walk in the promise

our souls wait in silence
in rest and in quiet
for You
Spirit

in trust and dependence
we walk in the promise of You
Coming

with hope
and healing in Your wings
with fire and with wind
You fall on us again

here we are waiting
for this house to be shaken
for the boldness to carry
Your name to the nations

Your signs and Your wonders
to go now before us
for the weight of Your glory
to rest as lift You up

we lift You up
be magnified in us

lyrics by: jeremy riddle

spiritual healing

i'm here
here with you
where i'm home
where i'm healed

your name
flows from my lips
sweeter than
the sweetest kiss

how my heart
love your name
it's bursting forth
in shouts of praise

i feel
heaven's drawing me
it's close at hand
and now is here

how my heart
loves your name
it's bursting forth
in shouts of praise

my heart loves your name oh God
bursting forth in shouts of praise

satan falls
like lighting
his work undone
by my King

lyrics by: jeremy riddle

serious tragedy

there is a serious tragedy i have seen under the sun. it weighs heavily on humanity. God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want. but then He doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. they die. and someone else even a stranger ends up enjoying their wealth. this is meaningless. a sickening tragedy. a man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. but if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial. it would have been better for him to be born dead. his birth would have been meaningless. he would have ended in darkness. he wouldn’t even have had a name. he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. he might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. since he must die like everyone else. well what’s the use. all people spend their lives scratching for food. but they never seem to have enough. so are wise people really better off than fools. do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others. enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. just dreaming about nice things is meaningless. like chasing the wind.

what are we living for

What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?   

Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.  

The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 

The wind blows south, and then turns north. 

Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.  

Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. 

Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 

Everything is wearisome beyond description. 

No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. 

No matter how much we hear, we are not content.  

History merely repeats itself. 

It has all been done before. 

Nothing under the sun is truly new.  

Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” 

But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.  

We don’t remember what happened in the past. 

And in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

just pure

it is rare that you walk into a place and sense that it shares its DNA with you. such a place is hard to find. where you feel like having breakfast every morning and stare away over the sea. where you feel comfortable just being there. you can sit and allow time to tick by without feeling guilty. a safe environment to contemplate the future. its ambiance allows you to do just that. it is like home away from home. recently my wife and I have discovered such a place. its a small bistro in the coastal town of Hermanus, South Africa... called just pure. the name itself having a ring of poetic justice to it. bringing a sense of well-being and health. what i enjoy most about it is the emotion i experience every time i frequent the place. it has a french kitchen atmosphere to it. reminding me of my time spent in Europe. bringing back fond memories of street cafes and bistros in remote alleys. i sometimes feel that it creates a safe environment for me to dream and allow my mind to wander into the future. sitting there you get the feeling that someone is trying to sell you a lifestyle. one of health, wealth and free living. but it is only a feeling. the truth is that they ARE selling you a lifestyle. but rather one of health and purity. purity of body and soul...the latter being more important. the place stirs a certain type of liberty in ones soul. i know as you read this you know exactly what i am talking about because many of us have already experienced it before. a place that makes you feel. the ambiance sucks you in and the sense of place takes over. next time you are there...allow that feeling to take you on a journey of discovery. it is worth it. a sense of feeling you will never regret. perhaps you will discover something hidden  deep within your soul that has been waiting for years to be expressed.

