Beating about the bush

What Are You Doing? What Did You do To-day?

bushman — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:43:03 +0000

So what did you do to build someone up to-day?

Or was it easier to break someone down?

With a start to the New Year, it is often easier going into the New Year with old habits.

Finding problems, shooting down solutions, finding reasons why they won’t work, without trying them. If we think it won’t work then it won’t.

Radical results come from radical action; if we are trying the same old methods we will be getting the same old results. In order to get new results we have to try new ideas, and apply them with enthusiasm, a lust and zest for living. It has to come from inside of you.

Listen to yourself talking about your business, does it have the sparkle and vibrancy you first had when you started? Do you listen to others?

Do you greet everybody with a smile?

What do you want to do today?

Would you really like to raise someone up to-day? Start with yourself, soon you will be raising others around you; if you want to be motivated, motivate others.

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What Child is This?

bushman — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:20:27 +0000

Children are one third of our population and all of our future.

~Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

Rarely a year goes by without me thinking of an incident which happened in 1996.

Friends of mine, a young married couple with a two month old daughter; went from Johannesburg to visit family in Pietermaritzburg, and Tongaat on the KZN North Coast. They had decided to take someone else along with them. After they had left I had wondered if it was a good decision to take another person with them, as they were going through a very rocky patch in their marriage. I personally felt they needed to be alone with each other. Johnny the person they had taken with them was a graduate of hard knocks university; he could hardly read or write the written word, yet he knew how to read people and sum up a situation.

The main purpose of the visit was for the benefit of their parents to see the grandchild.

On the return trip, they had two other girls in the car with them, a sister from each family, to spend a couple of weeks with them in Johannesburg. A short way past Harrismith they were involved in an accident, only Johnny and the daughter survived; the cars engine was pushed almost up to the back seat.

Johnny was in ICU in Bloemfontein for two weeks, the two month old daughter only had a few bruises.

Johnny told us he had been sitting in the back seat behind the passenger seat, where the wife was sitting, with the daughter on his lap. The husband and wife had been arguing the whole week since leaving Johannesburg; just before the accident the husband pressed his foot hard on the accelerator, and aimed the car at a petrol tanker quite a distance ahead of them. Just before impact Johnny opened the door and jumped from the car, trying the shield the baby.

Let us remember the real reason for the Season.

In Chitungwiza, a sprawling township about 30 kilometres south-east of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare, a group of women and girls are lining up with tin cans to fetch water from a shallow well near a river.

The Prayer

bushman — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:08:39 +0000

On the 15^th December residents from Springfontein in the Free State and surrounding areas, Trompsburg, Bethulie and Edenburg, brought traffic to a halt on the N1 highway for a few moments to join hands and to pray for patience, awareness and safety on the road.

They have been doing it annually since 2006. They gather before the 16^th December, early January and the Thursday before Easter to pray.

The group prays for each vehicle to arrive safely at their destinations.

Motorists stopped and some joined in the prayer meeting.

Let us remember the rest of the country at this time - KZN South Coast comes to mind.

http://blog.ecr.co.za/newswatch/

Highway Ministry is an exciting new Ministry directed at the trucking industry. Its mission is to proclaim and establish the Word and LOVE of Jesus Christ in the hearts of all people involved in the industry. Finding the solutions to problems rather than preaching without offering alternatives, is the objective of Highway Ministry. Since the transport industry is plagued by various social issues, the Ministry aims at providing a complete spectrum of support services dealing with problems such as alcohol and other drug related dependencies, AIDS/HIV, marital discord, prostitution as well as focusing on general skills for a healthy and integrated lifestyle.

If you need more information on Highway Ministry, you can contact the Director, Jan de Bruin at (016) 349-1996 or send an e-mail to: highwayministry@freemail.absa.co.za

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CHERISH CHILDREN

bushman — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:46:45 +0000

CHERISH CHILDREN

It is for me once more
that time of the year,
when my paternal emotions soar,
as the festive season draws near.
Doll houses I crafted with care,
every year a different style,
with a desire to be there,
to watch you play with them for a while.
Sometimes what I miss most ,
is that I never got to know you,
or the moments to hold you close,
and share the wonder of you.

Had I but a moment to tell the world,
of their greatest treasure;
in that moment all truth unfurled,
angelic reposes constant pleasure,
locks of hair tangled in sleep.
Let nothing steal your attention,
in gaurding their safekeep,
or abuse their unconditional affection.
In running here and there,
let not thoughtless neglect,
make you forget they are there;
in that moment I ask this in humble respect.

