This morning I got a call from a lady who wanted to register for a bootcamp I am running on self-publishing without breaking the bank, (from my book of the same name.  

While we talked about her book and the ventures she has in the pipeline, she diverted to to a topic that truly blessed my heart.  She said, oh and you know you're book about the church and administration (Order in the Church), I read it, then I gave it to some other people to read, at which point I said, no, you should tell them to get their own copies.  

Anybody seen the television adverts of husbands trying to persuade their wives to get a massive flat screen TV to allow them to be better able to watch botanical shows and such the like?  Obviously a misdirection aimed at generating interest for the FIFA 2014 World Cup.

The ads assume that wives are: (1) dumb enough to fall for such blatant trickery, not well presented and holds no proper reasoning.  (2) are uninterested in football and (3) men are the only ones who actually will appreciate the world cup and (4) it assumes that families do not already possess a large enough television that would show football playing; that is 22 men excluding the referee and the 2 line judges running up and down a field 7,140 square metres in a bid to be the best 11 (providing none gets send off via a red card, or is carried off due to an injury) with the most balls placed in the back of the net .

In order for you to purchase a cigarette, one needs to prove their age to be more than 17 in the US.  However, there is no age limit on children actually producing these drugs.  I guess the authorities believe that only through smoking is harm done.  

However, reports  from Richmond Virginia found that there are more than 140 children, some as young as 7 years old, working in nicotine laced tobacco farms.  Believe it or not, apparently it is legal for children to work alongside their parents on farms. 

However, working long hours without  enough breaks and without appropriate remuneration, these children are suffering abuse of their childhood.  Some children have developed symptoms of tobacco poisoning due to a lack of protective clothing. allowing nicotine to be absorbed through their skin while handling the tobacco plants.  This indeed is a travesty.

There has been much in the news about the Malaysian jumbo jet that went missing with so many lives aboard and yet, months later it seems we have forgotten and have moved onto the next headline.  However, I still wonder about that missing flight. I wonder if they will ever be found.  I wonder if the family will ever find peace in this situation or closure to allow them to move on, like we so casually have.  I wonder if the one responsible will ever be brought to justice and whether they considered the brokenness and hurt they have administered to so many families.  While I am disconcerted about flight MH370 another atrocity has swept through our news report and it is that of the 234 girls kidnapped in one swoop. 

Discussion Point:  All believers are called to be involved in ministry, but it is important to recognise the diversity of ministries.  Why is the specific call important?

All believers are indeed called to the ministry.  Being called to the ministry means one is a minister. A minister as we know is one who serves.  Serving therefore means you are at work, you are a labourer.  Our first call is to be a saint and the second is to be a soul winner.  Know then that the tool (or gifting) required to win each soul may be different.  Therefore God in his wisdom has equipped us with exactly what we need to win those souls we will encounter.

I grew up in church and for those who do not understand that statement, it means, I have been attending church for pretty much all my life.  I was taken to Sunday School by my parents and sisters. When I was a young teenager, I made the conscious decision to surrender my life to the Lord.  For the last two and a half decades, I have been taught the scriptures, not just in a church setting, but I spent many years studying the Bible both personally and professionally.  

Common practices have become the norm and whilst we do as our forefathers do or instructed, sadly, often we miss or negate (without realising) the real meaning of the word.  Many of us do not want to admit that we do not fully understand the bible we have been carrying for decades under our arms or in our handbags. But this issue has created a culture that needs to be broken.

Some of these even aid in 'killing' people who desire to live for God.  Practices such as, placing people on the proverbial 'backbench' when they have fallen, or putting them on the ostracised list of 'probation' are un-scriptural practices, and should be re-investigated.  

Following is an excerpt from my first book, "A Wilderness Study".  Enjoy
Genesis 28:16: And Jacob awaked  out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not

CHAPTER 1:  “What is a Wilderness Experience?”
A wilderness experience is one that you will often have to travel alone. One where the terrain, natural or spiritual; will demand all of what you have. Even if you started out on the journey running, by the time you are well into the wilderness, you will be drained, you will be tired, you will be weary, you will need to pull out strength from the inner recesses of your Spirit.

A fitting Scripture is 2Co 12:10  "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong".

A few Sundays ago there was a discussion in our Bible lesson surrounding dance in worship.  As the discussion morphed into if-a-could-a-should-a-would-a listing, I realised that many of us who came from the traditional church era were carrying regrets from missed opportunities which would have spawned great life experiences.  As the discussion continued, it became clear that much of what was taught as 'holy living' was based on someone’s perception, and this dogma boxed us into a limited arena, where the only acceptable display of talent and gift were those deemed fitting for the four wall of the assembly; singing, teaching, preaching, exhorting and liturgical dance.  However, many other talents went unnoticed or had a very short life span; ban from being pursued once you are considered a Christian.

Hello world,
I was watching the Christian News Network one evening and was quite disturbed by the news of women who are being treated  less than dogs, being stripped at work and having to prove they are not pregnant before they can get their hard earned wages.  Being dragged and beaten if they are found to be pregnant, having to spy on each other and forced to tell if they are aware that their colleagues are pregnant and worst, being forced to have abortions.

As the author of the book "Genderless Anointing: There is neither male nor female", these issues stir me up.  Women have already had to fight for their place in humanity, in AD584 when a group of men sat down to debate whether or not women were human.  A vote of 32 to 31 split a room as 31 men believed that women, which included their mothers who birthed them; were not human.  Thank God for Councillor Macon of France who cast the deciding vote, the one vote on which women were declare human.