FIMBO YA MAONYO HUADHIBU. NGU.

The stick of warnings hurts. It punishes when you do not listen to warnings.

Swahili Proverbs

Center for African Studies
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

_________________

foto – iluka pelicans dec 09

I confess: in the past I have made fun of bloggers and the awards they like to pass around to each other. I think my exact words on the subject have been something along the lines of how I’d be all “Oh, great! I’ve been given an award… which is just a stupid jpeg… WHERE’S THE FUCKING CASH?”

If someone – say, a psychoanalyst or a civil court – were to examine me further on why I don’t like blogging awards as a general rule they might uncover the following reasons:

• They are uncannily like those chain letters I used to get as a child that contained barely-disguised death threats for not passing them on;
• When I *do* choose someone to pass them on to, I worry about the people I didn’t choose because they might feel left out. And then I worry about the people I *did* choose because I might be legally required to kill them if they don’t pass the award on;
• Nobody ever gives me these awards. I think they’re afraid they’ll award it to me on the same day I’ve decided to prattle on about “lactating asian babes” or “online scrabble sex” and they’ll be tainted by association. I’m like the drunk-uncle-at-a-wedding of the internet world.

Anyway, now someone’s been brave enough to actually give me a blogging award, it’s suddenly no longer just a stupid jpeg. It’s like how I used to feel about people who wore Birkenstocks before I actually tried on a pair: suddenly it was no longer a fugly overpriced smurf shoe, it was a ‘lifestyle choice’.

So yes, last Friday, Bern Morley, twitter-friend and ace blogger, gave me this award:

I was particularly chuffed to receive it from Bern because, when it comes down to it, she’s the kind of person who’d be picked for a team in sports way before me, whether she was good at the particular sport or not. She’s just the kinda girl you really want to have hanging around: smart, sassy and funny.

Also, the award came at a time where I really needed a little bit of cheering up, mostly because of a vomiting child who curtailed my revelry at the mothers’ group Christmas Party and potentially created a sub-type on The NDM Children’s Vomit Scale entitled “The Blue Heaven Milkshake and Dill Pickles Combo”. 

So, as these things go, I have to pass the award on. After much agonising deliberation, I’m passing it on to @Gabfran over at Caveat Calcei, who has made me realise through the power of her majestic prose that there is way more to the world of quality footwear than I could ever have imagined. Not only is this budding blogger a passionate shoe advocate and mistress wordsmith, she’s also a great person to have in your online corner. 

I guess this is the point where I have to say to @Gabran: “Now you must pass this on within 5 days or cute puppies will die.” Which is effectively what Bern said to me. No, really, she did. 

But now, Bern, where’s my fucking cash?

We are almost all taught from a young age that it is wrong to brag. While this has a bit of truth to it, I feel the issue needs to be looked at a bit more closely. There is a very common problem where fear of bragging actually turns into a fairly deep seated insecurity.

The problem is that it’s very easy to confuse bragging, showing off, and just accepting that you have a strength. The problem with bragging lies in that it is easy to fall into the trap of making others feel bad to inflate the ego. There is a kind of emotional bullying that can happen with bragging, and I do not believe anything constructive comes of that.

On the other hand, showing off a little and seeking praise from friends and family is not necessarily a bad thing. You can get a much needed boost to your confindence by sharing achievements and getting feedback. This is a basic human need, and I see nothing at all wrong here.

And there is certainly nothing wrong with seeing your own strengths. I know I am highly intelligent. I know I am fairly strong. These statements do not inherently put anyone down, they are just general. Just because I am intelligent certainly doesn’t mean you are not. You cannot allow fear of another person taking offense keep you from accepting your own strengths and your own value. Lack of self-confidence lies at the heart of most bullying, and tends to evaporate if you can develop a good self image and a positive view of yourself.

Remember, you are a good person. You are a child of the light. You are divine. Think good things about yourself, build yourself up, and then it becomes much easier to build others up.

Click on over to Mamamia to see what I’m giving my cousin’s boyfriend this Christmas… I think you’ll be surprised. 

http://mamamia.com.au/weblog/2009/12/the-gift-of-lists.html

Meditations in James: 38 : Enemies of God?

