? Some authors write a variety of very different novels, and others may write a series. Where does such creativity come from? I have read that there are only so many types of stories, forming a general framework on which ideas hang, yet I have read books that have made me see into a breathing world of intrigue and mystery, far unlike anything I may have imagined before. For example, Robin Hobb's books. She creates dragons, and wood that is infused with life, and people who communicate with their nature counterparts, for example, wolves. I have read JK Rowlings Harry Potter books, and the characters are real people, whom one feels compassion for, and who become one's friends for the time spent among the pages, gripped by surprising adventure. Stephen King wrote The Stand, redefining future history, crafting a world on the brink of apocalypse, a virulent flu run amok, streets devoid of people and cars abandoned atop one another. And Stephen King is still writing, as are many other authors. I find such talent astonishing. Where does imagination such as this come from? And I know there may be many more stories such as this out there, perhaps not discovered by the public yet, but waiting in the minds of people, or in books poised for discovery. I may wonder and marvel, but I also know that I am thankful to people such as these, who breathe life into words. Books have been my friends, sometimes when people weren't. How I yearn to craft tales such as these. Hopefully, someday I might...

Some Thoughts on Finding Happiness

I posted this article in May on a different blog, in response to a forum discussion on the keys to happiness. This is a summary in a way of some of the content of my book:

Here are a few thoughts on ways to find happiness through the following concepts. I believe each person is different and we each need to come up with our own answers, and the real key is being who you are: (I've realised I need to exclude people in abject poverty from some of these thoughts, for example someone who may be experiencing starvation, as certain needs do need to be met)

How Does Change Happen When Rules Remain Static? (the Job Hiring Process)

I wonder...I wonder what would happen if we started to give some people a chance, instead of writing them off on paper. How do we lift people out of poverty if we reserve the same jobs for the same people and why do we often bring in new people to do work that so many who are out of work and already available would love to try doing? I have heard employers say they have received 100 resumes for a specific job, and that none of the applicants meet the criteria, and I wonder, why is the criteria so hard, and did you even speak to one of those people? If the applicants are applying for jobs, surely they must think they can do the job! Or maybe some people are not applying because they have been turned away so many times before. Imagine if we hired people based on their willingness to try. Imagine if we asked for volunteers and we actually let the ones who were eager and who stepped forward try. It doesn't take long for someone who's heart is not in something to back away. I'd love to see an experiment run where random people are hired to work for a new company, not on experience, but on willingness, and see if they float or sink--my bets are, they would come out on top. They could be street people, people out of work for years, mentally ill people--everyone has potential and something to give, and God loves every single person (not always their behaviour).

And related to this, I created a wiki, which is a page geared specifically towards collaboration by many people, to come to ingenious answers--all are free to contribute: One Vision Wiki

See related blog article: Poverty and the Job Hiring Process

Preface of My Book in Audio Format

This is an audio snippet containing the preface of my book. This was take 1, so I hope it's okay! You are welcome to give feedback. https://www.dropbox.com/s/3g8nm3jh06ac2qt/Preface.mp3

Do Not Overlook Talent in People Who Have Mental Illness

I read a news article recently that says that there seems to be a close correlation between creativity and mental illness, and in the article it says: "Lead researcher, Dr Simon Kyaga, said the findings opened the way for certain disorders to be viewed as beneficial or desirable for certain occupations. For example, the disordered thoughts associated with schizophrenia may lend themselves to projects which require focus, determination and ingenuity." And I thought, this very philosophy allies closely to the blog article I wrote about using your strengths and ignoring your weaknesses. I suspect employers may be loath to hire people who have diagnosed mental illness conditions, yet, are they missing the possible potential brain power and creativity many people with mental illness possess? I was occasionally involved in brainstorming sessions when I used to work in an office environment, and the very essence of brainstorming is to cast off the possible and mull over the impossible and totally unlikely, as, often, a totally new, amazing paradigm may be arrived at when viewing something from an unexpected angle.

