Magical memories

Steve wore a leather farmer's hat, which he soon changed for a smart pork-pie with a feather; I wore a straw hat which made my head itch; Alexander had a black top hat with blue band; and William wore a sherriff's hat, with its badge freshly glued back on. (Both boys later tried on almost all the hats in the two large hat-boxes provided.) We also carried a plant. All this, in response to an invitation to a 65th birthday party, and the promise of MAGIC! And indeed, magic there was, of varying kinds: from balloon-animals, to card tricks, to mind games. There was also the more special, lasting magic of meeting new people; learning more about acquaintances; and seeing the delight of our children as they drank it all in. As parents, we are called to create memories with and for our children; and that party was such a time. Happy Birthday, Cynthia.

An aside: the party reminded me of a line I once heard, "I've been to a marvellous party..." It was recited by a fellow school-girl, in a tipsy voice, at an Eisteddfod or concert...
When I searched for the words, I found a rather drawn-out song by Noel Coward; but this particular part is the verse I recall:

I've been to a marvellous party
I must say the fun was intense;
We all had to do
What the people we knew
Might be doing a hundred years hence...
We talked about growing old gracefully,
And Elsie - who's seventy-four -
Said, "A) It's a question of being sincere,
And B) If you're supple you've got nothing to fear” -
Then she swung upside-down from a chandelier!

And I couldn't have liked it more!

From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/ive-been-to-a-marvellous-party-nol-coward-lyrics-divine-comedy.html ]

Winning

A small but beautiful bottle of flowery perfume; a pair of shoes; a box of eye-shadow...I can count on one hand the things I have ever won. And now I can add one more: a story-competition. I can't put this win on a shelf, or wear it; but I can feast off it, off the encouragement and inspiration and fresh determination it serves up.
The story was about "My Writing Journey"; and right now that journey has brought me to a very creative place. A key part of this place is that there is time: time to write, and time to read. I am learning to take time, and use the time, and save time... I have also been reminded of just how powerful encouragement can be. When last did you encourage someone, or say "Well done!"? I have resolved to do it far more often. Won't you take the time to join me?

Colour my world

"You're here to bring light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept..." I love this image of "bringing out the God-colours"! It seems so creative and hopeful and joyous. I can picture a half-forgotten image from a children's book, where the illustrations are black-and-white line drawings, and then in the story someone comes along with colour...In my mind's eye, I just can't quite see what the pictures were about; but I have a clear sense of the delight, the "rightness", when colour was added... God is definitely all about colourfulness!

I've just remembered a song by Petula Clarke (it used to be my intro music when I was on Radio Helderberg.) Her words capture something of the feeling of those "God-colours":
"Well you can colour my world with sunshine yellow each day; well you can colour my world with happiness all the way. Just take the green from the grass and the blue from the sky up above; but you can colour my world, just colour it, with your love."

Let's resolve to live "full-colour" lives!

Urban Voice

I'm a bit behind, so it's hard to know where to start...

Last Sunday saw the announcement of a new name for our church: Urban Voice. The choice reflects our aim to reach out to our community, in all ways, but most especially by talking about Jesus. We had a fun celebration with lots of song, baptisms, people telling how they heard about Jesus; and afterwards a braai and water slides for the kids! Everyone helped; interesting groups formed as old and new friends chatted and shared stories.

One boy's face stayed with me all week. He came to tell me he'd hurt his elbow, but I couldn't see what was wrong. As he walked away, I saw the ugly pink wound on his dark skin where it had been rubbed raw. I got him some help, and he stayed close by. I couldn't communicate with him, which troubled me, especially as he seemed to have some kind of intellectual disability. I could only be kind; and ask people to follow up during the week, trying to find out his circumstances...
As I write this, a teenager is in the news for setting fire to his teacher's hair. This occurred here in Cape Town, and the learner has been suspended. The teacher has been too traumatized to return to work, and says she hopes to be transferred. Listening to the story brings back all the old feelings of hopelessness and helplessness that I encountered towards the end of my decade spent teaching at high school. By the end, I really felt victimized by some learners. A bleak period.

Kindness

If you were asked what you value most, you might answer with something lofty, or something humble - wisdom, or integrity, or clean bedsheets, or the laughter of children.

Most of us, I think, value kindness very highly without realizing it. I recently asked a new acquaintance how some plans of hers were progressing, and received this (written) reply:

Thanks for being kind to me. I appreciate it more than you know.

Her reply stopped me in my tracks. Surely I had just acted normally, just asked about something? Yet to this person, it had shown kindness, met some need...Kindness can be almost effortless; its effects, dazzling.

Gary Chapman (Living Love) said this week:

When we act kindly toward others, they will be drawn to us and to God. That's why being kind is so energizing. When we are kind, we are acting as we were created to act. 

I don't know about you, but I need energizing! May you give and receive kindness, welling up from inside and washing over you from outside; kindness, within and without.

Regions Beyond

We've had a stirring, exciting, challenging time at church this past week, hearing from Steve Oliver about his work at Gateway Church in Dubai, and how it is opening links into nations around the world (hence "Regions Beyond", the group of churches he disciples). On Sunday our church will be changing its name, in line with the new directions we believe God is taking us. Watch this space!

Turning to changes in the country at large, South Africa has a new "political party platform", "Agang", headed by Dr Mamphela Ramphele. I've just looked her up on HistoryMatters.co.za, and she seems like a dedicated, extremely hard-working lady, who has certainly done her part in empowering people on many fronts, from growing food, to medical health, to political liberation. I intend to read more about her and her ideas. Here, for the moment, and for those interested, is Steven Friedman's comment:

Whether, as this columnist believes, the game will finally be changed by another split in the ANC or, as others argue, by an erosion of the ANC vote, the shift is likely to ripen in time, not burst forth with the arrival of a new messiah.
In party politics, as in anything else to do with society, the hope for quick fixes often hides the more important processes growing slowly but more surely beneath the surface.

• Friedman is director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy.
Source: Business Day Live, via HistoryMatters.co.za

The sound of money

"Tick! Tick!...Tick!...Tick, tick, tick!" This sharp sound is the bamboo hitting the electric fence and making a "crack" as the voltage is discharged. After three days, the sound was becoming more than irritating; it was grating, jarring, disturbing. The electric fence runs along the back of our property, forming the bottom border of an estate called Rome Homestead. After a few fruitless internet searches and phone calls, I decided to walk round to the house.
There is a small office just inside the automatic gate, staffed by a very polite and helpful security guard. After I had explained my problem, he invited me into his office, showing me the aerial view of the property. I could then point out to him exactly where my property is, and he promised to get the bamboo cut.
"Is this still a guesthouse?" "No, it is the home of just one lady."
She has her own security staff, groundsmen, and housekeeping staff. The latter are transported in their own mini-bus to and from work daily.
The bamboo on my fence, "Tick! Tick! Tick!" was the sound of money...