There is a purpose for every season under the Sun
It’s a plan that is good and is meant for everyone!
That includes you!
You are part of God’s creation
Part of Gods esteemed generation
Irrespective of your denominational persuasion
Surely if we leave this world in a better state than when we arrived,
That is the perfect demonstration…
of Gods love.
You see…
There is much to be done in this one life that we live
But how much time do we spend meditating to realise it?
Do we boast about tomorrow like the evil ones in James 4:16
Or do we use wisdom and number our days like a good Christian

In this season called life there is no tomorrow
So let’s try and live the remainder of our days as if another won’t follow
Let us be labourers of Christ cos the harvest is plenty
May we continually till the land and never run on empty.
On that note
I hope you leave here with a satisfied stomach
Jesus is coming back soon so we better get back to work
Make the most of this life cos you only get one
Eternity is a long time to spend somewhere
Especially if you happen to get it wrong…
Cease the day and be strong

Carpe Deum.

The end of Apartheid was a small yet significant victory for our common humanity, of which we are all inextricably linked, and for justice in particular. However, many communities around the world still continue to be deprived of their basic dignity, identity and liberty even today. We have all heard of the horrors of Rwanda, Bosnia and also Darfur in Sudan in recent memory. But for every mass atrocity publicised there is another serious human rights violation which goes under the radar of our collective conscience. Whether it is due to vested strategic and geopolitical interests or simply moral bankruptcy, today’s states have shown a disturbing trend towards forfeiting our fundamental humanitarian values. In some cases even acting as arbitrators of ‘selective’ justice and respect for human rights.

‘Never again’ was the rallying cry by all who believed that we must speak out against acts of genocide. But many silent victims of such crimes against humanity, like ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, have become casualties of the oppressor as well as international duplicity, where nations are playing poker politics with people’s lives. On a local level many of us have become anesthetised, consumed by a culture of apathy towards mass suffering in distant lands (take the recent floods in Pakistan). Not least due to the media which aids our ignorance through partisan coverage (euphemism for propaganda) of foreign affairs, manipulating public opinion to align with their agenda.

Amidst this moral vacuum, minority groups around the world like Sri Lanka’s Tamils (like the Armenians before them) face an uphill struggle to have their voices heard. Despite the undeniable and unmistakable history of their persecution, for these communities justice as never before has become an elusive and precious commodity. In the words of that renowned champion of human rights, Martin Luther King Jr, our leaders and policy makers will do well to realise that “justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere”.

Some months ago, during a conversation with a friend, I had an opportunity to contemplate what it meant to apply oneself for a cause, to revisit the struggle which anti-Apartheid activists and others dedicated themselves to – the fight for justice. Here is my take which I hope will give you solace and succour through your own struggles, and maybe like Mandela or Biko for a worthy cause. We must never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has!

“Fighting for justice is like sitting in a tiny boat and rowing against the tide, being tempered by both the winds and resistance against its course (or shall I say, cause). Rowing towards your port of call, you have nothing but two oars, unflinching determination and the knowledge that others would be better because you made that journey, however arduous it may be.

Each one of us works that boat but it is on the collective effort that it reaches it destination. There is no map but only moral conscience to chart the way. The sad irony is, once you reach your refuge (against all odds), it’s only then that the onlookers realise the journey made was for the humanity of us all and ask themselves why they’d not stepped in to the boat and rowed with you.”

In developed countries we have forgotten the real value of freedom. We will do well to realise that it was the sacrifice of our forefathers which ensured what we conceive to be our inalienable right today. Why then should we see the freedom of other cultures any different to our own? Freedom is a universal right; it is not just for some people but for all people, and not just for one time but for all time. Should not the right to self-determination be the fundamental right of a people, to determine their own political status without external interference?

The case of Tamils in Sri Lanka is a valid example. Their heritage, history and independent existence as a separate state over a distinct territory for several centuries was lost during successive European colonisation (Portuguese, Dutch, and then British). In 1833 the Tamil Kingdom was artificially merged for ‘administrative convenience’ with its adjacent Sinhala Kingdom, in to a single political entity, and became a dominion of the British Empire. The country (then Ceylon) eventually gained independence from Britain in 1948, but was left under a chauvinistic constitution of the now majority community (the Sinhala-Buddhists), who effectively became the new colonial masters. The once sovereign Tamil nation has since been reduced to the position of subject people under systematic ‘Apartheid-like’ oppression.

