Connectedness: Silly or Synchronistic?

I'm sure you have heard the theory of "one tends to notice the very thing that is on one's thought radar" for instance, when you are planning to buy a house, suddenly you notice all the "For Sale" signs.
Well, i recently bought a car through the kind generousity of friends and supporters. Call me shallow, but i absolutely love the colour. Ironically, I recently thought about the fact that I hadn't seen an exact match of my car on the road. So this morning, just before 10:00am i drove to Media Village to meet up with my outreach team. I noticed a car parked in front of the base exactly like mine (both in colour, make and year) to a point that it frightened me!!! ...to make it more intriguing, there was no spot left for parking except right in front of my car's "twin". So without a choice, I pulled right in front of it.
Within a very short time, a couple of staff at the base noticed the "convoy of two" charcoal black cars. And as we were having fun trying to spot the difference (from inside the building), we saw the owner walking towards his car. He had this strange but delightful look on his face.
Almost on cue, I rushed to the window, stuck my face through and waved at him. I expressively told him I had been curious to see who the other owner was. I spontaneously said "this is a rare occurrence, and it might never repeat itself again in our lifetime"
Have you ever said something and then in hindsight realized its double-meaning or profoundness?
He ecstatically responded with a big grin, asking me some fast-facts about my car. He also told me of how an old lady ran into him from behind, while he was waiting at a red light. It would cost him a fortune to fix the back of his car. I empathised, yet i could not help wonder how effortless the "two moving metals" could create a heart-felt connection with strangers who just met in a minute? Is it really about "cars" or our "wiring" as humans?
Ok, the story continues...Then he pulled out his cellphone and took a photo of our "unique moment in time". I came out of the building, took my one photo, shook the hand of the stranger who introduced himself as Richard. It was a 'hi and bye' but as we said goodbye, it was warm as though we were some two friends who just finished a meal together!
The staff at the base were so thrilled and entertained by our instant bonding, their giggles fueled laughter as Richard drove away. He kept looking through his rear mirror and waving back at us. Everyone was happy :)
Call it coincidence or crazy, it sure was a burst of energy. I couldn’t help thinking about how many of those simple but magical moments we fail to realize and celebrate in our lives due to the noise of reason or analysis paralysis in our heads?" perhaps we have lost the ability to be childlike in our curiousity?
Also, i could not shake off the thought that it had to take a "car" to create a connection that panned out in such a powerful yet playful manner? Isn't there so much more that we share in common? Is it un-natural to see or celebrate the humanity in each one of us?

I have been so lazy about posting blogs, this silly story is my wake up call, as it reminds me all over again about why I started blogging: It's all about connectedness, celebration, communication, creativity, curiousity, consciousness and Christ.

No Line On The Horizon

The stunning thing about Kona is its diverse landscapes. Closer to where we live, all one sees is black lava soil spread out, with very scanty vegetation(if not nothing). It almost feels like landing on the moon (don't ask me for details).

So today, a bunch of us (call2all chicks) decided to take a drive on the Big Island of Hawaii. We drove around the North Kohala Coast, until we got to the very end of the Island (the West end). The view over the valleys was just so majestic, especially the glistering blue sea and blue sky. It was indeed picturesque. The view created such a craving in the other peeps that we decided to drive another 45 mins to view the same scenery from South Kohala point.

Anyway, the whole point of my writing was a moment that caught our attention while enjoying the views at North Kohala...The colour of the sky and the sea was almost blending into one stretch of blue, and so i want to share a photo with you, hopefully you can enjoy the thin line on the horizon.

Our World - Do you Agree or Not?

Thought I'd share "Stress" with you

Forbes.com recently interviewed nine CEOs to learn how they are managing stress. Given their high income brackets, one might think their strategies would be out of reach for most people (like day-long spa getaways). You might be surprised, then, to learn that nothing they do for stress relief is that expensive. Here was the list they came up with:

Maintaining a clear focus and a clear head.
Riding bikes, running, or exercising 4-5 days a week.
Listening to music.
Laughing.
Meditating.
Spending quality time with family.
Working and playing outside.
Unplugging from email.
Trying something new.
Sharing deeply with a friend, especially the good stuff.
Setting aside catastrophic thinking.
Doodling first thing in the morning.
Getting together with friends to relax and have fun.
Now that's a good list for just about anyone, and many of them don't take any money at all. Stress relief is like that. It has more to do with the decisions than the money you make. You may want to use the list above review your own decisions and to adjust your life accordingly.

Coaching Inquiries: What relieves your stress? How could you do those things more often? Who could you do them with? What patterns of behavior would assist you to be your best self?

Cape Town 2010

You should watch this: Join the Global Conversation.

Transformative Power of Gratitude

This week was quite demanding to say the least. Just when I thought I was on top of things, a pop-up from no where would show up over and over, like a long math equation.