If you are an employer, consider, could someone, as the article says, who has a disordered thought pattern actually be the very person you might need to solve, for example, your long standing corporate marketing problem? Think about that point, the next time you turn someone who has a mental illness down for a job. Perhaps there might even be a way to tap into this potential using somewhat non traditional means, perhaps if employers were to change their job models and to include paying for a piece of work, instead of for time spent as a hired employee? Everyone has purpose!

When Your Sense of Identity is Firm, There Is No Need to Argue

I went on a school excursion recently, and somehow got onto the subject of Christianity, when one of the moms said she belongs to a particular Christian denomination. So I asked her what she believes, and then I said, oh, I think that's the same as what I believe, we use different words--please read my book and tell me what you think. She then mentioned a few points that might be different to what I believe, or that I have been told by others, but I was able to leave the subject and go away and ponder some more. Another parent overheard us talking, and I thought I saw him start squirming, and he hurriedly left. That might have been me before, as I realised recently that I have made a huge jump: from being a Christian who wasn't too sure about God, and who almost embarrassedly acknowledged my belief, yet still harboured doubts, to someone who has no qualms talking about God, and who trusts fully in Him. I speak about God as I may speak about the weather, in a factual type of way with no thought that I may be touching on a sensitive topic.

Short Audio Snippet: Why Did I Write My Book?

This is a short audio file in which I speak about why I wrote the book Foundation Stone of Hope. 

On Being Profound

I once went to a church sermon where the Pastor said to his audience, listen to this next point, because it is profound. And he repeated himself by saying, really listen because what I am going to tell you is profound and it may change your life. And while we all stared at him, he shouted, listen to this next point because it is profound. And then he gave a wry smile and said, he has realised he often needs to point out that what he is saying is profound, or his words just go over people's heads. Why is this? Why do we need to be told something is profound? Why do we sometimes think something is profound if the media tells us it is profound? Perhaps there is too much information around, and perhaps everything people are saying is profound in some way, we have to find the parts that speak to each one of us?

Why I Trust the Man Who Glowers More than the One Who Smiles

I walk into a particular place sometimes. It's a new place I have been attending on occasion. There are lots of warmly, welcoming people. Newsletters are given to me before I walk to my seat, and the people handing them out greet me warmly and usually shake my hand. After the presentation, people stand around and shake people's hands on the way out. What strikes me is how friendly everyone seems to be. There is one elderly man who I see most weeks, but when I smile at him, his face glowers in return. I am sure he sees me, as he looks right at me, but then he ignores me and walks haltingly to his seat. I cannot be sure, but I wonder, do some of the people who smile at me, secretly dislike me on sight and wonder who I am? I say this because I am aware that I do not always give a good first impression to people, and I have learnt elsewhere that, what seems like initial friendliness, may be a front for gossip and cliques. The old man shows me I am a stranger, and that I don't know him and he doesn't know me. He will not smile at me unless he genuinely likes me and connects with me. I wonder, does he smile at anyone? I suspect he is more trustworthy than some of the people I meet who smile so disarmingly at me. What I do know is that it will take time for me to find out the undercurrents at play, the politics, and to find out what his, and others, intentions are. What may seem friendly on the surface, may not be. What may appear to be unwelcoming at first, may be a more trustworthy environment than what seems initially welcoming. The crux is whether or not the people in the seemingly welcoming environment are genuinely welcoming, or not, and whether or not this is a front for undercurrents. I know never to assume until the hand shows itself; it is a lesson hard learnt. As a saying goes, "actions speak louder than words", and I know I will have to bide my time to find out truth.

I, The Lord Thy God, Am a Jealous God

I read a comment once by someone, who replied to a Christian article and said, what does it matter if she wants to find her own spirituality--why do Christians always think that their way is the only right way? She seemed to feel Christians are pompous to follow God as they do. And she said let each person find a spiritual path that works for him or her. I am sure you will agree that this is a good sentiment--I do agree that there will be a lot more peace if we each allow each other to be who we are, and to find our own individuality and to live our own beliefs.