Just as did the black population in South Africa, the Tamils continue to struggle for their legitimate freedom amidst an absence of peace, justice and accountability, with even more unpardonable crimes perpetrated against them. Yet we witnessed during those dark days of Apartheid in SA that freedom is a flame of truth within the heart and soul that cannot be extinguished or swayed, no matter what the external scene may hold. As with Mandela and his people’s long walk to freedom, we must remember that freedom is never really free. It is never given, it is won, and its victory belongs to the most persevering.

F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

‘Oh excuse me please’ was my reply.

He said, ‘Please excuse me too;

I wasn’t watching for you.’

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.

‘Move out of the way,’ I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heartbroken.

I didn’t realize how harshly I’d spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,

God’s still small voice came to me and said,

‘While dealing with a stranger,

common courtesy you use,

but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,

You’ll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.

He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,

you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.’

By this time, I felt very small,

And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;

‘Wake up, little one, wake up,’ I said.

‘Are these the flowers you picked for me?’

He smiled, ‘I found ‘em, out by the tree.

I picked ‘em because they’re pretty like you.

I knew you’d like ‘em, especially the blue.’

I said, ‘Son, I’m very sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way.’

He said, ‘Oh, Mom, that’s okay.

I love you anyway.’

I said, ‘Son, I love you too,

and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.’

F A M I L Y

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company

that we are working for could easily replace us in

a matter of days.

But the family we left behind will feel the loss

for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more

into work than into our own family,

an unwise investment indeed,

don’t you think?

So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

‘Changing your thinking can change your world’.

May it help you focus on whatever is good in every situation and delight in those one or two things which go your way – every day! 

I once read an essay by the famous Taiwanese writer Lin Qingxuan, about a friend who asked him for a piece of calligraphy to hang in his study. The friend said to him: ‘Write me something that is extremely simple, but which will be helpful to me when I see it every day.’ He thought for a long time, and then wrote just four Chinese characters: ‘Think Often of One and Two.’

That friend did not understand, and asked what it meant. Lin Qingxuan said: ‘We all know the saying that “Out of every ten things in this world eight or nine will not go as I wish; and there is a mere handful of people I can communicate with.” Supposing we accept this, there will still be at least one or two things out of every ten that do go as we wish.

I can’t help you too much, all I can do is to tell you to think of those “one or two” things, to turn your mind to happy things, to magnify the light of happiness, to keep the sadness in your heart at bay. As a friend, this is the best thing I can do for you.’

(Excerpt from: Confucius from the Heart, by Yu Dan)

You wake up in the early hours of the morning in attempt to yet again cram in as much into one day as possible, work flat out in your non-contracted 12 hour shift, leave work, pick up an unhealthy bite, deceive your mind into believing it has full focus and concentration for the next after-work endeavour, work for a few more hours, get to bed in the early hours of the morning only for the cycle to repeat itself again. If you have ever had a dissertation to complete, new business venture to get up and running or extra-curricular activity to pursue, you can probably relate to the above.

Now if you’re like me you’ll probably convince yourself into thinking that continuing at such a ridiculous pace is justifiable because of motivational mantras such as, “I am still young and able”, “It’s only for a season” or “Perseverance is key”.

I’m here to tell you this…

STOP! Take a break!

At this rate you are causing more harm than good! I’ve been there. Late nights, early mornings, sleep still in the eyes, occasional spotty break-out – ultimately, not good! Having competed in a few physically demanding events in my time, I can vouch that the human body is a remarkable piece of work, especially when stretched beyond limitations previously unknown to the mind of the owner. Its capacity to accommodate and adapt when under physical, mental and emotional strain is remarkable. Despite this unique ability, it is not a good place to be for an elongated amount of time. Take a break.

Rest is just as important (probably even more!) than the actual activity itself. One must ensure that an adequate amount of rest is being taken in order to keep firing on all cylinders. This may be in the form of 6 to 8 hours sleep every night, regular breaks from the computer screen every 45 minutes or a long weekend away from all the hustle and bustle of working life.

In preparation for a major sporting event in 2009 I overexerted myself physically playing catch up on missed training sessions. I was advised by my doctor to rest and “listen to my body”. I’m telling you to listen to yours.

70% of all people feel like fakes at one time or another. Some 30% have it to the degree that it interferes with their work and their life. A phenomenon labeled ‘Impostor Syndrome’.

A psychological research from the early 1980′s found that many women especially skilled professionals had high levels of self-doubt. The more successful they become, the more they feel like frauds. They feel as though they’re fooling people. There’s a conflict between their self-image and external reality.