Side-track: usually I sleep with a pen and note book next to my bed to write down a to-do list, sort of downloading my brain before I fall asleep, (could be things as dumb as “trim your nails”)
and when I wake up it helps me plan my day…
So as usual the night before, I had written down 3 things that must be done before the end of my working week. Upon waking, this morning, I felt like I had cobwebs all over my brain, totally jaded before I even lifted a finger.

As I pondered upon my predicament, an idea bolted into my mind… So here’s it. I decided to have a creative quiet time! I picked up the same pen and paper, but decided to write down things that happened recently that I am grateful for. Before long, I was feeling turbo-charged.

It didn’t end on paper, It made me so mindful of every little thing that I did through the day as I continually experienced a string of aha! moments, almost back to back... From the rain that started just when I was walking to work and me feeling glad to go back home and find the umbrella I hadn’t used in a while, to successfully loading a new cartridge in my printer at the office, oh, and the best was when I went to the post office to mail stuff that I thought would cost me a fortune, only to be told it was only R7!
I could go on and on to tell you about how grateful I felt when I had just about the right quantity of cauliflower and broccoli to make my lunch more nutritious, or the spontaneous 1 hr of dancing to some techno music as a device to ward off the silly cold weather.

As I returned to the point where I started the day (obviously my bed in case you forgot), I decided to watch a movie before blacking out. Half way through the movie, I was saying to myself…why am I watching this trash? Do you want to know what I watched?
Anyway, I don’t want to begin a movie review, so will skip details…at the end of the movie, I felt like I felt when I woke up in the morning, useless and empty-headed. I told myself, this c**p movie can’t be the last thing on my mind before I fall asleep, I must listen to something uplifting. So I went into my iTunes, searching for a not-so-long inspirational podcast. I came across one I hadn’t played before, and a name I don’t even know. It was an interview with Sarah Ban Breathnach. I started listening. Guess what she was talking about? ….drum roll…..GRATITUDE!
She wrote the book “Simple Abundance”. Her opening line was “you need to write at least 5 things you are grateful for each day”.
So I figured out writing this blog tonight will be my creative way of acknowledging “Gratitude”…

PS. and I did write another list longer than the one I wrote in the morning, I feel great and grateful – full circle huh?

A Video Clip from Younger Leaders Gathering, Malaysia 2006

Thank you Bruce for emailing me this link. Although the clip itself is very much a low quality, Malaysia 2006 was a high point in my life, an event that accelerated the work of God in and through me. Some one once said, i think it's C.S Lewis...and i am paraphrasing it...we some times experience a simple, ordinary moment without knowing that therein is wrapped destiny.

The African Worship was a sensory experience, worth sharing again with the world. So to all YLGers out there, may you take your place in this life, live it fully, experience it joyfully and leave very little or no room for regrets. We are called to shine, to reflect His glory through simply living the life that honours Christ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqWjbVMREJ8

Drool and Dirt: A Gross God?

Imagine standing in line for prayer and the minister walks up to you, spits in her palm and touches you with that cold, smelly, jelly fluid? Perhaps screaming and spinning in disgust is an appropriate response.

In John 9:1-7, we read a puzzling story of a blind man. For starters, the cause of his blindness was up for guess work…sinful parents? serious birth defects? God’s glory? Then there’s the very murky, shady healing approach by Jesus. He spat on the ground, made clay art from it (yuck!) and placed it on the blind man’s eye. Perhaps, this man’s life didn’t need extra humiliation, due to his shame, pain and rejection. I must add that this does not fit the image of Jesus, the pretty blond blue eyed buddy, who is depicted as stately, regal, charming and oh-so-wow all the time!
In my culture, to spit in front of someone is considered as very offensive, not to mention dipping your finger in it, mixing it with dirt, another rude symbol, and placing it on someone. Surely there must have been some more fancy method to the madness? A more decent way to heal this blind man in public? Was Jesus simply stretching his creative boundaries? Throwing the box? Manufacturing drama?
According to sabbatical laws, no work at all! No one is permitted to bake, mix or mould anything on the Sabbath. Jesus decides to mix saliva in public (case #1), sends him to go wash (case #2).
In this controversial episode, I believe there is far more than what meets the eye. I must admit that most of the messages I have heard on this subject have sounded rather bland, clichéd and colourless. Today’s culture attempts to filter out rich layers of reality from the context of how life was in Jesus’ days. One theological school of thought says that “it was a symbolic use of fluid – representing washing, cleansing…He did it in order to teach us that we who are spiritually blind are under the curse of God. We are an abomination to God. We are dead in our sins…
In one similar healing story found in Mark 8:23-25, he spat directly in a man’s face to heal him, yet in another found in Mark 10:52, only faith healed the man. So you must have noticed that Jesus varied his healing methods, why?