be thankful

true joy can only be found with an attitude of thanksgiving. when you look past all circumstances because you have learned to be thankful for what you have. when you stop comparing yourself with the people above you. when you realize that you have more than enough to be thankful for. then joy will be found in any circumstance. we walk through life forgetting the simple things. the fact that we are healthy and safe. the fact that we have food to eat and clothes to wear. look at the man living on the street. or the orphan. or the widow. be real. there is always somebody worse off than you. when you start to live with an perspective of thankfulness life takes on a new dynamic. all the circumstances fade. every cloud has a double silver lining. it frustrates me when people complain about the smallest things. yet you look at their lives and you observe how fortunate they are. they are wealthy and healthy. yet their toys are never enough. they have endless opportunities. yet they don't take it because they can't see it. why. because their attitude blinds them and disables them to take pleasure in the smallest things. thus they will always be looking for more. a bigger toy. a more glamorous life. a faster car. a more exotic holiday. they will forever strive towards an idea or belief that pushes them into the abyss of ungrateful living. that is the saddest place to find yourself. it is that place where nothing can satisfy you. a place where enough will never be enough. it is a black hole of selfishness and self-indulgence that can not be filled. therefore i want to challenge you today. fill your heart with an attitude of thankfulness. practice thanksgiving. be thankful for the simple things. to feel the wind on your face. to smell and experience with your senses life happening around you. focus on the simple things. the small things. in that you will find true joy. in that true fulfillment can be found. 

a tribute to san fermin

i recently finished reading "fiesta" by hemingway. it was the third time that i have read the book. and it remains very inspiring. for reasons i still don't know why. the storyline is not overly exciting. but the writing is gripping. i just love the way he writes. the descriptive style of capturing the moment i just love. but while reading the book my memory took me back to the summer of 2008. (also on this blog - see endless summer 2008) i had the opportunity to spend the few days around san fermin in a city close to pamplona. i have friends that live in rioja. the nearby wine region. one of spain's famous wine regions. it remains one of the bravest yet stupidest things i have ever done. the running of the bulls. so many emotions and adventures packed into a few days. the heat of the sun and the excitement in the air. there remains a certain intensity in the atmosphere. however not for the faint hearted. bull-fighting in itself is a very controversial topic. cruelty to some. a form of art and perfection to others.  no matter what side of the controversy you are on the festival of san fermin remains a high-light on the annual calender. as it stands i can't really pinpoint why the festival and all the activities surrounding the week in pamplona had such an effect on me. i am just great-full that i had the opportunity to go and experience it for myself. too many peolpe have an opinion about the whole ordeal without ever having been there. it remains a fond memory to me.

technological revolution

we are all part of the technological revolution. whether we want to be or not. sure. life in many ways is a lot easier. but not all the changes are good. personally i think that in terms of technology the continuous improvement of  what we use and have is tremendous. yet. what are we giving up. what are we sacrificing. i was again reminded whilst on an local flight the last couple of days. everybody sitting with their Samsung tablets and apple iPads. nobody reads books anymore. very little interaction between people. four people sitting at a table in the airport. two on iPads. one speaking on the phone. and the last one operation a piece of electronic equipment i have never seen before in my life. call me old school. call me a purist. yet i think this revolution is killing the basic skills of people world wide. youngsters can't spell or do basic math. people are less committed to appointments because it is so easy to send a quick text or email saying that you wont be making it anymore. it has become a cop-out. people don't write journals. they have become bloggers. (i do both - thus i guess that makes me at least half-guilty). but the reading thing really gets me. a 50-something year-old man next to me on the airplane was playing a game that looked like it was designed for a 10 year-old. he did so for the complete duration of the flight. in which time (i can boast) i nearly finished my Hemingway book (reading it for the third time and it still inspires me). i am worried that a complete medium of literature will be lost to the next generation. i am by no stretch of the imagination claiming to be a literature fundy. but the inspiration that i tap from reading is unmatched. the process of escape and being absorbed by the reading must surely be more fun than blasting bubbles or chasing cats on a computer game. or perhaps in time i will catch on. i hope not. cause i find so much pleasure in being inspired by legendary writers such as Hemingway. perhaps not his lifestyle and/or morals. but certainly his appetite for living life to the full. now i ask you. how can you find that in a computer game. it is not only computer games. but the watching of movies. this medium of the media truly frightens me. i can count on one hand  the number of proper movies worth watching of the past five years.as with most other revolutions that have come and gone the current techno revolution will definitely leave its scars. of that i am certain. the same way the industrial revolution changed the way of our every day-to-day. so our lives are changing around us. are you taking notice? i challenge you. what are you sacrificing? going to the movies on a weekly basis does not constitute a relationship. less TV and more time with the kids. less internet and more conversation with your wife. switching off your phone when spending time with friends. perhaps i AM old school. but we have lots our common decency and basic respect. perhaps one of the greatest unprotested sacrifices of our time? that is the price we pay for comfort and our own laziness. i am not against the use of technology. i am just very cautious as to how it is changing the world around us.

