Flaps Blog

So I’m blogging again - I took a break for a couple of months - don’t sleep much with the new addition to the fam! So this is to give you a sneak preview of what Warren and I are up to.

We’re producing a series of DVD’s as a resource for small groups. Each with Warren and I babbling, a 13thFLOOR production, e-book studygiuide, testimonies, music video on.

I’m really pumped and feel this is going to be a great tool in the kingdom. You should hopefully see it in your nearest Christian bookstore by May. I’m adding the blurbs that describe them just to make you feel you MUST buy them!

Die Tas The Suitcase
Ons loop deur die lewe met ons tas gevul met verskillende geloofsperspektiewe, tradisies, waardes ? party BAIE waardevol ? terwyl ons ander goed net doen omdat ons moet. Dis in die tas, so ons doen dit. Toe jy klein was het jou ouers vir jou ?n tas gegee met allerhande goeie waardes en beginsels daarin. Jou onderwysers gooi toe ?n paar dissiplin?re standpunte by en jou ouma ?n paar bygelowe van haar eie. Later, gooi kerkleiers hulle unieke kerkerige re?ls by. En so gaan dit aan. Het jy al ooit gestop om te ondersoek wat binne-in jou tas is? Jy mag dalk net ?n paar waardevolle goed her-ontdek terwyl jy van ?n paar ander goed ontslae wil raak wat jou tas swaar maak.

Die Sleg The Bad
Hoeveel beheer het ons oor die kaarte wat die lewe ons deel? En wie deel daai kaarte? Hoeveel skuld het ons daarin? Slegte en onverwagte dinge gebeur met almal van ons. Meeste van ons het al ?n geliefde aan die dood afgestaan, of een of ander traumatiese ervaring deurstaan. Die belangrikste vraag is, ?Hoe reageer ons op die hand wat gedeel is??. Of is die hele lewe net ?n lotery en is ons oorgegee aan die noodlot?

Die Roep The Call
Volgens statistiek is minder as 40% van mense tevrede in hulle werk. Die persentasie wat vervuld is, is nog minder. Hoeveel matrieks gaan swot wat hulle passie is? Hoeveel mense het die voorreg om hulle tyd en energie in te stoot in iets wat nie net ?n werk is nie, maar ?n brandende passie? Kom ons noem dit ?n Roepingroeping. God plaas stukke van sy Sy hart in ons s?n sodat ons Sy hart kan dra hier op aarde. As ons werklik soek na wat dit is kan ons paadjie vorentoe dalk so anders wees. Maar is ons bereid om daar te gaan? Is ons bereid om die pad aan te durf as God roep en ons moet luister? Mens kan natuurlik ?nee? s?, maar dan eet ?n vis jou. God roep. Gaan ons luister?

Die Kyk The Look
Het jy al ooit gewonder hoe kry Hollywood-sterre dit reg om altyd so perfek op ons TV skerms te lyk? Nie ?n puisie of vlek nie. Lyk hulle rerig r?rig so? Tydskrifte, movies, billboards, vriende en gym speel alles ?n rol wanneer ons na onsself in die spie?l kyk. Hoekom moet dit? Hoe kyk God na ons, as mens, Sy skepping? Is daar nie dalk iets meer nie? En as daar wel ?n dieper waarheid is, hoe sou ons dit kon toepas in ons lewens?

Die Vrees The Fear
Hoogtevrees is een van die mees algemene vrese w?reldwyd, en as jy dalk een van hierdie slagoffers is, sou die idee om te bungee jump taamlik onmoontlik voel. Was jy al ooit so vreesbevange dat jy allerhande beloftes aan God in daai oomblik gemaak het, as Hy jou net sou beskerm of uithelp? Daar?s ?n snaakse geloofselement gekoppel aan oomblike van vrees. Of dit nou jou eerste bungee jump is, of ?n groot werksonderhoud, of om alleen in die aand te ry. Die bewustheid van ons behoefte vir ?n antwoord of hulp van iets groter as onsself, is skielik meer relevant in hierdie tye. Hoe kom ons oor ons diepste vrese en vertrou dat God daar is, al maak dit seer?

For the next twee weeks we are ’skyn’ing.

