Thoughts and Other Things

I recently preached a message of this title and it still resonates in my heart. We read from 1 Samuel 1, a very popular text. Focus is obviously always on Hannah, but God drew my attention to Elkanah’s cry, Love’s cry, His cry. “Elkanah her husband would say to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” 1 Samuel 1:8 This cry of his is based on the fact that He loved her, and out of love, he made provision for her, covering her weakness (see verse 5). But Hannah had a rival, and she was more conscious of her enemy than she was of her husband. We’re told Peninnah would provoke her whenever they went to the temple, provoking her on the basis of her weakness, her infertility. She would provoke her in order to irritate her, provoking her until she’d cry and not eat (see verse 6 and 7). Note her rival’s timing and her intention. Note her target and how we are only told of the provocation after we are told that

As I mentioned in the post before this, I missed out on a really awesome youth  service that my best friend organizes for our youth group every new years eve. While she was filling me in on how everything went, she talked about a message a young lady shared with them. The message was about scars and it touched me, even not hearing it from it’s speaker. It caused me to seek out this young lady and ask her to share her message again on this platform. Her name is Sanelisiwe Kheswa and this is what she has to say about dealing with scars. DEALING WITH SCARS       SANELISIWE KHESWA In order to deal with scars, we need to change the way we view our scars. Do not look at them as signs of failure, look at them the way a soldier looks at his wounds after battle. As they heal they become proof that you succeeded in fighting and winning, not failing. Seeing them as symbols of failure is the wrong way to look at it as scars are a sign of strength and a reminder that you have been through some

So 2016 gave me a big fat ‘in your face’ as it left. I had a little accident with my poor baby Olaf Blue (my car) and had a visit to the hospital (nope, it was not to visit my mother who works there). And so I spent New Years’ Eve nursing a drip while Olaf sat with a nasty bruise on his bumper. Way to end the year huh? I was thrown out of my plans completely by these two events, financially and work wise. I had plans with what I would use my thirteenth cheque on, with a car to pay off and a qualification in the works I had my hands full. So I obviously did not anticipate a trip to my car dealership and a referral to a panel beater (who I swear charges you for all the other years you’ve never needed them). I had a cross-over service to attend and minister at, an all-night youth service to serve at...none of that when your insides prefer to play outside for the day. So I went into the New Year with a clear reminder of Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the