Young Zebra Visitor

This morning Bonnie (our Husky-cross dog) was staring intently across to the end of the road. This meant that something intensely interesting was there - so I went out quietly to have a look.
There it was - a young zebra lying at the corner of the road.
How does Bonnie know not to bark at it?
She seems to have learnt that Zebras here are part of the family. Her first encounter was very exciting when four zebras were grazing just outside the fence of our front garden.
Both she and Bess (our bull-terrier cross) were barking frantically when I went to see what was up - and managed to calm them down and get them to stop barking.
 The zebras seemed to be unperturbed, totally 'in charge' of the situation, and carried on with their meal! They moved off, but a short while later came back and just stood looking at the dogs - who this time did not move or bark.
It seemed as if there was some sort of communication going on between the species.

Hopefully both dogs will learn that the wild animals around us are part of the environment and not to be barked at.

Custard

When the house is a mess and there's dust everywhere
from the scraping and sanding and painting;
when you've scriptures to study and a sermon to write
and meetings and fielding of phone calls;
when you can't find direction and struggle to start
and can't find the wine or the whiskey:
Make a big bowl of custard, grab a new book,
curl up in a chair in the study,
and travel the world in some other dimension -
then maybe you'll find inspiration....

Recycling

As a family we have had a habit of subscribing to recycling initiatives over many years. The first was paper and cardboard, but when other materials were asked for, we added that to our list. It has been very convenient to have containers placed within reach in the hub of our home (dining room adjoining kitchen!) in which to place articles. At one time there were kerbside collections, but now we have to take our recyleables to points of collection – which is fine. It has certainly caused our household waste to be significantly diminished in volume!

However there is another kind of recycling that I have been reflecting on. In 'sorting out' the house, now that all our sons are married and making their own homes, and coming to the time of life when we will soon be moving to a smaller abode in a retirement complex, there is the inevitable need to go through what is in all the cupboards, sort through what belongs to who, and make plans to either deliver it to them or pass it on to others who need and will make good use of the various articles.

One of the tasks was old school and university notes stashed in the top of cupboards - emptying files and putting the paper in waste bags. The paper will be recycled, and the files, plastic sleeves and file dividers will be 'recycled' to an under-resourced school or children's home.

As I was preparing this material for recycling, I began to think about all the 'knowledge' and mechanisms that were on the paper, that had been given through teaching to empower my sons to learn how to think, analyse, make connections, be creative, be comfortable about thinking 'outside the box', have an urge to explore mentally and in other ways, to develop memory and practical skills. This lead me to ponder on how we 'recycle' what we have learnt in the years of our lives – how we have interpreted what has come to us in the way of studies, practice, experience, circumstances, relationships (with teachers/ lecturers, tutors, fellow students, role models). To what extent do we make use of all that we have been taught and learnt?

I was challenged to reflect on whether my many and various interpretations had lead to a relatable insight into life in general, that could be used to encourage, guide, empower, and provide a 'spring-board' to launch others into their own unique journeys through the experiences of their lives.

In a nutshell: Has our 'learning' been stuffed onto the top shelves of our lives, out of sight and gathering dust? Do we keep it in a rigid framework, immovably fixed by our perceptions at the time of receiving it?

Do we hang on to it as a source of pride or wield it as power over others?

Or do we 'recycle' it, by reapplying it creatively into different contexts, share it and reinterpret it in varying situations, circumstances, and relationships in the present?

Do we make it available, in a usable manner, to others who need it, who could make good use of it, and who would benefit from it in their own journey through life?

Just wondering....

I don't like being sick!

I am grateful for a very strong immune system which means that I don't get sick very often. But something must have penetrated my defenses this time, and I find myself 'malingering' in a way I haven't experienced for many years.

The inflamed thoat that makes it sore to breathe, let alone swallow, is the worst. Then there is the post-nasal drip that clogs and causes involuntary, non-productive coughing. And finally, the head full of cotton wool that blocks sound from entering and distorts sound that leaves – such that I cannot hear clearly what others are saying and they cannot hear clearly what I am trying to say. And so I pass the days in an energy deficient dozing fog.

Initial visits to pharmacy, and then the 24hour rooms at the local hospital, brought little relief. Seven days later my throat still felt like it could light a fire, swallowing was so painful that I seriously considered fasting, and croaks were produced on every attempt to speak. On top of that, my eyes are becoming clogged and reading becoming impossible due to the fuzziness.

