What's in a cup?

I am reading this book at the moment called A Woman's Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George. It is not a great read as far as books go, but there are still some good morsels to chew on. One really good thing about the book is that it has a prayer calendar that you can copy and print out, which is quite helpful, and the other useful information I found in the book so far are the four questions you need to ask when praying about a decision you need to make. The four questions are: Why would I do that? Why wouldn't I do that? Why should I do that? Why shouldn't I do that? I tried to apply it to my possible move to Thailand: Why would I do that? Silke did it, and she highly recommended Thailand. Secondly I wanted to go to the East before I settle. Thirdly, I translated a travel guide about Bangkok, so I am already familiar with it. Fourthly, it is a great photo opportunity. Fifthly, what an adventure! Why wouldn't I do that? I am scared of the busyness of Bangk...

South Africa's 11 official languages: South Africa has eleven official languages. In alphabetical order they are: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho (now more commonly known as Pedi), Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and isiZulu.  There are two main groups of the Bantu languages, the Nguni group and the Sotho group. The Nguni languages include Xhosa, Zulu, Swazi and Ndebele. The Sotho group includes Sesotho, Northern Sotho (Pedi/Sepedi) and Tswana.  Here are some greetings in the different languages: (go to   www.travelground.com/blog/greetings-11-official-languages Afrikaans: Hoe gaan dit met jou? English: How are you? isiNdebele: Unjani? Sepedi: Le Kae? Sesotho: O Kae?  siSwati: Unjani? Xitsonga: Ku njhani? Setswana: O tsogile jang? Tshivenda: Vho vuwa hani?  isiXhosa: Unjani? isiZula: Unjani? In order for you to know where these languages are spoken in South Africa, here is firstly a map of the pro...

Pacifika languages of New Zealand: I have been in Auckland, New Zealand for a month and a half now. I have been staying with my sister and her husband in Papakura, a suburb in the south of Auckland. Whilst here I am attending the Papakura Wesleyan Church and community centre and have discovered far more cultures than I was aware existed here. The term 'Pasifika' is used to describe all the different people from the surrounding islands in the South Pacific. Living in New Zealand are, besides the Maori, Samoans, Cook islanders, Tongans, Tuvaluans, Fijians, Niueans, Tokelauans and Kiribatians. Most Pasifika languages, Rob Finlay, previously the Adviser Pasifika in Services to Schools in the National Library of New Zealand, tells me, are Polynesian (Austronesian). Here is an informal 'Hello' in all the Pasifika languages mentioned above: (from  http://www.mpp.govt.nz/languag e-culture-and-identity/pacific -language-weeks/ ) In Samoan: Talofa! In Cook Island Maori: ...

So I made the big jump. I resigned from my job as a teacher, I packed up my belongings, and I flew to another country. I wish I could say that I was able to make a clean break, but relationships and my impracticality still tie me to my former home like a thread to a ball of wool. They are a part of me. My trajectory has landed me safely in another country - New Zealand, the fifth largest wholly island nation on earth.  And I am glad to be here. The colliding Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates are responsible for the erupted earthquakes that have formed and continue to form this idyllic landscape. In New Zealand a volcano is a tourist attraction. Rangitoto Volcano close to Auckland is marketed as the newest of Auckland's volcanoes (600 years old) and welcomes families to explore its island's lava crops. Choice! (slang for cool, great ) New Zealand has been called "God's own country" since the 1800s.  Who am I to arg...

Proverbs 14.1 says, the wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.  This wise saying came to me one day when I was deciding whether or not I should dispose of all my belongings when I leave South Africa for South East Asia.  I was not sure for how long I would travel abroad.     I thought about the years it took to create my home, filled with furniture, appliances, technical equipment, decorations, necessities and luxuries.  With a single decision to quit my job and travel, the many years of collection washed away.  I thought about the rich young man who had asked Jesus what he needed to do to enter the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus had answered that he needed to sell everything he owned and follow him.  But I didn't earnestly feel spoken to when I remembered that story because I was not a rich young man. Ironically the first thing that came to mind when I considered the dangers of going overseas was the rea...

Career path Rather checkered Black and white who sometimes erred in search of the light It is a path after all but where is its destination? Don't want to carry on regardless But aim that arrow straight and hit the mark for my life A calling is different It fills you up entirely and won't let you go at least I imagine it so

When my cup runs out, I refill it with something else.  When my supply is at its end, I reach out. So God endows Woman with certain qualities that are essential to relationship, qualities that speak of God.  She is inviting.  She is vulnerable.  She is tender.  She embodies mercy.  She is also fierce and fiercely devoted.  As the old saying goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."  That's just how God acts when he isn't chosen.  "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!" (Ex 20:5 NLT).  A woman's righteous jealousy speaks of the jealousy of God for us. (from Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge).  When I read this passage in the famous Christian novel for women, "Captivating", I felt understood and justified.  Justified because it explained to me that as much as I was a woman who was inviting, vulnerable, tender and merciful, I was also fiercely devoted, and when...