Jas 4:4     You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Observing people taking sides is not a pleasant thing  because it is divisive, yet we accept division in society at the many different levels. At its basic level, politics is all about how is the best way to run a country, what sort of rules, what sort of laws, how to look after people. The problem is there are so many different ways, and so different ideas have, in the past century or so, created different political parties and we are encouraged every few years to vote in favour of one party and against the others. There is this natural taking of sides that takes place. In the whole realm of football, people take sides, and support one team as against all the others. It is a taking sides that demands fierce loyalty so often. Wherever there are options and alternatives and competition for one or the other, there is taking sides.

The tone of James’ letter sometimes suggests that he has heard things about the church scattered far and wide, and some of the things he has heard upset him.  The whole issue of favouritism in church was obviously one such thing. Now he speaks with a passion about the church that he has been hearing about, that sides with the world.  Now we have commented previously that when the Bible uses the world ‘world’ it can mean the physical planet on which we live, the people who live on it, or the attitudes of godless and unrighteous mankind. It is the latter meaning that he uses here.

Probably the classic passage about ‘the world’ comes in 1 John 2: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 Jn 2:15,16). There the world’s ‘life approach’ is defined.  First, cravings of sinful man.  It is a world that is motivated and driven by sensual desires, living according to self-centred desires, regardless of what they are. Second, lust of his eyes desire stirred on by visual impact. This is what the whole advertising industry is about. Make you ‘see’ something and then want it, because of those unrestrained desires already there that just need stirring on. Third, boasting of what he has and does, pride that exalts self. To summarise: the world means self-centred living according to desires, that are inflamed by what you can see and which go to building up the ego to exalt the individual.

How is this hatred toward God? First it is self-centred and godless.  Second it is purely materialistic – and thus godless. Third it exalts self to the exclusion of God  – and is therefore godless. In every way the ‘way of the world’ is a godless mentality, and by godless we mean it excludes or ignores or rejects God.  No wonder James says that Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. This is another case of taking sides, because there are opposites to choose and if you choose one you will be hostile to the other. If you accept a mentality that is, in reality, self-centred, materialistic and self-exalting, you cannot call yourself a child of God, because all of these expressions are in opposition to God.

Perhaps the classic instance in the Scripture of this choice came through Joshua to the people of Israel near the end of his life: “if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Josh 24:15)  Look, he was saying, if you want you can go and serve the idols that our primitive forefathers served, but me and my family will serve the Lord.  There was a clear choice you did one or the other.  The choice is exactly the same today.  You either serve the idols of materialism, or of self-centred human endeavour, or of scientific endeavour or whatever other godless expression of modern life that you can find, or you will trust and serve the Lord.  The reality of that choice comes when you see who or what it is that you rely upon. That is why James finds it so important to think about talking to God.  Talking to God is perhaps the clearest sign of relying upon Him.

A New Testament parallel is, perhaps when Jesus had been saying difficult things: “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:66-69) Some of those who had been with Jesus now drifted away. They couldn’t cope with or understand some of the things he was saying. For Peter, there was no question. Jesus was the Messiah and was the one bringing answers and eternal life. There was no competition as far as he was concerned. That conclusion meant he gave up all rights to his life and went and followed Jesus wherever he led. I once asked a group what they would like their epitaph on their gravestone to be. One answered, “She followed the Lord wherever he said to go.” May that be true of each one of us who call ourselves Christians!

I Corinthians 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God.”

Appearances are sometimes deceiving. There is always a danger in taking things at face value, if for no other reason than the acknowledgment that genuine heart motivation of others is impossible for the onlooker to know for certain. As Paul motivates the Corinthians to Sanctified Spiritual Maturity he likewise acknowledges that God has worked His Plan in such a way that it appears to the unspiritual and undiscerning to be foolishness. Nevertheless, God Has Chosen for it to be that way, for a specific reason.

Just as God is working by His Grace on behalf of His Children, He likewise is working for the defeat of His Enemies. Those who raise the fist in God’s Face, those who reject the Gracious work of Jesus Christ, both at His Cross and His Throne, those who want nothing to do relationally with The One True God of Heaven but rather work in active opposition to His Plan, God has determined to confound their supposed wisdom, their demonstrated strength, and their empty vanity. God Has Chosen to use simple appearing devices, the things that are not, to overturn the schemings of the proud. Why, you may ask? Because God has determined to put down all those who boast in themselves.

God Has Chosen these things to be. God calls His Children to Spiritual Maturity so that we won’t be tempted to boast in the wrong things!

I Corinthians 1:30, 31 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD.’”