A visit to my own doctor brought relief at last - and this sickness has finally met it's nemesis.

I look forward to being healthy again! - and for a long long time, like 30 years or more...

I am forever grateful for my 'lazyboy' chair in which I have dozed, slept, and vegetated for the past five days. I also look forward to being able to sleep in my bed again and to not be woken by useless dry throat coughing.....

Marginalised Mussels

I was blessed to be offered a week at a seaside cottage in February this year. It was a break from 'the world' that I needed, and that brought me much rest and restoration. It was very good for my soul for me to be able to walk alone and uninterrupted on the beach, fiddle around on the rocks, stare out to the horizon over the ocean, dabble my feet in the tidal pool, watch crabs and little fish  in small rock pools, and generally meditate and let my thoughts run freely.

 This photo shows an area of mussel covered rock where I spent some time. I noticed the large number of mussels of varying size - with larger ones being closer to the water line/ rock-water interface, and the decrease in size the further they were from the water's edge. Which got me to thinking......

The larger ones closer to the water-line surely benefitted from the constant washing of the waves, as they were closer to the tides - whether high or low - and the first to receive nutrients. The smaller ones were farther away from the water and would only have had the benefit of the nutrients when the tide was higher, with a gradation of size according to the amount of water washing over them during the day/ night. Which means that those closer to the nutrient resource were more prosperous looking, while those further from the resources did not seem to be faring as well.

 

Which led me to think about resources available to people. There is so much demand, currently, for 'equality' and for everyone to be granted the same access to and quantity of resources as everyone else. But this expectation is unrealistic. It is evident that where we are positionally places limitations on our access to whatever it is that we want. Our position in relation to resources could be termed 'an accident of birth'. But that does not provide an excuse for resources available to those on the 'front-line' to be held onto and prevented from being shared with those towards the 'back-line'. The position of the closer-to-the-water-line mussels could also be said to be 'accidental' in that they did not intentionally choose where to attach and grow. And neither did they restrict the resources from reaching those farther back. It seems they absorbed what they could of the resources each time the water washed over them - as did the ones further back. But their advantage lay in their proximity to the resources which enabled them to absorb nutrients througout the day and night - throughout the times of tide-in and tide-out, whereas the further back mussels had periods during the day and night of no access to resources. However this did not lead to them giving up and letting go - they continue to remain attached to the rock and absorb whatever comes their way whenever it comes - and they grow bigger albeit at a slower rate than the foremost mussels. I am also pretty sure that the bigger mussels would be harvested and consumed by the hungry much sooner than the smaller ones! And, of course, the mussels are available as food to whomever walks along the beach or is in search of a meal - irrespective of status in life.

I believe there are some principles in this that we should allow to challenge us.

Benefits of Burnout?

It is exactly, to the month, 27 years since I knitted a garment by hand. At that time I was in the process of knitting a pullover for 3 year old Allan, when Ian was 5, and Richard was a baby. It took me so long that by the time I had completed it, it was too small for Allan. I realised that if I was to supply such like garments for my family, hand-knitting would not 'work'. So I invested in a basic knitting machine, which kept us going for the next about 15 years - at which time I no longer had time for even that, and, the fashion had changed for teenage boys to wearing other kinds of jackets and tops. That was, I believed the end of my knitting days, and I donated the needles and other equipment to the women's ministry department of the Mozambique Outreach from our church.

That was until I found myself in serious burnout in 2010 - when I started knitting teddy bears - an occupation that did not take much in the way of thought or concentration, but kept me on the edge of sanity. Many are the little teddies of various sizes that I have made and donated to WAR (Women Against Rape) during the months of furlough that I took in 2010 and again in 2011, and also during times of needing to 'opt out' in the stresses 2012.

Since being on Leave of Absence during the first 4 months of 2013, I have continued to knit some teddys, but have got a bit bored with it and decided to go back to 'the olden days' activity of attempting to knit a garment by hand.

Fortunately I have a collection of knitting needles belonging to my mother, who, presently in a Frail Care Centre, no longer has a use for them; and a fair collection of oddments of wool. Seeing as I no longer have any patterns, I resorted to 'google' and found one that looked reasonable and possible to do. I am pleased with the result, and hope that it may fit my grand-daughter! Perhaps this is the start of more knitting. Time will tell!!