From some of the extra readings I do through my delicious ESV bible study, I stumbled into the “Testament of Solomon”. Disclaimer here: I am not recommending that the content therein is the word of God. I simply found interesting comments pertaining to spitting on the ground, and some scary instances of how King Solomon fought spiritual warfare with demons. The Bottom-line is, there were layers of superstitious acts and beliefs prevalent in those days. Do you remember the story of Moses and the magicians? The Jews many times wondered where His powers were from (Mark 11:28). Magic was the norm, even though Jewish law prohibited various forms of sorcery, witchcraft or divination. The authorities wanted to discern whether he was a fake or a true prophet of God. Talking about superstitions,
Spitting is also used as a prophylactic against the evils of coveting, sorcery and the evil eye. When speaking of evil and of evil things, the early Hebrews would press one thumb on the ground, repeat the word "Pipi" nine times and spit. Another method is to spit at the object and utter the word "Maris." Spitting on one's breast was supposed to avert the Jealousy of the gods. The Bible records innumerable instances of its superstitious use by the Hebrews and its symbolic personification. It states that if the father of Miriam (the wife of Moses) had spat in her face when she was born, she would not have contracted leprosy. In parts of Ireland even today, a newborn child is spat on by its father; neighbors spit on the child for luck the first day it is brought out; and the older women spit on the ground all around it to ward off evil.

From the excerpt above, how do you think Jesus was perceived? I believe in most instances, Jesus was a borderline legal case for the authorities. He pushed the envelope, heightened their paranoia by rubbing their fears in. See what Matthew 12:22 says:
“Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed…

jump to verse 24:
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said “it is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons.”

All I can say is that I like this man. They could question his methods, but one thing remained unmistakable, Jesus knew who He was, and what He was doing. He was God at work without a formula or presciption!

Found You, Jenna

It has been over two weeks now, since we met outside my house. I wrote about you in my blog the same day, about how much I was looking forward to meeting you the next day. I came out twice to look for you on the scheduled morning, you were not there. I thought of writing my next blog saying “oh! Well, she never came”, but my sixth-sense held me back.

Just yesterday, I was driving back home from salsa class in the evening with my friend Sandy, I pulled by for her to get some stuff from 7-11 and a homeless man came and started bugging me. I was irritated so the way home, we began talking about the homeless people in Muizenberg. I told her about you, that you were special and I had made an appointment with you, but we lost each other, you never left my mind.

This morning, your sun burned-face flashed again in my thoughts, I had many occasions to give out the stuff I had packed for you, but something in me, a precognitive sense knew I had to wait for you.

So as I pulled my car out of the drive way today, I noticed a group of homeless people digging into the trash bins. And from a far distance, someone began to run towards me. First, I didn’t make the connection, but when you started calling out: Sister, Sister…I came to look for you the other day!!!
Suddenly I realized that the strong sense I had earlier in the morning was a spiritual reminder, a forecast that I would see you again. So when I told you to wait as I switched off the car and went back into the house, I knew you would love the surprise I had for you. I couldn’t wait to see that burst of joy again.

So dear doughnut reader, I came out, little did Jenna know what she was about to get! I had packed a suitcase full of clothes for her. When she saw the suitcase, she beamed and froze simultaneously. She impulsively gave me a hug, I hugged her back. She ran across to the opposite side of the street and pulled her trolley closer, she then mounted the suitcase on it. The cutest thing was that she waved her friends goodbye, job done for the day, sorta…she carried on giggling till she went out of sight.

I am so glad I found you again Jenna.

Missions or Madness?

Today was one of those days where my head simply just got buried in work. Whew! I had to pull myself out of the office to go home for a lunch break. By the way, I realize how blessed I am that my home is not far from my office, so I get to walk back and forth - my only exercise at the moment besides my dance routine plus, I eliminate commuter commotion, as well as save some petrol.

You know that feeling of when you are certain that it’s just a matter of time before you have that conversation with someone you act as though you don’t see or notice? Say amen if you relate.

So I get to the front of my gate, and I see this gentleman. He lives just two gates away from mine, even though I don’t recall how many faces I have seen go in and out of that house.

He increases his steps to catch up with me when he saw me approaching in the opposite direction. I greeted him first. He went on to ask me if I was from Ghana, I said no, I am from Nigeria. Then I asked him where he came from (obviously I knew not from South Africa). He said he was from Kenya. I immediately attempted speaking the little Swahili I had picked up….I said “Karibu” – Welcome and “Asante Sana” –thank you very much?

