Monday, January 30, 2012

Get off your butt!!

So last Friday night we had a discussion about getting off your butt and not being lazy... What does this look like? Well I am not 100% sure myself but I do think that we can learn a lot from people that have gone before us, one person that I have taken the time to read more about (Thanks to the insight of Neil on the topic)is Dietrich Bonhoeffer the read on the link is long but so worth it. I have copied some of the article on the works of Bonhoffer just to give a taste of how this guy didn't spend his days on his butt... Bonhoffer died at the age of 39 years old.

> Sanctorum Communio.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 1 . Dietrich
Bonhoeffer; Clifford Green, Editor Translated by Reinhard Krauss and Nancy
Lukens. Hardcover, 392 pages; 978- 0- 8006- 8301- 6 and Paperback, 386 pages;
978- 0- 8006- 9652- 8. Bonhoeffer's dissertation, completed in 1927 and first
published in 1930 as Sanctorum Communio: eine Dogmatische Untersuchung
zur Soziologie der Kirche . In it he attempts to work out a theology of the person
in society, and particularly in the church. Along with explaining his early positions
on sin, evil, solidarity, collective spirit, and collective guilt , it unfolds a systematic
theology of the Spirit at work in the church and what it implies for questions on
authority, freedom, ritual, and eschatology.

> Act and Being.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 2 . Dietrich Bonhoeffer;
Wayne Whitson Floyd and Hans Richard Reuter, Editors; Translated by H. Martin
Rumscheidt. Hardcover, 256 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8302- 3 . Bonhoeffer’s second
dissertation, written in 1929– 30 and published in 1931 as Akt und Sein , deals
with the consciousness and conscience in theology from the perspective of the
Reformation 's insight into the origin sinfulness in the “heart turned in upon itself
and thus open neither to the revelation of God nor to the encounter with the
neighbor.” Bonhoeffer’s thoughts about power, revelation, Otherness, theological
method, and theological anthropology are explained.

> Creation and Fall.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 3 . Dietrich
Bonhoeffer; John W. De Gruchy, Editor Translated by Douglas Stephen Bax. In
1932 Bonhoeffer called on his students at the University of Berlin to focus their
attention on the word of God, the word of truth, in a time of turmoil. Hardcover,
214 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8303-0 . Paper, 224 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8323- 8 .

> Discipleship.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 4 . Dietrich Bonhoeffer;
John D. Dodsey and Geoffrey B. Kelly, Editors. Originally published in 1937, this
book soon became a classic exposition of what it means to follow Christ in a
modern world beset by a dangerous and criminal government. Hardcover, 384
pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8304- 7. Paper, 354 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8324-5 .

> Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works,
Volume 5. Dietrich Bonhoeffer; James H. Burtness and Geffrey B. Kelly, Editors;
Translated by Daniel W. Bloesch. Hardcover, 242 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8305- 4.
Paper, 232 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8325- 2.

> Life Together is a classic which contains
Bonhoeffer's meditation on the nature of Christian community. Prayerbook of
the Bible is a classic meditation on the importance of the Psalms for Christian
prayer . In this theological interpretation of the Psalms, Bonhoeffer describes the
moods of an individual’s relationship with God and also the turns of love and
heartbreak, of joy and sorrow, that are themselves the Christian community’s
path to God.

>Ethics.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 6. Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Clifford
Green, Editor; Translated by Reinhard Krauss, Douglas W. Stott, and Charles C.
West. The crown jewel of Bonhoeffer’s body of work, Ethics is the culmination of
his theological and personal odyssey. Hardcover, 544 pages :
978- 0- 8006- 8306- 1. Paperback, 605 pages : 978- 0- 8006- 8326-9 .

> Fiction from Tegel Prison.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 7 . Dietrich
Bonhoeffer; Clifford Green, Editor Translated by Nancy Lukens. The writings in
this book disclose much of Bonhoeffer’s family context, social work, and cultural
milieu. Hardcover, 288 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8307- 8. Writing fiction— an
incomplete drama, a novel fragment, and a short story— occupied much of
Bonhoeffer’s first year in Tegel prison, as well as writing to his family and his
fiancée and dealing with his interrogation. “There is a good deal of
autobiography mixed in with it,” he explained to his friend and biographer
Eberhard Bethge. Richly annotated by German editors Renate Bethge and Ilse
Todt and by Clifford Green, the writings in this book disclose a great deal of
Bonhoeffer’s family context, social world, and cultural milieu. Events from his life
are recounted in a way that illuminates his theology. Characters and situations
that represent Nazi types and attitudes became a form of social criticism and
help to explain Bonhoeffer’s participation in the resistance movement and the
plot to kill Hitler.

> Letters and Papers from Prison.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 8.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer; John W. de Gruchy, Editor; Translated by Isabel Best; Lisa E.
Dahill; Reinhard Krauss; Nancy Lukens. This splendid volume, in many ways the
capstone of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, is the first unabridged collection of
Bonhoeffer's 1943–1945 prison letters and theological writings. Here are over
200 documents that include extensive correspondence with his family and
Eberhard Bethge (much of it in English for the first time), as well as his
theological notes, and his prison poems. The volume offers an illuminating
introduction by editor John de Gruchy and an historical Afterword by the editors
of the original German volume: Christian Gremmels, Eberhard Bethge, and
Renate Bethge. Hardcover, 800 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 9703- 7.