Wave Walker

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1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says:  “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

I am comforted by these verses this morning, and so I ask you to consider with me our calling.  What does Paul mean in this passage by calling?  He does not mean our occupation of what we are supposed to do with our lives in terms of work or ministry.  Nor does he mean that God has invited us to a banquet of fellowship with him (that is how the Gospel of Matthew uses the term in Mt. 22.1-14).  When Paul talks about calling, he is talking about the effective call of God on  our lives through the preaching of the gospel where the Holy Spirit quickens us and gives us new life that we might believe and follow him.  This calling can be likened to the call Jesus issued in John 11.43 when he called Lazarus up from the grave.  All Christians are called by God.  God effectively invites us and causes us to respond to him by giving us life.

This is why this passage continues to talk about how God chose the the foolish and the weak in the world.  If Paul was talking about our calling in terms of the invitation we received and then chose to follow on our own apart from God first choosing us, this language of God choosing the weak and foolish would make no sense.

Some might argue that Paul is talking about the corporate calling of the church.  They might say that God does choose the church to be weak and foolish in the eyes of the world, but we must choose to enter into the church on our own.  However, this does not fit with what Paul says.  Paul makes it clear twice that he is talking about individuals.  First, he says, ‘not many of you were wise…powerful…of noble birth’.  Second, his whole point in calling us to consider our individual calling comes in the final line, ’so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.’

This is why we must consider our calling, so that we might not boast in the presence of God.  We must understand that the way God has made sure that we have no reason whatsoever to boast is by choosing us which is made more evident by the fact that many of those he has chosen are the weak and foolish in the eyes of the world.  The things that normally give rise to a sense of pride, intelligence, wisdom, power, social standing, strength, have nothing to do with God’s choice.  He chose us, called us effectively, that he might be honored and praised and given credit completely for our salvation in Jesus Christ.

So we must beware of boasting in all its forms.  We all are smart enough not to boast outright, but we all subtly take pride in our own wisdom, insight, commitment, choice, or desire that we think led us to believe in Christ.  This hidden pride manifests itself in contempt for those who do not believe ‘when it is so obvious that Christians are right’.  It manifests itself in a lack of grace for those who struggle with doubts and with sin.  It manifests itself in an inability to understand how others can struggle with sins we don’t seem to struggle with.  And it manifests itself in the type of direction we give on how to deal with sin.  We tell people they just need to love God more or believe the truth or have their quiet time more often because in our minds, becoming a Christian or growing as a Christian is a simple matter of just choosing to follow God.

Paul will not allow us to maintain that understanding of our calling.  We must be humbled that God chose us and called us so that we do not boast.  Only then will God be shown to be beautiful to others in our lives, for only then will we proclaim all the credit that God deserves.  So, join me in considering your calling today.

योऽन्यथासंतमात्मानं अन्यथा सत्सु भाषते |
स पापकृत्तवो लोके स्तेन आत्मापहारकः ||

- मनुस्मृति

He whose actions are solely directed towards getting praised by others or giving an impression of nobility is a sinner, a con man (thief) and is destroying himself.

- Manu Smriti

Many, if not all, of you know about my love for coffee – all things Starbucks or Caribou in particular.  I love its smell.  I love grinding my own coffee beans and brewing fresh java to drink throughout the day.  I love trying new beans and new blends of coffee.

Well, then, imagine my surprise when I came across the following article on an uncommon coffee:

“Thanks to the coffee culture explosion, connoisseurs are now proactively seeking new twists on their beloved bean-based beverage.  Cappa-this, frappa-that, double mocca doodah – the permutations are endless….  [Nevertheless] Civet Coffee, also known as Kopi Luwak, is indeed the most astonishing… coffee we’ve ever tasted.

The primary reason for Civet Coffee’s distinctive taste is that it’s been partially fermented by passing through the digestive system of a Sumatran Civet Cat (paradoxurus hermaphroditis).  No, really!  Basically, this feral feline prowls Sumatran coffee plantations at night, choosing to eat only the finest, ripest cherries.  The stones (which eventually form coffee beans) are then collected by sifting through the Civet’s “number twos.”

Revered for its luscious chocolatey flavour Civet Coffee is totally safe …and delicious.  Plus there’s no discernable aftertaste. … Put the kettle on!”  (http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=1077)

That’s the straight p scoop on a rare coffee!

I laughed when I came across this article.  What will people come up with next?  How about you?  Would you consider drinking such a strange brew?  Does the thought of where it came from bother you somewhat?  I bet there are a few daredevils among us who would take a sip or drink a cup!