In All Things, God is Able

Thanks to a friend for sending me this story via email. I am not sure who wrote it, and I hope I am not infringing any copyright by sharing it (please let me know). I hope you too find encouragement and hope by reading it. This is the story I received:

Caught Between Career Choices?

Are you caught between two career choices? Sometimes you can use both of your passions to achieve your dreams.

I watched a video this morning on TED, the foremost idea leaders, showing a speech by Robert Gupta. He studied to become a medical doctor, and he loves neuroscience, but he has also always loved to play the violin, and he has always been more than passionate about his music. He has been able to use both talents to help others, as he shows that music therapy helps those whom traditional methods may be unable to. Watch his speech here: Between Music and Medicine

This is a link to the organisation Robert Gupta started to help impoverished people by the use of music therapy: Street Symphony

Why Did I Write My Book?

Below is the preface I recently added to my book--I thought context was necessary before anyone jumped in to read the content, setting the scene for the map as it were. Do you have any thoughts on this? Please comment! 

Free Speech Versus Respecting Religious Human Rights

I've been wondering, why are people still allowed to make fun of religion, and call it free speech? Why are people's religious beliefs not afforded the same anti-discrimination treatment as is now in place for most other human rights? As an example, you do not see people in wheel chairs being made fun of, just as one does not normally these days see fun being made of a specific race or nationality. It is no longer politically correct to do so. Isn't religious targeting of any religion also a form of discrimination? Though in saying this, I do not condone forceful opposition to any form of discrimination, as I believe in peace as Jesus spoke of it.

Is it harmless fun for people to make fun of something held in high regard by others, or is it conscious bullying, trying to provoke a reaction? At the same time, do not allow any violent reactions to happen, instead choose to respond peacefully, as this will ensure bullies do not have ammunition to use against you. And in the same vein, why are people still killed over their religious beliefs? Surely there should be global laws against any form of murder and persecution and discrimination? Why are people still killed for being a Christian, for example? Is it because others feel that knowing about Christianity will steal away their own religious beliefs, and erode their own culture? Ironically, this is the same concern many Christians have when they encounter other religions. We all want to hold on to the cultures and values that we know and trust.

I am a Christian, but if you believe differently, then hold on to your own beliefs. No-one can change your beliefs unless you allow them to. It is your life to live. Know what you stand for. Be yourself.

Secular Society and the Falling Away of Christianity

Have you noticed how we take so much of what is Christian society for granted, and in many ways nowadays we seem to want to give it away? What do I mean?...

Perception Versus Intention

Imagine you are a student at a school. One morning, whilst your teacher is standing in front of the class talking, you notice a bedraggled looking man wander in. His face is a mass of wrinkles, grey hair shaggy and wavy, glasses askew. He shuffles in, glaring at the ground. His hand darts out from robes of clothes, clutches a piece of chalk, and he starts writing frantically on the blackboard, mumbling quietly to himself. Your lecturer glances around as the class starts laughing, and immediately rushes for the telephone, frantically yet quietly calling for security. The security person arrives and says in a loud voice, "Sir, you need to leave now". The grey haired man turns around with a friendly expression, which soon darkens as he apprises the situation. "Sir, come with me". "But, but..." the visitor  mumbles. Then the visitor yells "Hey, don't grab me!" as security bundles him out the door. You hear his yells fading as he is marched down the corridor and out of the school. And, as just as calm returns to the room, your principal wanders in, says good morning, and asks you to watch out for Albert Einstein, who is visiting the school and who you might be lucky enough to hear explain some complex theories. Your lecturer's face turns red as he rushes out to find the visitor....

The Art of Artificial Relationships

I used to work for a large organisation, and I knew a key part of the job was building relationships. A key relationship was with my manager. Yet I never wanted to invite my manager to have a chat over coffee. Why? Well, I felt this would be schlooping, otherwise known by even less flattering names. I felt I would be compromising my integrity and ideals of accept me as I am, and I am here to get the work done. I felt I could not pretend to be nice just to earn points with my manager. Needless to say, my manager did not take a good view of me seeming to ignore her, when others were building a relationship with her. Yet, were the others using what could amount to good sales techniques to win her favour? Were they being nice to her because she was their manager, or in spite of this?

