Zebra found

Jurgen made this video of our friend.

Finding Zebra

By now, most of you know that I regularly run with a zebra on the slopes of Devil's Peak. Jurgen and I have decided to befriend more of the zebra's kin with carrots. This morning we couldn't find the one that likes us and these ones weren't interested in our carrots. Maybe we didn't have enough carats.

Intelijent debate

I wish I has something intelijent to say about the future of the country but I didn't see this one coming: Zuma is president of the ANC.

Brandan is having a field day with cartoon material from the farce at Polokwane. I think this one says it all:

Number 9

I am a 9 on the enneagram. Google it, if you don't know what that is. Here is Garfield in classic 9 mode.

milestones

the previous post has a really bad unintended pun that has me laughing uncontrolably... i wonder if milestones are worse than kidney stones.

Poo

Funny how simple things make a parent's day...

Yesterday, after a busy and stressful day, I was gratified by Katie's passing another major milestone. While I was busy in the kitchen she made her way to the toilet, pulled off her pants and her nappy, got onto the toilet and did a poo - all by herself! I heard her in the bathroom and went through to find out what she was up to. When I saw her on the toilet, I assumed Yvette must have helped her, but Yvette was on the other side of the house. Katie did it all by herself - a most impressive little girl.

The world might be completely mad, but my daughter can poo. Life is good.

Sacredise

John van de Laar and I met a long time ago when I was beginning my spiritual search. He and his wife, Debbie, offered their home and wisdom at a time when I was asking some difficult questions about my future.

In my travels I drifted away from them and was reunited many years later. Now we are colleagues and each of us is working on the fringes of the church where the Spirit of God seems to blow most tempestuously – it’s an exciting place to be with a handful of intrepid sailors!

John has written an excellent book called “Food for the Road” and a CD of his compositions, both of which you can order from his new website. Have a look at the website while you’re at it. If you are anything like me, it’s easier to digest ideas in bite size chunks and you can subscribe to John’s regular newsletter from the site – it’s well worth it.

The Sacredise website and ezine offer resources and inspiration for worship and spirituality. If you need something to help you create a worship event or if you are looking for an interesting perspective on spirituality and issues of the day, I highly recommend John’s work.

I personally have admired John’s work because he integrates the art of worship and personal devotion with the critical thinking required of someone who takes the Gospel of Jesus seriously. That is not an easy task. I, like many, tend to be better at using the Gospel to reflect on the world around me, but not very creative when it comes to integrating that into worship or my own spirituality. Other’s seem very diligent and conscientious about creative worship and/or personal piety, but lack the edge when it comes to the interface at the church’s threshold. John is one of the few people whose example I look to help me find the balance.

Oh, and he’s a really good musician and worship leader. If you can get him to lead a worship seminar or take a service at your church, you’ll be blown away. I have enjoyed watching him weave some of the complex contradictions and cultural diversity of this continent into an exciting blend that grows one beyond the bounds of the conventional. That’s Gospel stuff anyway you look at it!

So check out Sacredise…

The Child I Was

Brenton Prigge wrote the following poem. It's an image that plays in my imagination a great deal of late. You can see some of Brenton's composition at http://www.newhymn.com/

The child I was
saw the whole wide world
an endless opportunity
for adventure and discovery
with friends who laughed and boasted...
and every bruise was a badge of pride.
Now my bruises are my shame
and I fear the laughter of friends.
I could do with less adventure
and easier discoveries.
Perhaps the child did not yet know truth...
or perhaps I have forgotten it.

Oliver or Lindiwe

OK, so Yvette is pregnant again. You'd think we'd learn our lesson. This time round, I'm a lot more aware of the consequences so I'm savouring life now and enjoying the 4 hours of solid sleep I still get a night, not to mention the 30mm of bedspace.

Baby is due in July next year and we're not sure of gender yet, so name suggestions would be helpful. I like Oliver for a boy and Lindiwe for a girl.

Katie is trying to get into Mommy's tummy, I guess to meet the new sibling. Gosh, poor girl, she's in for a rude awakening! For the moment, she' looking forward to Christmas and the arrival of Aunty Kathy and Bomy (actually Pomy, but she can't pronounce that properly...). We're all going to the Eastern Cape together for a family road trip.