Palouse Falls Gorge ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

Jewish religious leaders in Jesus’ day were very concerned about coming in contact with things that would defile them and make them unable to go into the Temple and perform their religious duties.  However, Jesus said, “It’s not what a man touches or eats that defiles him, but what comes out of his heart and mouth” (Matthew 15:11-20).

Jesus also said, “A person speaks from what is in their heart.  A good person speaks good things and an evil person evil things.  People will give an account on the day of judgment for every evil and careless word spoken” (Matt. 12:34-37).

If drinking from a brew passed through and out of the intestines of a Civet Cat bothers us, how much more should those things come out of our mouths – instead of in them!  Among the list of all the evil sins that prevent people from entering the Kingdom of righteousness are things that come out of our own mouths: false testimony, slander, gossip, lies, outbursts of anger, and arrogant boasting.

It is no wonder that the book of Proverbs constantly warns us about what we say.  Keep your spiritual garment of righteousness clean by taking the caution of Scripture to heart, “Guard your mouth!”  Be as concerned with what comes out of it as what you put into it.  What you say to other people about other people is more serious than a cup of Civet Coffee!

©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

I am reluctant to call myself a “Writer”. I feel it’s a bit disingenuous to hang my whole identity on an activity I do less than 5% of the time – if that. I mean, I spend 33.3% of my time sleeping (or trying to sleep) and I don’t go around calling myself a Sleeper or even (more accurately) an Aspiring Sleeper.

Of course, one might argue that so much of what I do with the rest of my time informs my writing and I’m always thinking about it – thinking, thinking, thinking… But then, one might also argue that so much of what I eat informs my bowel output. ‘Nuff said.

My husband – who is currently working on his own Top Secret writing project – and I often accuse each other of writerly behaviour. 

“Oh, you’re such a Writer!” we say to each other.

When my husband complains about something trivial, I toss a casual “Go write me a sob story, Writer Boy!” his way.

And when I say I need to take some time out for my blog, his retort might be something along the lines of: ”Well, you’d better grab your beret and go find yourself a fucking street cafe.”

Of course, the time he said that to me, we were staying in Blinkton at my mother’s house, which is at least 50 km from the nearest street cafe – unless a cup of instant coffee in a polystyrene cup drunk while squatting outside the local truck stop counts. Is that behaviour befitting a Writer? I can’t remember Nicole Kidman doing it during her turn as Virginia Wolf in “The Hours” so I’d say not. (Note to self: must buy prosthetic nose). 

Anyway, it must be said my husband goes a bit strange when we’re in the country, and not just because he often does a lot of goddamn writing there. For one thing, he fancies himself as a bit of a Country Boy and starts offering to write “Spirit Of The Man On The Land” guest posts for my blog.

For another thing, he makes grand statements like “I understand The Land. Unlike you city writers. You’re like Vincent von Gogh staggering drunk around my sunflower plantation. OF COURSE the sunflowers are going to look all squiggly when you’ve drunk that much absynthe.”

And I’d say he has a good point if he wasn’t being such a goddamn writer about it. 

Anyway, if you’re wondering what has sparked all this writer talk, I’ll give you the lowdown.  I just got one step closer to being able (but perhaps not yet willing) to legitimately call myself a Writer. As of yesterday, I became a guest blogger on kidspot.com.au . There’s a retro-NDM piece up there now but there may be some freshly-baked posts up there one day soon. 

Oooh, look at me! I’m a guest blogger on a major Australian parenting site! La-di-dah!

(What a Writer.)

Have you ever been so loaded with stuff that you just did nothing?

i did that today. it’s weird.

I have

• my english speech tomorrow
• jap homework
• science researching
• DAD videos

All that, and i was simply pacing the corridor/hall in my house wondering what to do first. I think manga’s good for me in this, you know?

I remember an analogy from Fruits basket that Shigure was explaining to Tohru. It went something like

Imagine you’re surrounded by so many dirty blankets stacked high in the sky, and you haveto wash them all, but because they’re all around you, you don’t know where to start. But instead of sitting back and wondering what to do, you would get things done eventually if you just started washing the blankets one by one.

All thanks to shigure i finally understand

Meditations in James: 29 : Steered by the Tongue

Jas 3:3-5 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.