Who Do I Write To?

When I write this blog, who do I write to? I write to everyone and I write to individuals. I write to the successful, and I write to the downtrodden. I write to show a pathway to hope. I give these examples: I write to the woman who goes to work day after day, and for her life is a routine. She can barely wake up in the morning, and has to forcibly drag herself out into the cold corridor to get ready for work. Life feels like a blur, and she is thankful she manages to keep going day in and day out, but through her fog she wonders if she will be able to keep going, and desperately wants the roundabout to stop so she can rest. I write to the parents who are trying to force their teenage son to become a medical doctor. He has brilliant academic marks, and all he wants to do is to become an actor and travel the world, but his parents make sure they discourage any thoughts of the stage and drama, and he feels he needs to bow to their increasing pressure and keep slogging away at subjects that hold no interest for him. I write to the people who drift through life not feeling, and not knowing who they are, and where their talents lie. Their self esteem is a factor of acceptance by other people, and it seems wherever they turn they are excluded by a wall of isolation. If only their light of life had been nurtured when first aflame, protected from stormy gales of life's hurts, so it could shine gently and cast a warm glow, and receive sustenance when light was burning low. I write because that was all me. I write to try and show that there is a better alternative; that life is meant to be lived by everyone; that God would not want people to be excluded and hurt by other people; and that God has a plan and a purpose for each person's life. I believe God would want us to be the selves we were always meant to be, free from the enemy's grasp. And I believe that, even when our purpose seems squashed by life and circumstance, God will help give us a better way, if we follow Him and listen to His commands. Like a tree hewn down in a forest, that springs to life unbidden and sends forth new, stronger shoots, so can God give strength to those who turn to Him and ask.

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:" (Isaiah 11:1 NIV)

Have You Considered You May Be the Face an Organisation or Social Group Is Judged By?

Have you ever been to an organisation and thought, wow, they really care! But often your experience is based on your interaction with one person, for example you feel totally welcomed by the receptionist alone, and she smooths your visit. You have never met her before yet you feel you have personalised attention. She smiles as she greets you and makes sure you have a comfortable chair, or she offers you coffee and asks how your day has been. And have you ever walked away from an organisation thinking you will never be back? Have you considered that often it is an experience with one or two people that has left you feeling this way? Are you perhaps someone who could be responsible for providing either a good or bad experience by customers at the company you work for?

Are You Placing Limits on Yourself? This Deaf Classical Music Composer Did Not!

Do you sometimes dissuade yourself from something before you have even tried, thinking it is impossible? I know I have. Yet there are examples of people who follow an unlikely path in spite of their own limitations.

I have read of athletes missing legs and arms, yet they run and swim or play football with accomplishment. I have read of musicians who play musical instruments in spite of missing key limbs, for example, a pianist who plays with only one hand, or a one armed drummer. There are blind singers, and singers who sing from wheelchairs. Beethoven lived centuries ago, yet his legacy lives on. He was a classical music composer of German descent who started going deaf later in life, and who eventually lost all ability to hear, yet he continued conducting music, and playing and composing music. How heartbreaking it must have been for Beethoven to lose his hearing! I hearken to these examples, amazed at the spirit of triumph over tragedy.

Poverty and the Job Hiring Process

I was chatting to someone recently about the job hiring process. She mentioned that she sees many candidates for interviews who are nervous, and she wishes they weren't. And I mused about how selective employers can be in even calling someone in for an interview. Hundreds of resumes (CVs) might be received, and most are immediately excluded because they do not fulfil the basic requirements of the job. And I mentioned how fleeting I think an interview is, and what a terrible basis this is to make a job hiring decision, as people are hired based on the short period of time they have to impress, not necessarily how well the person might perform over a long period of time. Yet, as the person pointed out to me, the main criteria to do well at a job are behavioural skills, and this is what is mainly evident in an interview: is the person friendly, able to manage pressure, able to answer questions posted on the fly? For her, the main character traits that are important are things like team work and building relationship, and technical skills can often be learnt, but behavioural traits can take a long time to acquire and change.