Tapping in

This morning, as I was nearing the end of my contemplative time,  I became aware of a tapping sound outside my bedroom window. There was Mrs Barbet, tapping away at a branch of the frangipani bush. I wondered what she was doing as that branch is not nearly large enough for a nest to be made in it - besides which, it is not springtime in this hemisphere. Then I saw the hole she had made, and that she was enjoying a morning repast from the contents thereof.

How she knew that there was something there, I don't know! Whether it was the sap she was drinking or grubs that she was eating, I also don't know. Perhaps I would find out if I were to 'google it'. However, what I do know, is that she was tapping into that branch for some much needed sustenance, while I was tapping in to the 'bread of life' for mine.

I was reminded that I am connected to the rest of creation and have needs like other creatures. We tend to create problems for ourselves and complicate our lives when we don't seek to enjoy that which has been provided, but rather manufacture needs which we then seek to satisfy for ourselves.

So I guess this was, for me, a reminder to keep pursuing simplicity and contentment.

Being a Hermit or Hibernating?

Hibernate - animal/plant - spend the winter in a dormant state - person - remain inactive or indoors for an extended period of time. Hermit - person living in solitude as a religious discipline.

Which of these applies to me at the present time?

1. There is the inaction indoors part - not that there is complete inaction. The usual routines of living go on - like eating, sleeping, interacting with family to a limited degree, limited shopping for necessities, and so on. Activities like reading, doing crosswords, playing card games, thinking and reflecting take up a fair amount of time, and I would classify them as 'inactive' as they do not involve other people. More like going through the motions of living rather than actually participating in life.

2. There is the solitude part - a state of being separated within from what is going on around me. This is there whether I am alone inside, or whether I am out and about like at the beach, or in a coffee shop. And in this state of separation/ solitude I am continuously in conversation with my Lord. It's like I am living inside myself.

Both of these hermit and hibernating conditions seem to be applicable in varying degrees. But perhaps the hibernating part is there in greater part. Hibernation is a winter condition - a time of drought and barrenness, yet a time when roots push down deeper into soil in search of water and nutrition . It is a time of energy conservation, displaying fruits of impatience, irritability and inability to deal with other's needs and problems. This certainly explains the condition in which I find myself at this time.

I shall continue to embrace this time of withdrawal and energy conservation at all levels (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) while waiting on God, knowing that He is present and active, and trusting that I will recognize the signs of new life - a season of spring - when He judges that I am ready for it.

Dyslexic Plumbing?

It has seemed to me to be the norm that when it comes to taps on basins, sinks and baths, that the right hand tap is for cold water, and the left hand tap is for hot water. Now, on the coast of KZN, specifically in a dwelling at Salt Rock, I have encountered the reverse. At first I wondered whether the taps had been mistakenly put in that way - and that the tap labelled cold would actually be hot and vice versa. But in taking a risk to find out in the shower, it turned out that the right hand tap labelled hot was indeed hot. And this has proven the case for each of the installations! So it is a relief that I can take the labeling as being accurate.

But other questions now arise:

- Is the installation specific to this house only, or is it common on the Natal Coast? To find out the answer I will have to do some investigating in other houses and buildings. Unfortunately, being a visitor to this area, the opportunity doesn't arise for me to do this. So, I guess, the easiest way to find out would be to visit a hardware/ plumbing shop. Or maybe to simply ask the owners/ builders of this establishment - which is by far the easiest way of finding out.

- Is the hot/ cold water arrangement global or a north/ south hemisphere thing? Perhaps like the direction the water circles down the plug hole - i.e. clockwise below the equator, and anti-clockwise above the equator [don't laugh - I saw this for myself when I spent a year in the USA]. So I shall have to ask my northern hemisphere friends about the arrangement of their taps. I wonder what they will think of my question? - perhaps that I am going batty?

- Is the tap arrangement British versus Other? If so, then this part if the Natal Coast, or the builders of this establishment were/are not of British extraction - because in my experience, the taps in the United Kingdom have cold on the right and hot on the left. If it is a British versus Other thing, then this is a potential scandal as KwaZuluNatal is considered by some of its inhabitants (who are in the minority although you wouldn't think so if you we're to spend time among the little commercial enterprises in the Natal Midlands) to be the last outpost of the British Empire.