We take life for granted. We don’t think about the things we do, because they are so natural. We get up in the morning. We get dressed, eat breakfast, go out for the day, come home, eat, rest and sleep – every day!  We have eyes to see, ears to hear and mouths to speak, and we take them all for granted.  Take the mouth for example.  We may get up in the morning and so we groan about the day negatively.  We turn on breakfast TV, or breakfast radio, or read a morning paper, and grumble about the state of the world.  We complain about a bus or train being late, or about the weather.  We criticise people in the news and at work.  And we wonder why we feel so negative about life.  We speak thoughtlessly to someone and we hurt or upset them and a relationship is broken.  We speak hastily and the die is cast and a decision made that was unwise.  Our mouths play a large part in expressing what we feel, in determining what we feel, and in creating or breaking relationships with other people.  Oh yes, our tongue is a powerful bit of our body, and the wise person thinks about this.

James has been guiding us to think about our lives and has been challenging us about the nature of them as we live them out in the midst of the world that is so often hostile to us and to God. He’s talked about the link between faith and deeds, and he’s gone on to allude to spiritual maturity, something we should be aiming for.  Have you ever used Google Earth or some other satellite system that looks down on the earth? You see the earth from a distance and then you can zoom down and roads become visible and then, as you get nearer, buildings take shape, and then details can be seen and, if it was a real shot, even people seen.  We zoom in and more and more detail is seen.  That’s what James is now doing.  He is zooming in on our lives and focusing specifically on that all-important organ, our tongue!

He doesn’t go into immediate teaching about it; he paints pictures that make us think about it.  He speaks first about the bit in the mouth of a horse.  It’s a very obvious picture.  As the rider pulls on the reins the horse’s head is pulled round and its body follows the direction of the head.  The implication is that we go where our tongue takes us.  There is a sense that the tongue controls the whole body.  Yes, we know that the tongue speaks what is in the heart: “out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” (Lk 6:45).  As we feel on the inside so we speak, but it is as we speak so our direction is set.  We speak and others hear what we say, and we are committed.  If we keep quiet, we are not committed; it is only as we speak is our path set.  What we say, we tend to do.

Then James gives another picture, that of a ship. Oh yes, he says, there may be big waves and strong winds, but it is the rudder of the ship that determines where it goes.  The rudder is so small in comparison to the rest of the ship, but it is still the part that determines the course of the boat.  The same implication is there.  Our course is determined by such a small part of us. Someone offers us as job.  We say, “Yes, I’ll take it.”  Our course is set by our tongue.  Someone chides us for wrong behaviour.  We lash back with our tongue defensively.  Unfortunately they were our manager, and our future hope of promotion has just gone.  Our course is set.  In a marriage, a row ensues and angry words create division.  No healing words are spoken and the rift gets bigger. A course is being set. It is our words that set our course. Think back over the past week or month and see if you can identify times when your words set the course of what was to follow.  Think about things that are yet to happen today or tomorrow and consider how your words will set the course of what is to follow.

James gives a strong warning to finish this verse: the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. What is boasting?  It is speaking out and making claims that are untrue, claims that we are bigger and better than is really true. The tiny tongue can say such silly things, but they are things that make other people think less of us; they are things that lead us further into self-deception. Boasting reveals pride and it reveals foolish thinking, but even worse, it leads us along a course that is damaging to us.

Before we go anywhere else with James in this consideration of the use of the tongue, can we realize how significant our words are? Can we realize what our words do? Can we see that they reveal the state of our hearts and the also commit us to the path ahead. We will, in the days ahead, be determining our paths, partly by what we will be saying. That needs thinking about!

Last Friday, I was given the blogging equivalent of a Pupil Of The Week award. You see, I managed to get a guest post published on Mia Freedman’s site “Mamamia” by walking a very fine line between begging Mia and stalking her. Anyway, you can read it here. And be sure to give it a 5 star rating while you’re there, okay? It already has 13, and at least two of them weren’t given by me.

A few days ago, I read a blog post by Donald Miller, reflecting on self-promotion.  I read Don’s autobiographical book, Blue Like Jazz, a few years ago and really enjoyed it.  Or rather, I think I enjoyed it.  I actually can’t remember many specifics any more, but I still have this sense that I really respected his story and life, and that he lived out an authentic faith.

Don has written a new book and is currently out on a book tour, and his blog post had some really insightful things to say about the motivations of those of us who like to think of ourselves as bloggers…

Half the time, if not more than half, I am full of bullshit. I share what will make me look good. If I am vulnerable, I share just enough vulnerability to be perceived as vulnerable, rather than to actually humiliate myself so that others can talk more openly about their own insecurities. I also leak in my accomplishments, and I’ve become a master at it. I don’t even know I am doing it half the time, and the other half I strategically list my accomplishments so that they come off as dismissive or “in passing.”