What Will This New Day Bring?

I glance out the window. There is a thread of gold beading the grey cloud. It widens, glints, and then the sun shines through, spilling liquid gold. Grey flees in haste as morning celebrates. What will this new wondrous day bring? I could have written: I am sitting here shivering. It is still mostly dark and I have to get up and get the kids ready for school. Do I have to go into the office today? What will I be asked to do today? I am dreading it! Never underestimate the power of your thoughts! There is power in a positive mindset and seeing your world differently.

Is Workplace Bullying a Subtle Form of Domestic Violence?

In domestic violence, abusers will hit their wives, or scream at them and totally try to control them, and then there is a period of making up and life returns to normalcy, and then tensions start to build and the cycle repeats. Usually violence escalates, and the only thing recommended to do is to remove the victim from the situation, if the victim sees the value of doing this, as often there is a large emotional bond and dependence on the abuser.

Getting To Know Me

I've been wondering whether you, my readers, see me in these blog posts, as each article is a tiny snapshot of my thoughts. Yet I still wonder if you know me. You can only know me by what I reveal, and I am judged by what I reveal, and if I disclose differently you might form a different picture of me than what you currently have.

I wrote a post on here called "Rediscovering Me", and then I removed most of it from this blog site, and it is now to be found in my book--I added additional information to it and I hope I haven't made the specific section incredibly boring, but thought I needed to include my own journey. Is there much to tell? Well, I see myself as quite an average person, and there is not much to tell really, but everyone has a story. I did leave some parts of my own story out, to maintain confidentiality for other people, and perhaps someday I may tell the whole story. But I do know too that it is not always necessary to tell everything, and also to leave some discovering for another day. Each time something is written, this becomes additional truth, and the present reality is therefore not always the entire truth, and each additional blog post may reveal additional context and insight. I also believe the person is not as important as the message, and my message, I hope, is that there is a better life for you out there, and you have to discover who you truly are. God bless.

Trying Out New (Emotional) Skills

Do you have a driver's license? If so, you must know what it felt like to be a learner driver. Do you remember the first time you took the wheel and drove on the open road? I do, and I remember how uneasy my driving instructor was sitting next to me, especially when a long line of cars formed behind my hesitant, jerky attempts at pulling off at a stop street. How glad I was when I was finally able to pull off in first gear without stalling the car. I am sure I revved the car too much with a heavy foot on the clutch and accelerator, but I know I finally got the car going. Driving is now second nature to me. This is akin to learning most new skills, especially emotional. At first it is difficult, and you may really struggle to transform a skill into an effortless habit. Imagine, for example, if you are someone who has kept your anger suppressed for years. You may have difficulty controlling your anger when it is first unleashed: perhaps you discover anger for the first time in a bullying situation you have previously quietly sat through many times before, and your anger rises out of control, scaring you with its ferocity. It is a new skill you are learning to use. Like the learner driver, you may not know how to "ride" your anger correctly at first and how to keep it within polite social norms. But in time you will learn to feel the anger, but not be controlled by it. You will be able to respond with intellectual thought, whilst keeping any justifiable anger simmering in the background, and be able to keep any thoughts of the bully to yourself, instead of blurting the thoughts out loud and adding ammunition to the bully's assertions about you.

Just as with the above fictional example of learning to use anger, be aware that learning to manage any new skill usually takes time and practice. Be prepared for variances when using new skills, and know you will master them in time. Soon the usage of your new skills will seem like second nature to you.

Defensiveness Talking

Have you ever sent someone something, for example, your own painting, or a book, or a forwarded email? Then you've wondered, what if the person doesn't like what I've sent? So you send a message saying, you don't have to keep the item, you can give it away or ignore it! And I suspect the other person might then wonder why he or she has been given the item, and did you really want to give it to him, and what is actually wrong with it? Or another example might be if you invite someone to coffee, and then you think she might not want to go with me! So you tell her before you've gone for coffee, and without prompting, that it's okay if you both don't go for coffee, and she might think, perhaps you don't really want to go for coffee, so in turn she says she can't make it. And in these cases your fears are confirmed. But perhaps if you just gave the item away and said nothing further, or if you just let the coffee invite stand, the person might have accepted each positively? Our fears can get in the way and confirm themselves sometime, and this might be due to our defensiveness talking.