Whatever the answers, at least I can know that for now I will not scald myself when turning on the tap labelled 'C' for cold (unless both taps are labelled C as for the bath!). But it will be good to check wherever I go, in case the plumber who did the installation suffered from dyslexia.

Shoes I Walk In

I have been having a problem for the past few months in finding shoes to fit my foot, which is short, broad, and with a high instep. The styles and makes on the market just don't fit - even if I try a larger size than I normally get. It's not as if I have a lot of pairs in my cupboard as I have a very limited range. The problem is that my everyday shoes have been wearing out and I am left with a pair of black sandals, a pair of blue flat soft shoes, and a pair of slip-slops which I now wear most of the time.

In reflecting on this difficulty I realise how much it is indicative of where I am right now in life. I have come to the end of a 'season' in ministry. The last number of years, I have not been fully operating in my particular giftings but havebeen having to do a lot of other things.  They have been important and I know that is was God's direction that I do them, but the toll that it has taken on me has been significant - enough to 'wear out my shoes'. Therefore, in looking for the same styles and makes, I have not had success because the time for walking in those 'shoes' has ended. I am no longer ministering in the community in which I have lived, worshipped, worked and ministered for the past 23 years - the community in which I heard and responded to the call to the ordained ministry.

During the 4 months leave of absence that has been granted me, I trust that the Lord will plant seeds of passion in my heart as to the direction He is now leading me in. As I spend time in rest and reflection, in seeking the Lord in quietness and retreat, I am confident that not only will I hear His clear direction, but that I will also find new shoes to fit the new direction and journey that I will be 'walking in'.

In Memory of Jess

Just over six years ago, this plant was given to Ned and me on the passing of Ned's mom, Jess, at the grand age of 95years. It flourished in a pot in our home for a while and then I planted it in the garden where it has continued to bloom around the anniversary of Jess's death. To me, it is not only a reminder of Jess and all that she invested in us as a family in the way of joy, traditions we chose to adhere to, love and faithfulness, but it is also a reminder of the love and faithfulness of friends who care and journey with us through the tough times in life. Thank you, Jenny. You are a friend whom I truly appreciate and value.

Shredding the Past

I am, very slowly (!), sorting out my study and accumulated books and papers and 'stuff'.

This evening I went through a file of past sermons - which are now torn up and waiting for our next waste paper collection. I have wondered why I kept them. Perhaps to remind me of my journey at that time? or maybe because there is a magpie hidden within me?

It has been a liberating exercise getting to grips with the knowledge/ truth that those contexts and circumstances are in the past, and that the members of the congregation will never be in those exact 'places' in their lives again; that they were fed in some way through the worship service as a whole and that the sermon I preached was only a small part of the meal we shared together; that we have journeyed together in our relationships with the Lord and have encouraged and challenged and held each other accountable along the way; and that the discipline of sermon and service preparation has enriched me in unexpected ways.

I am humbled. And I am at peace.

Becoming an NPBP

Today I moved my office.
Enough said!
It was good to get rid of a lot of paper and newsletters and other publications cluttering up drawers and shelves that had been yearning for a 'tidy up' for a long time.
The reality of the amount of paper wastage that has been created was driven home to me once again. My overflowing waste-paper baskets are convicting me strongly to repent!
With immediate effect, I shall be increasing my efforts to be a Non-Paper-Based-Person, even though that is still a bit of a challenge for my generation!

A Family Celebration

On the 29th April 2011, Dave (Ned's brother) and Colleen celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Their son Andrew organised a holiday for the immediate family, and all but 2 grand-children joined them in Port Alfred for a week of special time together. It was a 'once in a life-time' sort of affair with all the children being able to join them from as far afield as England and New Zealand.
From left to right: Nicollette, Michael, Dave, Colleen, Natalie, Andrew

Dave and Colleen with 6 of their 8 grand-children.
Jessica, Lucia, Matthew, Aimee, Sarah, Joy.
Some of the extended family joined the holiday party, and celebrated in style together on the evening of 28th April. Long-standing friends and bestmen from their wedding came from as far as Cape Town to share in the joy and celebrations.
Life-long, faithful, friendships and shared memories are a joy to be treasured.

Richard and Liesel's Wedding

The 14th January 2011 was a day of joy and celebration. Richard and Liesel, after many months of planning and organising, were joined in matrimony, to the delight of both their families!

Ned and I are thrilled to have a second daughter-in-law!
The whole party looked stunning and happy. Inge and Heidi attended their bride-sister, and Paul, Allan and Ian kept their groom-brother on his toes.
The Donkin Drones (Ned, Paul, Derek, Richard and Tim) added their flavour to the enjoyment of the occasion.
How lovely it is to have an expanding family.
We are truly blessed!

Waiting

I had a seemingly frustrating day on Wednesday. My usual trip to the doctor to get prescriptions renewed turned out to be a whole morning affair as I was sent for xrays to determine the cause of various physical inconveniences. So, I spent time waiting in the xray place to go in to be 'done'; then waiting as my knees, hips, and back were adjusted in various positions for the xrays to be taken; then waiting to see if the xrays were alright or needed re-doing; then waiting for the developing and report to be prepared for my doctor. In the afternoon I visited the bank to make enquiries about changes and sort out my mother's account - and I waited to be served and attended to.

As I reflected while I waited, I realised that the frustrating thing was not so much the waiting as the fact that I had been unprepared to wait the length of time that I had to wait! I did not have a good book with me to pass the time, and the available magazines with empty/ superficial articles did not appeal to me. I also did not want to spend my sabbath waiting - I had other things planned, which of course, didn't get done! Then I reflected on how waiting is a factor of our lives, but we do not want it to be because it is not always comfortable for us to spend time in reflection - it is much easier to be distracted by busyness and to fill the time available with activities that keep our minds off ourselves.

The outcome of my day of waiting is that I am now setting more time aside to wait on myself and what is going on in my life so that, with the insights received, I can be more fruitful and effective in what I do. And while I do this waiting, I sit in such a way that my core muscles are strengthened and my posture corrected so that the vertebrae between which a disc has 'gone' are properly aligned and held in place and therefore less likely to cause pain and discomfort.

It's important for me to get this right so that I am not an old crock by the time I welcome my granddaughter into the world!!

30th Birthdays

I remember a young friend of my mother's turning 30 many years ago. For her it was a seemingly traumatic experience as I remember her crying and believing that it was the end of her life as she was getting so old now - crossing some sort of divide.

I don't remember my own 30th birthday - not surprisingly as I had a 3 week old baby (Ian) at the time. This is how I looked then! Note that I had very few gray hairs.

It is now 30 years later, and this 3 week old baby turned 30 in December. Ned and I went down to be with Ian and Juliette in Hilton for the weekend of 10th December.


This photo is of Ian in November just before his birthday - growing the Movember! He does not usually look like a mafia agent!

We had a full weekend of celebratory dinner at their home, breakfast at the Karkloof farmer's market, visit to the Karkloof Falls, lunch at Piggly Wiggly's, afternoon tea at home, evening braai with my sister Wendy and family in Pietermaritzburg, then church together on Sunday morning.
All this together with various friends and family.
It was truly a blessed weekend, and a good way to remember 30th birthdays!

South African Advances!

New Element Discovered in South Africa to Be Included on the Periodic Table:

The Nuclear Physics Department of the University of Stellenbosch has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less
than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 - 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each re-organization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.

This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Mother's Day - Joy and Drudgery

Yesterday was Mother's Day - a bit of a mixed bag as days go. It highlighted for me the satisfaction I receive seeing each of my young men pursuing their unique purposes in their lives and in the world. Richard and Liesel spending time after church with an uncle and aunt, booking a wedding venue, and helping a soon to be sister-in-law with maths; Paul touching base with band friends; Allan, Ian and Julz continuing their paths in the Western Cape. It is a blessing to know that they have found their niches and are building their futures.

The drudgery of the continuous never ending tasks of running a household - as in washing, cooking, cleaning - is turned around by the appreciation received in terms of gifts, notes and words of affirmation. I was spoilt with flowers, a note, a 'Peter Rabbit' mug, a chatty sms, and the dishes being washed.

This photo was taken on Allan's 27th birthday in January.
From left, back: Allan, Shanley, Paul, Julz, Ian, Richard, Liesel.
From left, front: Beryl, Ned.

Towards Kingdom Life?

Not exactly the lion lying down with the lamb, but getting close - or what do you think?