This is certainly true of some of the females I’ve spoken to who believe:

• Am I going to be found out one day at work for not knowing enough?
• Did I get this job by fluke?
• Is my partner with me because I’m low maintenance and doesn’t really find me attractive?
• Do my friends really like me or just putting up because of how long they’ve known me?

Reading a recent article in Shortlist magazine on Impostor Syndrome (IS), it confirmed my long held belief on this. I share below five practical tips on how to unlock IS and live the life you deserve.

5 Steps to Conquer IS

1.  Self belief

I always say if you don’t believe in yourself then who will? It may not be your natural disposition. But I say take the positive outcomes in your life as GREAT success and see the mistakes as a FREE learning experience.

2.  Visualise success

As a former athlete I have learnt that if you want to win you have to first picture it. You’ve got to see the gold medal around your neck or else the No.2 and No.3′s will leave you stranded on the starting line.

Instead of thinking you’ll go blank during your next presentation, visualise on getting a standing ovation just after delivering your last words. Fix your gaze on the result and it’ll keep you calm and focused.

3.  Perfectionism

Now I know this is a big issue. Since you feel you’re never good enough or spend all your living day trying to make all you do to be perfect. This is ultimately to prove yourself and be accepted by your peers. By being perfect you hope you won’t receive any criticism.

But here’s the truth, no one is ever perfect. What you should say to yourself is; “I will do the things that count to near perfection and the less important to satisfaction”. Do a great job when it matters most, don’t persevere over routine tasks. This gives you more time and energy. For only through having energy can you do the big things in life you can be proud of.

4.  Learn to accept faults/ failures

We all fail. So don’t take it as I’ll never get that perfect job as I’ve been to 30 interviews and no one has hired me, therefore I must be useless at my chosen profession. 

Think objectively, separate feelings from facts. Is it my lack of relevant experience? Will I need to take extra courses, gain work experience or maybe better my interview skills?

By accepting your mistakes and taking steps to correct them you’re half way to achieving your ultimate goals. Henry Ford once said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently”. So find out the lessons and use them to your advantage in the future.

Don’t be crippled by the fear of not having an answer to every problem in your career. People will respect you more for being honest and showing a willingness to learn.

5.  Inner voice

Who do you speak to most? Answer – Yourself

So be very aware of the thoughts running through your mind. We play out our internal beliefs – the mental tapes which trigger impostor feelings. We often try to satisfy a sceptical judge with impossible standards: ourselves!

Think positive thoughts and take positive actions. When you start a new job or project for example, instead of thinking, “Wait till they find out I have no idea what I’m doing,” try thinking, “It’s normal not to know everything but I will learn more as I progress”.

 
In the end dealing with Impostor Syndrome starts with accepting yourself. The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. It also helps to talk about it with someone you trust, being more open helps you gain perspective on your feelings. And finally, recognize your successes and reward yourself for getting the important things right. Imagine how much you could accomplish if YOU told YOURSELF, “You can do it!”

“Your mistakes are what makes you” (Made in Nachmo, Jun 2010)

It may seem unusual at first but your mistakes shape the character you will eventually become. Success in any endeavor depends on the ability to learn from your mistakes.

Our errors are portals of discovery though we usually don’t see it like that. It can help to navigate our actions and decisions. But for many reasons admitting fault is difficult and there lies the key to the entire process. It’s the acceptance of your errors which moves you towards understanding, it is what accelerates your progress.

So the next time you make a mistake, cease to view it as a setback or even a failure, get back on your feet and choose to use it as a step up the ladder. Have courage, for it will teach you a valuable lesson. As Winston Churchill once said, all men make mistakes, but only the wise learn from it.

Scott Berkun, a former Microsoftie and bestselling author, further explains this thought as well as the four kinds of mistakes.

Do you realise that you are your own worst enemy?

It is you that defeats you – regardless of what the situation may entail. Whether you have been talked down to, made to feel small and insignificant, or had your work discredited, you have let that negative influence dictate your negative response; the circumstance has penetrated your persona causing you to stay down, kissing the floor… I’m here to tell you that it’s time YOU GET UP!

In the same way light cannot exist without darkness neither can good exist without evil. In the exact same way a negative cannot exist without its polar opposite, a positive. That person who talked down to you or made you feel small might be suffering from ego-i-tis! Let them have their power-trip but know that their opinion does not dictate who you are in life. Who are they really outside the workplace? It might be their own insecurities that have caused them to be this way? Consider yourself fortunate that you do not suffer from the same issues! Keep your head up. That person who discredited your work earlier might be being harsh for a reason. They too had a hard time learning the trade but are now better for it. Could that be their plan for you? Either way you are now more aware of the standard of work expected from you. Turn that frown upside down!