Tipping Point--What's Below the Iceberg?

I wonder sometimes what it takes to get an iceberg to tip over. With icebergs, you see only a tiny amount of the mass of the iceberg, just that little bit sticking out above the water. What is below the point you see? The iceberg mass could be simply huge. Why do I mention this? I look around me at the parts of the world I see. Visible poverty, hungry children, homeless people. Are the poor people I see the tip of the iceberg?

When Ideas Take Flight

I read many things during the course of a day, especially through social media, or in online newspapers, or blogs I may stumble upon. How much of what I read colours the direction of my next thoughts? Do I stop and thank, or acknowledge, everyone who's thoughts I read and then use in different ways?

The Journey Towards the Olympic Games

Have you been watching the Olympic Games? I watch each evening, but I am never sure which events will be screened. A couple of days ago I saw two women British rowers win a gold medal for Britain, the first gold medal British rowers have ever won--a small slice of history in the making--the names of those two rowers will always be down as the first ones, even though there may be many after them.

Each athlete is at the Games after experiencing his or her own individual battles and triumphs. For many, just being at the Olympic Games will be a feat they will always treasure, for others they might wish they had tried that millisecond faster to make the difference between gold and silver, or silver and bronze, or perhaps bronze or losing out on a medal completely. I watch and I see races unfold, but I do not know the journey behind each athlete's appearance and result. I know I am in awe that each individual has reached this amazing point in using their talents.

One athlete who I have been watching at the Olympic Games, as I know something of his hard, yet triumphant journey, is Oscar Pistorius. I have written about him previously on this blog, and you can find his story here: Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner. He (via his agency) allowed me to use his short story in my book, and did not once ask me for any payment, and I am so grateful to him. I will be watching out for his races this coming weekend, and I am sure many others will be watching him make Olympic history. Oscar, I pray for the best for you in this coming testimony, and God bless your ongoing journey.

Where There Be Blue Gums...

I saw a lot of Blue Gum trees when I was living in South Africa. They looked like such messy trees; tree trunks reaching for the sky and limbs askew, colour the tones of grey. Bark that shredded and curled, and did not look like normal woody bark of trees growing around them. Eucalyptus leaves that tasted funny when you bit down. They were a symbol of conservation gone wrong: a displaced tree, grown quickly to provide shade, but not naturally occurring. I would normally see them stand alone, or in sheltered pockets or rows. Now I see them all around me in Australia. There are forests of Blue Gum trees. The Eucapyptus trees on top of Mount Wellington are wizened and stunted and a testament to survival in harsh mountain conditions. In many rainforests here, massive Blue Gum trees reach for the sky, forming canopies, each tree vying for sunshine. I see a forest of Blue Gums stretching for kilometres close to suburbia where I live, a haven for possums and wallabies and kangaroos. Blue Gums in Australia do not look out of place. The forests are beautiful. Why is it that in South Africa these trees seemed ugly to me, out of place in African Savannah, and here they blend in and look lovely? And now I realise, they have always been beautiful trees. Perhaps it is my own perception that has been seeing them differently in these different locations?

The Subtle Art of Bullying: I Heard You Said...

Have you ever been accused of saying something that you in reality were just a listener to? I remember numerous times when someone would come up to me and say something, and later I would hear by chance that I was accused of making that statement. For example, a particular person, call him Jim, would sidle up to me and say, "The new manager in this area is changing everything without asking and is headed for a fall", and I might have looked blankly at him and kept quiet, after all Jim is one of my superiors and I don't really know the new manager. Then a few days later I hear Jim telling someone I said the new manager is inept, and I think, "huh?".

