Archive for January, 2008

On arks and things

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

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!

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Old Testament Father

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

I find it fascinating that the God of the old testament, of which we have certain preconceived ideas, still calls himself a Father that carries his son. A Father that will go before you and fight for you.

Deut 1: 29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

I often wonder about our ’sonship’ and how much responsibility we bear, or should bear. Sometimes we’re helpless babes, just showered by God’s grace - or simply crying out, and He needs to step in and ‘be God’ or Father. And then sometimes we need to step up and be mature and ‘build our house on a rock’ of sound teaching and principles - or otherwise carry the consequence of building on human idiocy.

And then as we’re sinking we again shout HELP.

Well within this conflict I cannot move my vision past the fact that a Father’s will to ‘carry his son’ (Deut. 1) is the bigger truth.

May our Father heal our wounds, and draw near to our innermost being as we draw near to Him.

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Riccardo’s first birthday

Saturday, January 12th, 2008

My kid had his first Birthday on the 9th. And this weekend is his first party. 11 Babies are coming - (unfortunately the parents have to tag along - otherwise they would have MUCH more fun!)

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We took him him to the Spur - and this is the first time he ever ordered a meal - he was very impressed with his Ribs!

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So this weekend it’s time for the party - and now THE wife and I are broke!

Posted in THE Wife and Kid | 2 Comments »

The Hero and the Villain

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

(part two of The Story)

Any story has a Hero. Batman - Jason Bourne - Jack Sparrow - Elizabeth Swann - MJ ?

What defines a Hero?

Somehow good stories always draw us in to the hero?s story. We hope with him. We laugh with him. We cry with him.? If that doesn?t happen spontaneously, he?s not the hero ? he?s just one of the other characters.

The hero has a mission - a goal to conquer ? a mountain to cry ? a girl to save ? a problem to overcome. (More about that on another day)

An interesting thought about the Hero is that we are usually totally fine with imperfect Hero?s.? Our hero?s often have personal struggles.? They often have bad habits.? They often do things that are harmful to themselves.? But somehow we have sympathy for these hero?s.

Because we understand.

Because I?m like that too.

And if this hero can climb this mountain, maybe so can I?

There?s a time when we lose our heart for the hero. Not when he fails ? or when he does something stupid. Or makes a wrong choice.

It?s when he sees himself as better than others.

And once the hero loses our support the story works him out.? It has to.? It just happens as the story unfolds.? Because a hero that conquers without audience support is actually? a villain.? And that makes for a bad story.

We play the lead role in our stories. Some of us make BAD hero?s. Not because we sometimes fail. But because our prideful hearts don?t make for good viewing!

When looking at ourselves, or shall I say ?viewing? ourselves ? we need to do some introspection. It?s okay for the Hero to be ?human? ? but is this human the hero or the villain in my story?

Give some comments or perspective: I?ve just opened up the subject ? I?m still pondering.

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