Next week I’m attending the NIRSA summit with 300 leaders in SA where we will discuss and strategise around our country.

My son can talk.? He says perkie, padda, and ha-ie. (hasie)

I watched Trevor Immelman conquer the Tiger.? My son is already pursuing a career in professional golf.

I’m writing some blogs on holiness.? A good read…

Re:Verb has started a new series.? “What’s that smell? Rediscovering God’s odour”? Download our opening sermon - it’s GREAT!? www.reverberate.co.za

Sunday I preached in a church in Sandton - and the girls danced - it was a blessing - I hope to go there again.

I lost another sponsor.

I am excited avout our new worship show.

Tomorrow is Wednesday.

The sun will come up again.

Praise God for the rythm of life.

(To our international readers - please don’t use these words in public.) When watching this horrible program I was relieved to see there are some really decent young dancers in South Africa. ‘Seuns en dogters’ as they are referred to by the one ‘tannie’ who is disguised as a judge.

All credit to Kyknet, I cannot aptly describe how pathetic this program is put together. (Forgive me SABC for erroneously thinking you produced this) Maybe I should try to explain it as one of the judges, Lorcia Cooper, so fittingly relates, “daar’s nie enough movement nie - ek kan dit nie discraaib nie maar dit konnek net nie met my nie - ag no - jy dissapoint my”. Better, it has to be said, than award winning choreographer, Christopher Kindo, whom I swear learns his Afrikaans lines phonetically, unfortunately not without error. And unfortunately not able to hide the confused expression of fear when striking a blank due to a new phonetic expression not wanting to cooperate. But even apart from this hideous language issue, Kyknet’s choice of judges are still frightfully… frightful. They were probably decent dancers at some point of their life. But these unfortunate people were definitely not chosen for this role because of their charisma, presence, good looks or witty lines… It is not their fault dear reader. They are dancers. And now some casting director has exposed them like a lamb amongst wolves - to be slaughtered. WOOF. Let me stop.

Don’t forget the prizes of free dance lessons for you and your mother at Fred Astaire dance studios (this is not a joke) and (wait for it) free air tickets on Mango Air… Let me stop.

We’re not venturing into the subject of general production, editing, screenplay, concept, structure…. Let me stop. Suddenly I have an appreciation for Idols, So you think you can Dance etc…

Fittingly, TELKOM is involved (I burst out laughing when I saw this), with a blue call box on stage where the host ‘mime calls’ somebody to get some valuable information concerning who should step forward because they MIGHT be eliminated.

I needed to get this out in order to go sleep now.

Forgive me.

…was a good weekend for me.? After three years of contemplation and three years of saving we brought Crocs.? I’ll have to wear them for at least 3 years!

…? the Lions won their first Super 14 game against the Cheetas!? Yeaah!

… my son moved into his own room, and slept thru!

… I fixed Riccardo’s inflatable swimming pool for the third time ( my cat’s have claws)

… I started my new training program (I know you’re all laughing now)

… I ’skyn’ed? till 04h Saturday morning and I still love my job

… I cooked a new chicken dish with green curry paste that was great

… I had a proper rest day Sunday

… I updated my supporters database

And I reflected on the fact that God is busy every day, creating new stories for the sequel of the Bible…? (My life has so much drama, apparently I might get a book in the New Testament!)? I’m just kidding.? But it might have well have been.? They were just ordinary people.? And our wonderful God is timeless.? And he was their, integrating his truth into Peter’s life.? And he’s here today doing the same with me.? And Peter was a jerk, and so am I.

So here’s to living life this week!

The sun is shining, praise God! (If I had said the rain has stopped, praise God, I might have been in trouble with the Jaco van der Westhuisen support group again.) With the assistance of ESCOM (South Africa’s Electricity Supply Company - get the pun?) you fortunately don’t see all the mud on your car and clothes. So I could probably have gone on like this for another 2 months.

My white dog, however, is now non-white, which makes him a prime target, as most thieves are only scared of my white Alsation. However if they would get past him chances are good they would slip on the mud and break something either on the way in or out. So all is well. That ends well.

My cat has turned religious. She refuses to pee outside and has decide that our home most certainly is an ark and she would gladly comply and pee inside until she sees a rainbow. We now buy cat litter.