a true family

you come to a place in your life when you realize that your natural family is fallible. it is not a bad place. neither is it a sad place to come to. but there is a certain freedom that comes with it when you realize that. the social responsibilities becomes less. the loaded expectations go out the window. many people  live with an obligation towards their family. i don't question the role of natural family. but it can become a millstone around your neck. a momentum breaker. it is not like that in all families. but i have seen it. where family becomes an ingrown tone nail. everybody puts their noses in everybody's day-to-day. not cool. but the power of a true family is incomparable. and if you are really lucky your natural family and true family can be the same people. people that you will share your heart with. people that will stick to you no matter what. sometimes your natural family is far away. your siblings live across the world and you need people in your immediate circle of life that will be by your side. i am fortunate to be surrounded by people with golden hearts. plenty of brothers and sisters in Christ that supports me in every aspect of life. because no man is an island. whether you know it or not. you need people around you. people that know more about things than you. so that they can tell you when you are off the straight and narrow. to keep you in line. they also inspire you. they celebrate life with you. the value of true family...priceless. thank you to the people around me. you know who you are.

when life is good

today has been a good day. it is one of those days where everything just makes sense. everything is just right. it is one of those days when it feels as if time stands still and your life is crystal clear. with the sun shining bright on my face. sweet music in my ears. wine as sweet as nectar on your tongue. love pumping with purpose through my veins. sitting in a street side cafe and watching the world go by. allowing my mind to run free and new dreams to form. enjoying the moment. the now. enjoying the place where the Lord has placed me. having the peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. living a life that glorifies Him. there is nothing that can compare. when life is good. nothing compares to when the Lord is in control. when you experience the safety and freedom to live a life that is significant. a life bigger than yourself. a life more than your own selfish needs. a life that changes the lives of people. because you have role to play. you have some significant to offer that nobody else can. your life has meaning. never underestimate what the Lord can do through you.

a lofty dream

perhaps for some it might be a weird dream. but it is one i have none the less. to own and live in a loft apartment. i don't know why. perhaps because it captures the heart of my imagination. perhaps because to me it captures funky and simplicity together. all in one small yet sophisticated space. not crowded. not tacky. not busy. just perfect. the way i want it. the way i see it in my head. it is a clear picture. what is your lofty dream. the one you think is to silly to even voice or talk about. dream it. write it down. don't push it aside. don't discard it as being unachievable. that is why we call them dreams. they are suppose to be to big for us to achieve...yet still achievable. hope you get it. dust of the discarded dreams. polish them. improve them. enlarge them.

face the music

i think life would be a better place if people would start to speak or voice what they feel on the inside. why do we find it so hard to speak the truth. to get it all out. no, we rather mumble and complain. we rather gossip and tell others about so-and-so instead of facing up to the person or situation in question. face the music. no more holding back. say what you have to. get it out! can we please get a bit of honesty back. what has happened to transparency? don't we trust each other anymore to speak the truth in love. i mean surely if you are in a relationship or friendship with someone we should be mature enough to give or receive honest commentary on our lives? we all have issues. we all make mistakes. nobody is perfect. yet we find it virtually impossible to have a honest conversation anymore. we hide and cover up. we lie and deceive. we back-stab and hurt one another. when will it end. when will enough be enough. can we please draw a line in the sand. tell me what you think. don't tell somebody else. tell it straight to my face. tell me point blank. i can handle it.