Not all of Don’s post is this negative (negative, but insightful!), and he says some other interesting things about blogging, so you might want to check it out.  Anyway, it got me thinking about pride and humility and motivation, and I had to think some more when the topic of humility came up again at Bible study last night.  (Usually, two occurrences of the same topic constitutes a blog entry waiting to be written.)  Our study was on this week’s lectionary reading from the Psalms, which includes this verse:

My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
   let the humble hear and be glad.

Psalm 34.2, NRSV

And I got to thinking – I’m not very good at humility.  I like my ideas.  I like my beliefs.  I tend to think that I have things right, and I tend to get defensive when I’m questioned.  I like the sound of my own words, and I’m probably pretty good at self-promotion.  But the psalmist instructs us to boast in the Lord…

My congregation is going through some hard times – the fallout from this episode.  So we’ve asked some skilled mediators to help us find the tools for moving forward.  One image that they’ve used to describe a story (or truth, if you will) is that of a lake.  If you’re standing on the lakeshore looking out, you will have a particular view.  But if another person stands on the far shore of the same lake, that person’s view will be completely different.  And so to gain the whole view, we must take the time to walk around the lake.

So I suppose that the message to myself this week is that I need to learn to hold my “truth” lightly and not defensively, being well aware that if I’m good at anything, it’s at being wrong.

Humility.

I think we all know by now that I should never say anything about anything. When KT first asked me about helping out with her kids, Master J and Cyclone Bella, while she was away (see “And Then There Were Five“), I said something like “Yes, yes, it should all be fine – as long as nobody gets gastro and the car doesn’t break down.”

And you know what? Both those things happened and it was still fine. No really, it was. 

Of course, I can say this now because KT is back this weekend and my first “tour of duty” is officially over. In fact, to celebrate I might just get a t-shirt made up that says “In the last three weeks, I survived three kids with gastro, a fairy birthday party, hosting mothers’ group, the death of the Love Bus and eight whole days of looking after two extra children and I’m still smiling, except I’m not really because I went to the oral surgeon’s yesterday and it kind of hurts!”. But now that I look at it, it’s a little on the wordy side and the writing would have to be really small and would probably mean complete strangers with bad garlic breath would come up really close to me just to read it. Stupid t-shirt. 

But I digress. 

“Hang on, hang on. What was all that about oral surgery, NDM?” I can hear the usual people asking. “We remember your last trip to the oral surgeon was a little, uh, trippy. In fact we’re including a hyperlink to that post in this little interjection of ours… here it is: The Monsters Upstairs.”

Thanks for the hyperlink there, people. And yes, it was another trip to the oral surgeon and I can tell you this much: I embraced the idea of being intravenously sedated so that someone could drill into my skull like it was a holiday in the Whitsunday Islands. Because it meant that I didn’t have to look after any children for an afternoon. 

But, actually, now that I think about it, with all that money I spent on oral surgery, I could have paid for a week’s holiday for me, my husband, the kids and a full-time nanny in the Whitsundays and still had change for cocktails. And let’s face it, you don’t need teeth to enjoy a jug of Mango Daiquiri. What the hell was I thinking?

Again, I digress.

My point here (there’s a point?) is that I did it. I survived all those things listed on that fictitious t-shirt of mine and still managed to crack a few jokes about it all.  It wasn’t always easy, it certainly wasn’t pretty. But I did it. 

And here’s the proof: when, on the second last day, Uncle B came to pick up his kids, I admitted to him that the “shouting [NDM]” had made a big appearance that day but that, hopefully, there had been enough of the Nice NDM in the mix as well.

Master J, who was standing next to me, piped up, completely unprompted, to say: “No, there was only nice [NDM]!”. 

Which makes me think that my celebratory t-shirt should probably just say : “When all is shouted and done, I’m really quite nice.”

No, really.

First times are special, aren’t they. You remember them all your life. I remember my first day at school, aged five years and one week, even though ten… twenty… thirty… many years have passed since then. I remember my first boyfriend, my first baby and many other firsts.

Yesterday is also a day I’ll remember. The first time a story of mine has been published: http://www.metazen.ca/?p=915. A humorous story highlighting a pitfall of social media. And while I don’t want to turn this blog into one that brags about my achievements, this is the first time and I’m basking in the glory.