Anyway before I get too philosophical, I am extremely pumped about the sun that is shining.

Tomorrow we open Re:Verb for 2008. It’s going to be blast. Come if you can!

Reflecting on 2007 … I have a lot to thank God for. Probably what stands out is my son that is marching around the house at 11 months. Already a golfer, smacking plastic balls and other domestic objects with his Christmas golf clubs, showing the style and smooth swing of Trevor Immelman, and the arrogance and confidence op Rory Sabbatini!

But to continue (seeing as my non-golfing friends are going to stop reading any minute) - as I reflect on new year, Rob Bells simple words stick to my mind.

Jesus showed us the ‘way’ to live…. The ‘way’ to love. The ‘way’ to forgive. The ‘way’ to persevere.

I aspire to live the way more accurately in 08. Of course one of the hardest places to do that is consumer battles with South African client services, where ‘the client is always wrong’ and the unfortunate representative of the product always ‘don’t know’s. (This is not a grammatical error in South Africa…)

Yet as I’ve stated before I love this country and I love living here and I gladly battle the consumer battle (in 08 with more love) for the rich reward of living in this wonderful cosmopolitan culture.

His way showed towards his father.

I hope so does mine.

And yours.

God bless 2008.

The fam is going camping the weekend with friends.? The wife is packing enough things that in case we decide never to come back, we should still survive at least 3 months.? It’s so much work getting everything ready, I’m thinking perhaps we should just pitch our tent in our back garden.

Well it’s Riccardo’s first camp - so he’s pumped!? After I taught him to braai the other day he’s asked me at least six times, Daddy when are we gonna braai again?? In fact he was barely two weeks old when he first said to me, Daddy when are u going to teach me to braai?? I was actually quite surprised at the English at such a tender age.

So I am writing a new script for the new show.? I’ve told you earlier about the cancer show!? Today I had Nadja Seal, a newfound friend, trained in prosthetics and special effects, to teach my team to make ‘bald caps’? - It’s crazy realistic - the one girls burst out in tears when she saw herself in the mirror.? I think this show is going to force people to dig deep. ? I’ll try and pop a pic on sometime!

Haven’t been blogging recently - so a couple of updates.

Riccardo learned how to braai today.

I ran 43 km last week and 42km this past week.

I called a French win against New Zealand by 3 points and they won by 2.

Toyota may possibly finally fix my car this week after 20 months argument.

I watched a movie ‘Man on Fire’ today - Denzel Washington Dakota Fanning.? The girl is a frikkin gem! Probably the most talented kid actor on the face of the earth.? Extreme statement but I’m sure I’m right.

I’m writing a new script.

This week it rained so much I felt like a Capetonian.? It took so long to start my day I immediately changed my feeling.

The rain broke my gate.

The rain changed my white Alsation to brown - and everything around him.

It was supposedly the worst storm in 36 years.? But I can recall at least three worse storms in the last month.

I have appointed myself as the Curry-King - after I bought 8 different curries from a wonderful Indian lady.

Something with more substance may follow soon as I try to blog more often!

Have a nice day.

So I warned you that I had to do the reunion thing … Well most people did not recognise me - But I have to say we had a blast! Amazing to think I spent 5 years of my life with many of those people - And life just goes on. Many of them are gray now - this freaked me out a bit! And this week I found a gray hair in my beard!

Anyway, those who did recognise me wanted to know what happened as I was such a nerd at school. I tried to explain that this was a wrong perception of me, but to no avail.

Their next surprise was that I run a Christian ministry - which they found strange after evaluating me not to be a nerd anymore based on my physical appearance.

After stomaching that surprise, the next would be that I write and produce shows that are performed all across the world. (Which actually surprises me too!) The closest I got to that was doing magic tricks with Christof in the body of Tina, the beautiful assistant of Russian magician ‘ CutJOkopOF’ - no pics - I’m sorry!

After all these surprises they cut the questions and tell me I have a beautiful wife - which is true.

I also played a trick on some girls that I could not recognise at all - and vice versa - and told them that we had dated for 6 months… really strange reaction!!

And this week quite a few newfound reunion buddies are visiting our Big Event at the Performer Theater!

Reunions! Great marketing ploy!

Ok - enjoy the laugh! (click to enlarge)