> The Young Bonhoeffer, 1918–1927.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 9 .
Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Paul Duane Metheny, Editor. Gathers Bonhoeffer’s 100
earliest letters and journals from after the First World War through his graduation
from Berlin University. Hardcover, 720 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8309- 2. This work
gathers his earliest letters and journals through his graduation from Berlin
University . It also contains his early theological writings up to his dissertation.
The seventeen essays include works on the patristic period for Adolf von Harnack ,
on Luther's moods for Karl Holl, on biblical interpretation for Professor Reinhold
Seeberg, as well as essays on the church and eschatology, reason and revelation,
Job, John, and even joy. Rounding out this picture of Bonhoeffer's nascent
theology are his sermons from the period, along with his lectures on homiletics,
catechesis, and practical theology.
Barcelona, Berlin, New York: 1928–1931 .

> Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works,
Volume 10. Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Clifford Green, Editor. This period from 1928 to
1931, which followed completion of his dissertation, was formative for
Bonhoeffer’s personal, pastoral, and theological direction. Hardcover, 790 pages:
978- 0- 8006- 8330- 6.

> Ecumenical, Academic and Pastoral Work: 1931–1932 , Dietrich
Bonhoeffer’s Works, Volume 11 , is a translation of Ökumene, Universität,
Pfarramt: 1931–1932 and with a pending 2012 release. Hardcover, 576 pages:
978- 0- 8006- 9838- 6. [37] .
Berlin: 1932–1933.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Volume 12 . Dietrich
Bonhoeffer; Larry L. Rasmussen, Editor. Translated by Isabel Best, David Higgins,
and Douglas W. Stott. Berlin documents the crisis of 1933 in Germany as
Bonhoeffer taught “on a faculty whose theology he did not share.” Hardcover,
650 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8312-2 .
London, 1933–1935 .

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Works, Volume 13 . Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Keith C. Clements, Editor Translated by Isabel Best. Includes records
and minutes of his congregational meetings, reports from international
conferences from 1934, more than 20 sermons he preached in London, and
more. Hardcover, 550 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8313- 9.

> Theological Education at Finkenwalde: 1935–1937 , Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s
Works, Volume 14, is a translation of Illegale Theologenausbildung: 1935–
1937, and is "Not Yet Published".
Theological Education Underground: 1937–1940, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s
Works, Volume 15 , is a translation of Illegale Theologenausbildung: 1937–
1940. Hardcover, 750 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 9815-7 [38] .

> Conspiracy and Imprisonment 1940–1945. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works,
Volume 16 . Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Mark Brocker, Editor Translated by Lisa E.
Dahill. Hundreds of letters, including 10 never before published letters to his
fiancée, Maria von Wedemeyer, as well as official documents, short original
pieces, and his final sermons. Hardcover, 912 pages: 978- 0- 8006- 8316-0 .


Monday, January 24, 2011

Some pics of our amazing holiday...

So we arrived in Dubai on our adventure as Debbie would call it, we have had an amazing time so far shopping in some of the worlds biggest malls. we then headded out to one of the most amazing places I have ever been... Atlantis!

just to share a bit of the magic with you here are some pics of what we have experienced so far


The Burj Kalifa 

The fish tank in the hotel
Atlantis at night
An ariel view of the aqua park
Atlantis from the beach
The tallest building in the world
The beach
the sunset from our room balcony






Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Putting Life into perspective one rock at a time

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full?



They agreed it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed yes, it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. “Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life..."

“The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children" Anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

“The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scal". The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car.

“The sand is everything else. The small stuff". If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life!

If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix things. Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand.”

Monday, January 3, 2011

So here we come 2011...

So whats the plan for the year ahead? as we look into the year that has so swiftly left us and is now a thing of the past we would be unfair not to look at what has come and gone...

this last Sunday we had a chance to share in the blessings that we received and how they have affected us, I didn't get to share mine so here they are:

  • Very happy in a job that has opened huge doors to be help those in need
  • There was a chance of an addition to our Family, that door was closed in His all knowing and understanding of things
  • D finally got to stop working due to the change in job
there are many more things that i could mention but this would be the longest post ever... there is just one thing that needs to be mentioned and that is the issue of Faith, so often this is something that is spoken about but very rarely practised! i really think that the past year has showed that despite how we try to put God in a box He keeps revealing how big He really is! This was something that really struck home to me... as much as we think we know what the future holds we don't!
so with that being said what can we expect in 2011? "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart"

  • A better husband
  • A faithful servant
  • A better Steward
  • A better Employee
  • Never underestimate God and what he can do!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Dont talk on your phone while driving...

While driving to work the other morning I heard a tragic story in the Uk about a truck driver that was busy playing poker on his cell phone while driving, what he didn't anticipate was the fact that there was road works in progress and the traffic had come to a stop! He proceeded to collide into the back of the car in front of him and then into the car in front of him. The result was one person dying from the incident...

I proceeded to tell my in laws about this and asked if they had seen or heard about it? I was them informed that Oprah was busy doing a "no phone on the road campaign"... I very quickly lashed out and said she should rather do something useful and have a "no killing of unborn baby campaign".

Then I started thinking about the issue, now I don't want to say that people dying on the road because of negligence is ok... But its so much easier to not to use your cell on the road, instead of fighting for the rights of the unborn!

I want to start my own campaign... Don't think it will be as effective as the one Oprah has but I am willing to give it a try. We had some posters (from our pro life week we had last year) that I will add to this post later for you to download and stick on your car to try and make a difference.

And its still against the law to drive and talk on your cell at the same time in SA
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