Omg i should’ve video taped it.

Jonah took camille, josh kim and this other guy called Mathias to my first karaoke today!

i mean it was fun in the whole “omg this is my first time” sort of thing… but it was kinda boring in the fact that there weren’t like… a whole selection of japanese songs… and the majority of the song list was korean/english songs… *depressed*

But nontheless it was a great ‘first experience’.

I am soooooo glad (but tired) that i went out today… no matter how tired i thought i was /would be ..

I’m at garbo atm ~ lol being stingy and stealing their internett DD

totally <3

LOL well i just wanted to sayyy… MANGAAAAAA (8_8);; YEEEEEEEE！

im soooo exciteddd ^o^

i think im set for the whole weekend from the bagloads of manga im getting .. muahaha

Mark 14: 27 – 50

We as human beings have a strong aversion to being ‘left alone’.  We say we want to be at times, but normal interaction with other people of similar likes and dislikes is preferred. 

It is with this as a foundational characteristic that we find Jesus walking with His best friends into a garden and asking them to pray with Him at His greatest hour of need. 

Peter the boaster had just proclaimed his undying allegiance to Jesus with all the disciples joining in the chorus.  They had just celebrated Passover meal together and went out singing Psalms of Praise to God.  It was at this moment that things changed…Jesus’ heart became heavy with the task facing Him. 

Jesus was thinking about what He was being asked to do, and due to His unfailing love relationship with His Father, He was struggling with the wrath and separation He would endure between He and His Father while He paid for our sins on the Cross.  The physical pain and humiliation was bad, but the break in His favor with His Father to satisfy sin’s debt was almost unbearable.

The Guarantee of Failure v.27-31

Gethsemane “an oil-press”; a farm

Jesus warns his disciples of their coming failure of defection v.27-28

Peter boasts of his undying devotion and Jesus tells of Peter’s guaranteed failure v.29-31

Application: Don’t be too cocky about your walk with God! (NASB)

2 Peter 3:17 – ¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,

The Grief over Sin v.32 – 39

First Command – Sit and Wait v.32

Second Command – Stay Here and Watch v.33-34

First Prayer of Sorrow – v.35-36

Fell Down; Prayed; Submitted to His Father’s Will v.35 – Did it three times!!

Second Prayer of Sorrow –v.37-39

Jesus came back to top disciples – found the three not watching v.37

Jesus reproves them and warns them of temptation to sin v.38

Third Prayer of Sorrow-v.40 – 42

Jesus found them sleeping  and without anything to say v.40a

The reason for His Sorrow is Revealed v 41-42

Application: We should be Amazed at the Depth of Love that Christ Shows for Us  

(NLT) Romans 8:34 – 39: Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Guise (outward appearance) of a Friend v.43 – 50

Fake Friendship:  The Betrayer is a Known Friend who betrays with a Kiss v.43 – 46

Fanatic Friendship: Peter’s Reaction “I had to do something!!” v.47

Fleeting Friendships: Everyone deserted Jesus! v.50

___________________________________________________________________________

Christ was forsaken so you didn’t have to be. 

Christ was grieved so you could rejoice.

Christ was faithful so you could be forgiven.  

Don’t Forsake Him, Embrace Christ Today!!

bless nancyyyyyy ^o^

ok well i was having trouble because i realised too late that we werent doing the washing tonight D:

and then i was devastated and i was like begging nancy to help me pull my skirt out of the washing machine..

because well.. (°□°;) i was looking for it myself… and the water looked black… and i was pretty scared…

and then a strand of hair came out and i totally freakkeeeedd.

and then i asked nancy to help me and she was reluctant but she helped me… and then we couldnt find it…

then she’s like: is it upstairs?

and i looked and it was there… and she was kinda annoyed… but yeaaa

Boasting

to puff oneself up in speech

speak vaingloriously

“May the Lord bring their flattery to an end and silence their proud tongues.” Psalm 12: 3

Reckless Words

words spoken without thinking                        

“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Proverbs 12: 18

Cursing

to use profanely insolent language against 

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” Romans 3: 14

Obscenity

something (as an utterance or act) that is abhorrent to morality or virtue

“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.” Ephesians 5: 4

Gossip

rumor or report of an intimate nature

chatty talk

the subject matter of gossip

“A gossip tells secrets, so don’t hang around with someone who talks too much.” Proverb 20: 19

Slander

to defame

“Don’t speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God’s law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it.” James 4: 11

