"Waiting for superman" - in USA schools....

It seems as if we in South Africa are not the only ones with under-achieving schools. The USA has the same problem. A documentary film “Waiting for superman” has recently been made on the issue. What the film seems to advocate is widespread reform of the public school system, ranging from longer school terms to more stringent accountability standards for teachers.

Read more here: http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=7171

It seems as if the movie is causing quite a storm.... : http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/grading-waiting-for-superman/

Antisocial personality disorder

People with APD (Antisocial personality disorder ) make life very difficult for others. they are rigid and tend to respond inappropriately to problems, to the point that relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers are affected.
Read more here: http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec07/ch105/ch105a.html

"WAITING ON GOD": Book by Andrew Murray

There is free download of this precious book here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/waiting.txt

This is the table of contents (Bible study for 31 days):

1. The God of our Salvation.--Ps. 62:1

2. The Keynote of Life.--Gen. 49:18

3. The True Place of the Creature.--Ps. 104:27, 28

4. For Supplies.--Ps. 114:14, 15 (Read on under comments)

Waiting on God... verses from Psalms

Psa 27:14: Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psa 130:5-6: I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Waiting on God... why is it so difficult?

Abraham wanted an heir. He got impatient and tried to “help” God... with farreaching effects, even for today.

Bob Sorge’s book: “The fire of delayed answers” has some wonderful teaching on the subject.

"I believe in the Man crucified for the sake of love..."

A line from Johansson's hymn "I'm always on the move." (Dankie Ingrid!)

I'm always on the road to a distant destination
beyond what we call time and space.
This goal gives me courage gives me strength give me inspiration
to meet the years that I now have before me.

So whatever I do whatever I will take me to
I'll never let go
about this invisible hand of the Lord stretched me.
No, whatever I do whatever I will take me to
I will never let go
about this invisible country which is called heaven. (Read on)

Three wise monkeys

"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". (Read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys)

In many interpretations it can be seen as a way to avoid spreading evil. Do not listen to evil things so they do not influence you. Do not read things that are evil or look upon evil things so they do not influence you, and lastly do not repeat verbally evil things so they cannot be spread about.

Bless the Lord!

There are so many things to thank God for......

Kinderwet in Suid-Afrika

Om deel te wees van ‘n baie jong demokrasie, het voordele. Een daarvan is die besondere kinderwet wat vanjaar in SA van krag geword het, na baie jare van intensiewe navorsing. Dit bring ’n nuwe bedeling vir kinders waarin hul beste belange deurgaans vooropgestel word.

Maatskaplike werkers is veral dankbaar dat die wet gebruik kan word waar kontak met kinders as straf deur die ander ouer weerhou word of enige ander wyse gebruik word om een van die ouers te boelie, en kinders gebruik word om die ander ouer se wense te vervul, hoe onregverdig ook al.

My Pa is die Koning van die heelal jy weet!

(Uit Danie Botha se lied: My Pa is die Koning)

My Pa is die Koning van die heelal jy weet .... ek is die Koning se kind, ja dit maak my 'n prins (prinses)...


Jy glimlag so breed as jy my vriendelik groet
Jy lyk tog so selfversekerd
Met die wêreld aan jou voete
Voel jy soos 'n reus,
bly die lewe 'n fees

As teëspoed jou tref, dan skeel dit jou min
Dit lyk of jy dans as jy loop
Ek kon dit nooit verstaan nie
Ek moes die antwoord hê, en toe hoor ek jou sê:

Refrein:
My Pa is die Koning van die heelal jy weet
En kom wat wil ek sal dit nooit vergeet
Die wind kan waai, die berge kan val
Hy't gesê Hy voorsien en Hy sal
Ek's die Koning se kind, ja dit maak my 'n prins
My lewe is Christus, selfs die dood is 'n wins
Vir niks is ek bang nie, dit sê ek jou nou
My Pa is die Koning onthou

Hoe moes ek nou voel, ek wens ek was jy
Maar ek's net 'n gewone ou
Dit klink onregverdig
Om 'n koning te hê vir wie jy Pa kan sê

Toe't jy my genooi, jy sê kom luister nou mooi
Hoe kan jy tog so gou vergeet?
Ons is mede erfgename
En toe ek my kon kry, to sê jy vir my:

Refrein:
Jou Pa is die Koning van die heelal jy weet
En kom wat wil jy moet dit nooit vergeet nie
Die wind kan waai, die berge kan val
Hy't gesê Hy voorsien en Hy sal
Jy's die Koning se kind, ja dit maak jou 'n prins
Jou lewe is Christus, selfs die dood is 'n wins
Vir niks is jy bang nie, of wat sê ek nou
Jou Pa is die Koning onthou

“We're going to name her Hope!”