Context Behind the San's (Bushmen's) Situation Makes a Comedy Sad

Have you ever watched The Gods Must be Crazy I or II? The first movie of the series was first released in 1980. I remember really enjoying the first movie when I watched it as a child, and it shows a glimpse of San culture and the very different worlds we live in, and it is truly a hilarious film. I received a copy of these movies, and I am wondering if I will ever be able to watch the films and laugh at the light hearted scenes, as the main characters, the San (Bushmen) are living a life lost. They are no longer a people of hunter gatherers, free to roam at will over vasts tracts of borderless land; most San have been forcibly settled into sedentary villages and have thereby lost their unique cultural heritage and wealth that is freedom. This tragedy occurred shortly before the initial The Gods Must Be Crazy Movie was made. How did something like this happen without anyone really noticing?

Are anthropological groups capturing the unique culture that older San people still have, like fireside tales, and documenting these for future generations, especially by means of video and audio recordings?--I know some writings do exist, e.g. as found on ForumBiodiversity, and I love "The Prayer Addressed to the Young Moon".

I am wondering if it is possible to start a fundraising effort for the San? I would love to buy a huge tract of land for the San, a place they can do with as they please, and this may require millions of dollars to purchase--I've seen a large farm area of the Kalahari for sale, adjoining the central Kalahari Game Reserve, for about US$5-$6 million dollars--any kind philanthropists who would be interested in buying land for the San? Or is there another solution? Is land the only requirement? I pray God shows the way.

Related blog articles
This is a link to a previous blog article I wrote about the San (Bushmen): Ode to the San

Note:  The San's story is not unique. There are many tribal people adrift in this encroaching modern world. Surely there is space for all?

Oscar Pistorius Will Run At the Olympic Games 2012!

Congratulations to Oscar Pistorius, the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games, London 2012! He has earned a spot in the individual 400m race, as well being part of the 4x400 metre Olympics relay team. He will also run in the Paralympics. http://www.news.com.au/sport/london-olympics/double-amputee-to-race-in-olympics/story-fndpu6dv-1226417274171

See previous blog articles about Oscar Pistorius:
Great Video About Oscar Pistorius and His Journey Towards the Olympic Games
Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner

All Who Labour and Are Heavily Burdened...

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 WEB)

This is a bit of free form musing from me:

Who is my blog for? Who is my book for? I have trouble answering that question. I like to think my thoughts are for everyone, but are they? I suspect my writing is targeted at people who feel they are ignored, teased, perhaps bullied by society. People who have a lot of potential, as all people do, but who don't realise it. People who might sit in what seems like a meaningless job, just living from day to day, trapped by a routine from which it seems there is no escape. People who are judged negatively on first impression, who are not taken seriously, who have travelled a hard road and where it seems barriers are formed all around them so they cannot change lanes to travel a more meaningful journey. And then I wonder, haven't we all experienced moments like this, just to varying degrees? What does it take to just be in the present moment and walk with confidence and choose the path we walk? Is it as easy as changing mindsets? Or is there also a tide of perception to change, so we can be swept along with society's tide, instead of being battered by it? What do you think? I know I have found renewed purpose and meaning for living through belief in God the Father and His Son, Jesus. What will give you meaning?

An Analogy For Living Your Purpose

I took a drive one early morning, and ended up parking my car overlooking a quiet bay. Picture gently rippling waves, a golden glow hanging low over the water, and wisps of clouds draped across the brilliant blue sky above. Small boats and yachts sway gently on the water, and a bridge spans the background. Seagulls wander around the shore on a constant quest for food. A few seagulls swim along the surface of the bay, and then dip down into the water when they spy a morsel to snatch. A runner jogs past and the seagulls pay him no mind. And I think back to a day past when I saw a seagull standing in wet sand on a beach, feet covered, waiting, and each time a wave washed over her feet, the seagull would quickly churn the loose sand into blossoming billows in the water as she flushed out sea creatures, perhaps crabs or shell fish or shell creatures. And I contrast these scenes in my mind with times I have seen seagulls squawking racous cries as they fight over rubbish being dumped, or swoop noisily over a fishing boat just landed, or when they try to grab take away food from diners at a waterfront restaurant.