Seeing the good in bad circumstances does require a mindset shift, it doesn’t come naturally. In society today it seems almost unnatural to talk about anything positive. It took Christ to get me to see things the way they actually are and I’m still learning. The cases above are just a few examples of what and how the situation really is and guess what… if you don’t like the state of affairs, change it!

Making sure that things around you begin to work for your good involves you changing YOU. Only then will the situations and circumstances around you be affected in the way you want it to. In today’s world we are never that far away from a nasty comment or action that causes us to feel unworthy in our skin. God has created you the way you are for a reason and there is NO ONE else on planet earth that is exactly like you. Be proud of who you are and enjoy and explore your own uniqueness (if that’s a word)!

Why be your own worst enemy when you can be your best ally?

“Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it” ~ Chinese Proverb

For thousands of years most seawater pearls were retrieved by divers working across the world’s oceans. The only means of obtaining pearls was by manually gathering large numbers of pearl oysters from the ocean floor.

In order to find enough pearl oysters, free-divers were often forced to descend to depths over 125 feet (40 metres) on a single breath, without equipment and exposed to hazardous conditions. As a result, pearls of the times were extremely rare, fine and admirable. The word pearl has become symbolic of something very valuable.

The metaphor reminds us that like diving for pearls, the pursuit of our goals is equally an arduous venture. Just as the diver must surmount his fears and speculate with risks, the prized catch is often made by those willing to go beyond their comfort zone.

There is a vast sea of opportunities before us, but like the pearl diver, we too must search and strive beyond our cosy pockets of reality (i.e. the set of behaviours and environments we’ve become accustomed to).

It may not be easy, often our efforts will go fruitless, but the work is made promising in knowing that if you just persist, persevere and wait patiently, you can discover that precious pearl of your own (whatever it may be).

Every challenge brings you closer to reaching that goal. No diver knew whether it was his shell which contained a pearl. Sometimes they were paid no wages, but they received their profits when they found the pearl. Their chances multiplied with each dive, so they seized every opportunity. Let me conclude by using a quote by Dale Carnegie which says this just right.

“Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.”

This is a truly inspiring video by the spoken word poet Amena Brown.

With a gift for the spoken word she beautifully intertwines not just rhythm and meter but also her passion for God. Amena speaks from the heart with a unique and artistic worship experience. It comforts us that no matter where we are, God is with us.

Take a minute to be uplifted by the reality of His grace and greatness.

 He is Here

“He is here. In this room. In your heart. 

He is near. Nearer than breath. Heartbeats.

Nearer than you are to you.

Nearer than second chance or next opportunity.

Closer than tonight or yesterday.

He is Real. Realer than touch.

See. Hear. Smell or Taste.

Realer than reality. He is our reality.

Realer than Joy. Pain. Sorrow.

Realer than the Love of being in Love.

He is present. Like time. Space. Wind. Silence. Night.

He is waiting. Like Creation.

Like words on the tip of tongue.

Like songs that have yet to be sung.

He is Beauty. Oranges. Blues. Every Hue. Every shade.

Sunset and Sunrise. Whisper His Name.

He is Holy.

Different. Made Human. Became Human. Forgave Human. 

He is Spirit.

He cannot be touched. Explains like,

Sweet seconds of prayers like,

Grandmother on knees. Wood floor Bare.

He is Son. Distinctly three. Distinctly one.

The only one. The only wise. The only resurrector of lives. 

He is King.

No earthly throne can house.

No amount of elegant words can espouse.

He is Moments and Voice. Power of Choice.

And Word. And Deed. And Fruit. And Seed.

Pierced Side. Nailed hands. Nailed feet.

Innocent wounds that bleed.

He is Believe and Trust.

He is Enough. He is All.

He is Call and Purpose.

Everything that we can sacrifice. He is worth it and more.

Much More. Our good deeds are mere pennies.

We’ll never even the score.

He is Behold. And Wowed.

He is Who. What. When. Why. How.

He Puts on the Show. He is the one we come to see.

He is Souls Cry and sinners plea. He is the epitome.

He is the One know one can light a candle to

or come within a million foot pole of.

He is Above.

He is a Fathers Love.

He is maker of ways.

Of Earth. And Wind. Ancient of Days.

Has No Fear.

Have No Fear.

God is Here.”

~ By Amena Brown