Unbelief

incredulity or skepticism especially in matters of religious faith

“So we see that they were not allowed to enter his rest because of their unbelief.” Hebrews 3: 19

Grumble

to mutter in discontent

“And don’t grumble as some of them did, for that is why God sent his angel of death to destroy them.” 1 Corinthians 10: 10

Lying

to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive

to create a false or misleading impression

“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.” Exodus 20: 19

Using God’s name in vain

“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.” Exodus 20: 7  

**************************************************

If those who are guilty of these ten tongue abuses would be sentenced to death and be executed now, today is the end of human civilization. All of us are guilty of these tongue abuses, not one remains innocent. Prior to this list, we already know that these things that we persistently do disgrace God but we don’t do anything about it. We don’t exert effort for these abuses to be eradicated.

Scientifically, the tongue performs both speech and taste functions but the tongue, as minute as it is compared to our whole body, is one of the most powerful organs that we humans possessed. It is a small organ capable of shattering someone else’s heart and ironically, restoring all the tiny shattered pieces back together. The tongue is given to us not to wreck people’s lives but to make this world even a better place. The power of the tongue is not seen in the intensity of the damage it can create but in the smiles it can produce that manifest hope, love, life and genuine faith.

One feature that showcases the tongue’s power is its capability to present the heart’s intentions via speaking. The tongue is the mirror of the heart—it projects the heart’s contents through speaking.

“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Luke 6: 45

Daniel 4:28-37

Those who walk in pride He is able to put down. Daniel 4:37

After being warned by Daniel about his pride, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was struck with insanity. The Lord restored his mind, but only after he spent 7 years in a field thinking he was a wild animal.

Nebuchadnezzar went from boasting, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for . . . the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30) to a humble prayer: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of  heaven” (Daniel 4:37). He had repented of prideful empire building.

Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee expressed concern about empire building in the church today. He advised Christian leaders, “Don’t try to build a little empire of your church. I started out with that viewpoint, and I had never been more unhappy.” He encouraged them to “build into the lives of people” and leave the results to God.

When a church devotes undue energy to statistics, buildings, and programs, pride can enter in and the needs of God’s people can be forgotten.

Jesus never forgot the importance of individuals. He invested His time in 12 men (Mark 3:14). Paul discipled Timothy who in turn discipled others (2 Timothy 2:2). God’s kingdom grows when we invest in people. —dennis fisher

Churches grow when people pray and pastors preach the Word, when love for Christ seeks out the lost to win them to the Lord. —d de haan

Poor is the church that values programs above people.

According to Life magazine, Mohammed Ali had a lot to say about himself before his 1971 boxing bout to be held on the world stage. His formidable oppenent was Smokin’ Joe Frazier. The bravado by Ali was over-the-top.

Ali effuses, “There seems to be some confusion. We’re gonna clear this confusion up on March 8. We’re gonna decide once and for all who is king! There’s not a man alive who can whup me.”

Ali accents his point with an impressive flurry of punches into the air. His shadow boxing gives reporters a reason to go through a flurry of note-taking for their next story. The showmanship only accelerates.

“I’m too smart.” Ali motions with a tap to his head.
“I’m too pretty.” He lifts his chin and displays his profile. His fierce smile is a combination of a taunt and charm.
“I AM the greatest. I AM the king. I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I could get licked!”

The braggadocio spirit of this very gifted athlete was tarnished by his puffed up attitude. His words ended up hollow. Frazier, afterall, defeated Ali.

A prideful overconfident spirit is difficult to silence. People who talk about their future as if it is history are presumptuous. The future is uncertain. Human life is described by James as a mere mist, a vanishing vapor.

Instead, wise living is a genuine expression of dependence on God for an uncertain tomorrow. A righteous life humbly acknowledges the condition that it is the Lord who determines the coming days. James advises Christians to invoke the condition “If it is the Lord’s will” as a precondition of what-is-to-come.

There is a modest trust in gaining permission from the Lord for any upcoming plans. The unknown is not a fearful hope but a certain dependence on accepting whatever God brings our way. What we do is not as important as why we do it.  Our reason for living is His will not our own.

Independence and a boastful spirit is the only other alternative. This choice is evil. It leaves God out of the picture.

Knowing these two life options puts us all in a place of responsibility.  We must choose.   If we know the good way to live then we must choose it. If we know what is right and do not do it, then for us it is sin.

James 4.13-17

photo credit: Google image