I sit in my car and enjoy the scene in front of me, where seagulls are enjoying the life they were meant to enjoy. I see a few seagulls hovering anxiously just outside my car door, and I wonder if they will follow me if I get out, eager for a scrap or two of a sandwich or a chip.

How easy it is to disturb purpose! Seagulls are meant to forage for food at beaches; to fish and swim and glide on silent wings, swooping low over water, or flying high with currents, flying in joyful abandon; seagulls are not meant to be hovering over garbage waiting for a chance to swoop. How quickly purpose can be overtaken by the temptation of an easy meal.

Send That to Me In Writing

I sent off an email to a large company recently, to enquire whether or not they would be interested in stocking my book on their shelves. I received a reply back saying they only deal with specific suppliers, giving me some guidelines, so I wrote back and said I would be able to comply. The next response said to give the person a call and she would explain the purchasing process, and I thought "How wonderful. A possible opportunity." However, I felt quite deflated when I spoke to her, and she effectively said sorry, she was not interested. So why did I have to phone her to hear that? Why didn't she tell me that in an email? I have noticed that people can seem very friendly and polite in written communication, and only show their true selves in person, when their conversation is not subject to any more rigorous means of documentation than memory. Perhaps that is why someone I know insists on most communication taking place in written form, as she can be assured of the sender's politeness?

Foundation Stone of Hope

As many of you who have watched the progress of this blog will know, I decided to change my book's name from "Perception's Black Swan: Stepping Stones to Purpose" to "Foundation Stone of Hope: Everyone Has Purpose". My book was created using the content of this blog, then resynchronised and edited.

Free reading: My blog contains most of the content of the book in some form or another, and you can read the relevant articles, and more, for free on this blog. Amazon contains a comprehensive free preview of my book, which includes the first chapter.
 
Various formats of the book are available for purchase on Amazon.com and also available to purchase for iPhone: Foundation Stone of Hope on the iBookStore

God Loves You As You Are

All of you are unique. All of you have your own purpose and are valuable to the world in some way. And God loves every, single person. Whether you are old or young, rich or poor, fat or thin, beautiful or not, whether you have won ten Olympic medals, or whether you are broken hearted and lie in bed all day. God loves you, no matter what anyone else may think. You may have no friends, you may have no money, you may not work ever, you may be in prison, but you will always have God if you choose to believe in Him and call on Him. God loves you for who you are. His love for you will never fail. He loves you unconditionally. I am awed that God loves me, even with all my failings. God is spirit. God is love.

I have fear and reverence for God, as God is all powerful. God may not love some of what you do, and He may discipline you, but He still loves you. God will never turn away from you, but you may turn away from Him. Sin casts a barrier between mankind and God. If you do not feel His presence, it will be your thoughts or actions keeping you from God. When you repent with a good heart, God will be there for you when you turn back to Him again.

You never have to be embarrassed in front of God. God knows everything about you. God does not see the outer person; He looks at your heart. He is with you in the dead of night. He is with you by the light of day. God may want more for you, but He will never force you; the path you walk in life is your choice. God will always be next to you, walking right by your side when you need Him, and He will give you strength to overcome the hurts of the world. God’s great love for you will never fail.

If God loves everyone, it is a lesson for me and you to look with compassion on all people. Surely God expects this from us? I believe we should honour God’s ways and do likewise, to be true followers of God; I believe this is the real lesson for all mankind.

My Tin Shack

There are countless poor people amongst us. Here's a perspective of the life of one person who lives in a shanty, part of Soweto. I made a few last minute changes before the competition ended, and it could have been a bit better, but overall I am happy with my character. Hopefully there's enough building description! This is the 300 word piece of writing, an entry into a building description competition:

Return To The Warrior King's Abode

I decided to include a story here that I wrote recently, for an entry to a building description competition, limit of 300 words. I read the first entry by someone else, and thought "Wow, he is using a story to give the description". So I tried it too. Try to see things from different angles. Use different ways to approach subjects. You might be surprised at what you discover. This is my entry: