From my heart

So, we were created in God's own image, but what are we doing about it?

I have some views on Autism Speaks that will probably bring me in conflict with the rest of the Asperger community. I am on the spectrum, my wife is on the spectrum and my son got a double-dose from both of us. I surely do not think that there is something wrong with me, or my wife or my son, however I know that there are things in ourselves that we want to change, like making friends, or being less uncomfortable in busy shopping centers.   And I do not deny the parents of Autistic children the hope that something will be discovered to make their child better, or even just allow them function better. We can talk and relate, but how do you care for a non-communicative, severely autistic child? How do you know what is wrong? How do you know what is bothering him? Just because of that I support Autism research, not that I think there is something wrong with us, but to help the parents that do not know which way to turn. I follow several Autism pages and the one I foun...

There was no wind blowing when I stood on the balcony this morning. Everything was quiet! The view towards the mountain was crisp and clear. I did not hear a thing. It was like the whole city and nature was pausing, waiting. The I remembered the bit I read earlier this week; He says, " Be still, and know that I am God ; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 And in that moment I wished that I was on that mountain, just me and God, looking out over the city, spending time with Him. I am too busy, I rush from home to work and back, keeping myself busy, not really making time to be quiet. Thinking about it, the only time I can really get quiet and spend time with God, is when I am in nature. So what am I to do? So how can I be still with noise around me? Sometimes I just crave a little bit of quietness in a rushed day, and God says "Be still, and know that I am God".  It just struck me, He did not say "seek sile...

In South Africa and world-wide I believe there is a decline in active church membership. (I read an article about it and quite often there are newspaper headlines to the affect).  For some churches it is obvious why the members are leaving, others are less obvious. So I started looking for the reasons (what applies to me as well to others) People leave church when they can’t find community. Finding a new community to fit into can be a frustrating experience. Staying in a place where you do not feel part of the community is deadening. Even if the sermons are Spirit filled and Godly, a church without community will not keep people. It is like going to a show every Sunday, nodding to the people around you and leaving as soon as it is over. Community tends to draw people in, to get them involved, to make them feel wanted. People leave church because they need less drama in their lives. Believe it or not, but churches are full of drama, church members fight with each oth...

How do we handle loss? Because after 40 years I still do not know. Three people in our company lost their parents in the last 2 months. My father-in-law heard yesterday that his sister has terminal cancer. And all of them are hurting, those that lost their parents and those that have to say goodbye. I know all the stages of grief, but that does not help me. I was 12 when my mom died and 14 when my dad passed away, and I did not know what to do. There were no counselors and help. Only years later did I learn about the stages of grieving. Did not help me then and I still am not sure if it will help me now. But for what it is worth, here it is: Denial, numbness and shock . Yes, I was in shock, I mean I was still a child.  Bargaining . I did not know about bargaining, therefore no. Depression . Thinking back, I must have been depressed at the time. My school marks did not change, I am a natural loner, so there was nothing different there. Anger . Was I a...

During the time that Jesus spent on earth, He healed a lot of people, and he healed them mostly, because of their faith, and to glorify God. Matthew 8:5-17 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.  "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."  Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."  The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at...

I sit with a dilemma! I was in Mozambique when the Gauteng e-toll raucous started, so I did not give it any serious thought.But I am back in South Africa now. To get to the office I have to take the high-way (e-tolled) or I have to drive through town (I live on the other side of town). I drove through town for a couple of months, avoiding the toll-roads. Then recently I took the high-way. ... and my fuel consumption dropped dramatically. I made a couple of calculations and found that the cost of my fuel consumption through town exceeds the cost of peak hour e-tolls. So I started taking the high-way meaning that I will be billed for using it. ... and just this is my dilemma. Thousands of people in Gauteng are apposed to e-tolling and refuse to pay their e-toll bills. The reasons cited are: the Government implemented the e-toll system without proper consultation (which I believe is true) . the Government did not consider other alternatives (I am sure that they may have...