the way it is suppose to be

very few people can say that they have everything they want in life. i certainly cant. but i am getting there...that supposedly unattainable island called contentment. but some of us live very close to that island, sometimes tasting the fat of the land. i am currently in such a place where the simple things in life paint a canvas of  contentment. i am married to the most amazing girl ever. our lives are simple yet so rich and full. we live a village lifestyle. we frequent locals. we build relationships. for the reason that we live within our capacity. we allow people into our lives. we don't allow ourselves to get carried away. yet we dream. our dreams are big. bigger than what we can attain ourselves. thus we live in that place between today and tomorrow. a place that contains enough of today's challenges yet also enough of tomorrow's dreams. it is a place between faith and hope. faith for today's challenges. and hope. for the fulfillment of tomorrow's dreams. in everything we simplify. we get rid of the clutter. whether it means throwing away things we don't use or clearing the head, soul and spirit of unnecessary issues and stress. cause if you don't you will miss the beauty that every day holds. every day has a promise with your name on it. but the clutter will cause you not to see it. it will also obscure your view of the dreams of tomorrow. so what do you do? simplify...

the nguni man

Nguni cattle, a hardy, colorful breed indigenous to Southern Africa, holds a significance in every sphere of local tribal culture. The beautiful cattle are symbols of wealth and a sacred link with the ancestors. The Nguni cattle, long the mainstay of traditional African culture, are possibly the most beautiful cattle in the world, with their variously patterned and multicolored hides in demand everywhere. For hundreds of years, the well-being of herds and African people have been so closely connected that the cattle have become a part of the people's spiritual and aesthetic lives. To this day the Nguni cow the symbol of wealth, status and respect.

to the Nguni man - DF FYFER.

allow yourself to be inspired

daily you are being bombarded by different things and ideas. from various sources. whether it is in the media or from people you are constantly facing external factors that can shape your thoughts and ultimately your life if you allow it to. but you have the power to determine what you allow in and what you block out. yet so few people apply the wisdom to filter what they take in. the lack the knowledge to understand what is good for them and what is not. they become frustrated and intolerant. they become blunt and uninspired. the reason is they allow external sources to sap the life from their existence and neglect to find that which is life giving. they don't allow themselves to be inspired. they hang around negative people and stay in jobs that sucks every last drop of creativity from their lives. slaves to a system that sells pseudo-security and -happiness. they outsource their futures and their dreams. they lack the drive to take responsibility for their own destiny. they loose any chance of being inspired by the simple things in life. the small things that makes life what it is. the sun rise. the rainbow. their own reflection in a puddle of water. the sensation of a gentle breeze on their face. the taste of good meat. the smell of a good red wine. everything has become grey and monotonous to them. cos their systems have shut down...polluted by filth that was never intended to fill our souls. what are you feeding your soul? what are you allowing in? what should rather remain outside? allow the good to inspire you.

no regrets

it is a fact of life. we all get it wrong sometimes. some of us more than others. but that is only because we don't allow life to take its course. we keep on getting in the way. our emotions and feelings gets tangled up in the realities that we face. and so we get lost in it all. but let us face facts. for some making a decision is a frightening experience. for others it is as easy as switching on a light switch. i was again reminded today of this fact after having a eye-opening chat with my wife. we should really get to that place where we live without any regrets. sure thing. it is not nice to get it wrong. but to me the following is what makes all the difference. i never ask myself the question whether or not i have made the correct decision if something does not work out the way i wanted it to. in other words whether i was right or wrong. i ask myself: DID IT SERVE A PURPOSE...and then i move on. cos we allow ourselves to loose momentum and get stuck on issues that changes nothing. so i think to live without regrets is to live without the fear of being wrong or the fear of FAILURE. make confident decisions. cos ultimately the challenge of making a decision is not to make the decision but rather living the decision that you have made and its consequences.