Desperate people, in desperate circumstances, but still hopeful .... This story is SOOO inspiring!
A baby girl has just been born to the wife of Ticona, one of the 33 men who have been trapped underground for more than40 days after a mine in northern Chile collapsed. A rare piece of good news among all the bad, when Esperanza Ticona was born, weighing nearly 7lbs and measuring almost 19ins long.

'Tell her to change the name of our daughter... and give her a long-distance kiss!' Ticona said as the other miners shouted: 'We're going to name her Hope!'

Segovia, Ticona’s wife, told Chile's Canal 13 network that she had exactly the same thought about her name.

'She was going to be named Carolina Elizabeth, but now her name will be Esperanza Elizabeth".

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1311881/Hope-trapped-Chilean-miners-mans-wife-gives-birth-baby-Esperanza.html#ixzz0ztJaCr5t

God’s special love for children – “millstone around the neck ... Woe!”

After the death of my husband and first born son in an aeroplane crash, I had to raise my other four children by myself. God’s special love for children encouraged me tremendously.

Just picture that in your mind’s eye: a person about to jump into the sea, a great millstone around the neck... where does this image come from?

Few places in the Bible have a better description of God’s profound love for children than Matthew 18. After calling a little child to them and placing him in their midst, Jesus talks about the importance of children. Amongst the things He said, was this (verse 6): “... whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin (that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought), it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous ) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! ” [Amplified Bible].

It also taught me not only as a mother but also as an educator about the care that should be taken in educating children. We were taught that for those hours that another person's child was placed in your care, you are "in loco parentis" : in the place of that child's parent.

What a privilege, but, on the other hand: what a responsibility...

Almost a Thousand Scientists Dissent from Darwin!

Dr Don Boys says that almost a thousand major scientists dissent from Darwin, here: http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22722

Being a “cheerleader”

Most sports nowadays have cheerleaders to keep the spirits high, motivate and urge teams to give their utmost.

We all need cheerleaders to encourage us along life’s journey. As Christians we are so fortunate to have fellow-Christians to help us along and through difficult times. As it says in Hebrews 12:1:

“Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (who have borne testimony to the Truth), let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us”.

Burning "sacred" books....

The plans of building a Muslim mosque near Ground Zero still makes waves. A Florida pastor is so upset that he threatened to burn the Koran. The burning of “sacred” books as a significant act is not new – we read about it in Acts 19 verse 19. Some people in Ephesus burnt their books on sorcery after Paul’s preaching convinced them of the truth of Christianity.

And here in South Africa a Muslim threatens to retaliate and burn a Bible, should the Florida pastor carry out his threat....

Lack of ethics the tragedy behind Chile’s mining tragedy?

It seems as if the mining company’s greed in a way caused this tragedy. When making money is more important than securing the safety of workers ... this is what happens. Vitims of a ruthless drive for profit...
Read more here: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/sep2010/chil-s03.shtml

The Word of the one true and living God

The Bible, the Word of the one true and living God, is the truth and the only source of truth that convicts of sin, warns of judgment, saves the sinner, purifies, cleanses, matures the believer and gives the hope of eternal glory. (John McArthur)

The importance of HOPE

Hope. "Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope." (Hal Lindsey)

"Take from a man his wealth, and you hinder him; take from him his purpose, and you slow him down. But take from man his hope, and you stop him. He can go on without wealth, and even without purpose, for a while. But he will not go on without hope," is what C. Neil Strait said.

Film actor Christopher Reeve said: "Once you choose hope, anything's possible."

Hope Quotes here: http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/hope-quotes.html

At CAMP HOPE - waiting for 33 miners to be rescued

33 miners were trapped in a mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert. A camp, called Camp Hope, has been set up for relatives where they can stay until Christmas, when rescuers hope to get the miners out.
A rescue shaft 26 inches in diameter (the size of a bicycle tyre) is being bored, so that men can be lifted through this hole. It is expected that it could take three to four months to complete this rescue shaft.
In the meantime two other narrow shafts had been bored, through which food is lowered. call long thin cargo capsules called"doves", are used to supply the miners with everything from basic supplies of water, food and medicines to telephone lines, mini-video projectors and games and most important: letters from family and friends.
Read full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/7969542/Camp-Hope-families-wait-in-Chiles-Atacama-Desert-for-trapped-miners.html