I told him that I traveled to Kenya several times last year, and he asked me what I did for a living. So I told him I was a missionary. He had this quizzical look on his face, then he said “but you make a lot of money to travel a lot? I said “No, I actually don’t even get a salary, I love working for God’. Boy, you should have seen the bemused look on his face. His next sentence was “how do you eat… does God literally come to put food on your table?… I want to witness that…”
I have to tell you that by now I was totally digging the conversation. He wasn’t trying to be cynical, he genuinely thought it was absurd, out of order and terrifying to not live on an income.
He continued by asking how long I had lived like that, and I said “about 8 years”. Then he looked as if he’d seen a ghost, it was hilarious to be an observer of the moment.

Just then, Gabriel from YWAM base showed up, so I told my neighbour that I would love to share more with him about how God cares for his children, and how to live by faith.

The moral of my narration... suddenly, I realized that what has become normal to me is insanely petrifying to an average man on the street. I realized how far I had come to be at peace with the fact that I need to let God control my life, even though I daily take responsibility for my choices and how I live and conduct myself. Or maybe I am the one that is crazy?

A Dignified Appointment

During breakfast this morning, I read an inspiring article from Joy Magazine. The crux of the write up was that “we all need help”. Ok, let me back track a bit...
I live in Muizenberg, a multi-ethnic, broad-based suburb with extremes ranging from cool surfing culture, to tons of homeless people and dodgy guys parading the streets. I some times catch myself crossing to the other side of the street when I see shady or drunken men. I try to avoid any conversation or eye contact, as some of them are simply not sane. Just the other day my office was broken into, and so, certain uneasy feelings tend to get reinforced, apparently a reason to be more prayerful in order to inhibit the budding desire of fear’s rule.

So here’s where my story starts. As I opened my gate to leave the house for work, I noticed an unusual string of homeless people searching the trash bins that have all been lined up outside for the municipality services to empty (we take out our trash every Wednesday - thanks NK for doing it faithfully through the years).
Suddenly my eyes met with that of a petite, older woman who had just crossed over to dig into our trash. Instead of disconnecting the eye contact, I sustained it, and in my heart, I became aware of a human being made in the image of God, not the label that she represented at the moment.
She spoke up first and said “sister, can I get some old clothes?” part of me was very relieved that she did not ask for money, because some times it simply means supply me “a dose of drugs”. Despite her dull skin and withered countenance, I saw a genuine spirit shine through her smile. Then I realized that we had “connected”. I loved it.
With slight hesitation, I replied her saying “I am late for work, but we could meet same time tomorrow morning, in front of my house because I want to put together some clothes for you”. She immediately bolted with joy, it was contagious. I felt a surge of warmth run through my heart as I walked away, it was love.

I was so grateful for the opportunity I was given to practice “seeing a human being first, before whatever labels the person represents”. She gave me an opportunity to grow in my area of “need.” She made my day! I am looking forward to tomorrow’s appointment, as though I am meeting with a V.I.P. I hope she remembers to show up.

God is Visible

Since 2009 started, a part of my heart has been wresting with the question of “How can one sustain a relationship with someone you do not see? And in this case, that someone is God.
Supposedly, our relationship with God is a faith journey. I don’t know about you, some times faith to me is almost synonymous with foolishness, and at times a constant clash between head and heart.

This morning, I woke up and started reading my bible with foggy eyes, jammed mind and a half-paralyzed body. By the way, I am currently reading from Matthew. When I got to verse 25:31-46 (an analogy we know so well)….goats and sheep and all that…where he separates the sheep from the goat, and thanked the sheep for giving him food, clothes, hospitality etc.
It suddenly hit me that God is Love and Love is God. Every experience of love is an experience of God!!! (Whether one is the giver or receiver). But we have heard many times that we cannot see God, true! but there is another side to God, He daily reveals himself in human form! …through the eyes of the homeless, kid, through the wrinkled face of the dying HIV positive woman, through the eyes of an abandoned baby, through the eyes of the stranger seeking direction to the train station. Not to say he is found only in places of need, even in the eyes of the rapist, the dictator, the drunkard. God is in every human being!!! It is logical to reach out to needy people, How about the prison part of the story?

Can I look beyond the prison/bondage of people and see God waiting to be discovered in them?
The irony of the story is that in most cases, I don’t see God in the “man on the street”. I see a labeled person, and perhaps the problem, ignoring the image of God in them. I get so preoccupied with trying to get through my day and I sometimes just don’t see people (I mean God). How can I say I love God when I don’t love the people that I see?
1 John 4:8 says it best “whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…”

It sounds so idyllic, until fear comes into the equation. It changes the whole dynamic. The world is full of evil people, with rebellion and brokenness everywhere… Do I have a legitimate reason to shut off from seeing God in people because of their messed up choices, lives, behaviours and addictions? Do people need to deserve or qualify for love before I love them? I don’t believe that when Jesus said “whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me” included a “qualifying clause” for love. I think that’s where my struggle lies.