I came across a couple of sites I would like to share.
Every year we read about children and animals dying in closed up cars
and closed up spaces, refrigarators disposed with doors intact,
I think of my own I have never seen,
cherish what you have been blessed with
Stan

http://www.forgetmenotusa.com

http://www.kidsincars.org

THIS MOMENT IN TIME

Let me freeze this moment in time,
capture and hold it forever,
for when there is no reason or rhyme
that my thoughts cant stay together,
or I cant return from yesterday;
on a path I alone can travel.
In diffused shades of grey,
fragments of time unravelled.

I want to hold you so near,
that time could never erase,
that in you which I hold so dear,
which can endure life’s friction frays,
yet let my grasp be gentle and light,
so that you may have freedom to be caught
and carried by your fantasy flight,
to find all you have sought.

In the magic of this moments spell,
I want to whisper all I feel,
careful not to harshly dispel,
the illusion that it is’nt real,
can my emotions be tightly bound?
Can the impulse to dance in delight?
All be brought to ground,
in this moment of time tonight.

For my mother, who has Alzheimer’s

Both poems from

http://www.juststan.blogspot.com

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Getting Back To Basics

bushman — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:41:44 +0000

Sitting three hours in a queue at the Unemployment Fund Office, gave me time to think; not that you can do much else there, except maybe start a pity party.

Finding a job, getting a job, having a job and holding onto a job, consume our entire adult life. Then there is the irony: the ones who can afford to retire gracefully don’t, for the simple reason they wouldn’t know what to do if they did, their job has become their life. For those who can’t afford to retire, are often the ones who have to, through downsizing, rightsizing, rationalising; give it what ever fancy name you will, it still translates to “you’re fired”.

Regardless of age, the feelings are the same.
• Helplessness bringing on guilt. Going through ‘what if’ games in your mind, how you could have controlled the situation.
• Insecure - your self-worth is devalued
• Dissatisfied
• Discontent
• Depressed
• Bitter
• Stressed - how to meet financial commitments.
• Outcast - worried about what your circle of friends and family are thinking about you. Missing the daily routine. The job which was your life is no more.

When you’re young it’s easier to bounce back, you still have a lot of mileage left in you, a great deal to offer prospective employers. At sixty, you feel as if you have reached a cul-de-sac, a dead end; the trick is to snap out of it, look at the positive side. Do not let the fears born out of insecurity grow. Focus on your strengths, what you can do, and not what you can’t do.

• Set Goals. Think ahead, plan as if you are going to live forever, and don’t have time to hang around for a farewell party. Where do you want to be next year, two years down the road, even five years? Make your goals big goals, think of all the things you wanted to do, take those old dreams off the shelf and dust them off. You will find they haven’t lost their shine.

• Create Your Own Job. If you are too old to look for a job, create one, become your own employer, find a need and fill it. Use the skills you have learnt in a lifetime. The talents God gave you are waiting to come into their own.
Allow them to develop.

• Become Involved. Help others who are less fortunate, find a cause to crusade.

In the maddening rush of work and daily strife, it is easy to pay lip service and to claim God is our source, when in reality our job has been our source. This gives us the time to stop and reflect on the promises God has given us, and to realise we need to acknowledge HE is our source, and believe in the promise in Philippians 4:19 (King James Version)
“ But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
By applying “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb.11:1) will we experience the results of faith in action! A reaction can only come after an action, it can not come from inertia.

Amidst all this there is the promise, if we draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us (Draw Nigh Unto God and He Will Draw Nigh Unto You (James 4:8)

This is the time to get back to basics.

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Strengthen Your Faith With Goal Setting

bushman — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:43:31 +0000

Applying the Biblical word “plan” for goal setting, it’s clear that God has plans and so do people. Above all, goals and plans are subject to the will of God.

Is goal planning even Biblical? God gives people plans:
Don’t discount goal planning as being “worldly!”
Goal planning for unethical means is bad.
So goals and plans can be good things!
and God has his sovereign plan! Planning and goal setting is a fine thing. But subject everything to the Lord’s guidance.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)
Don’t plan in a vacuum, but run your plans and goals past other people.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)
Surround your goals and plans with prayer and ask the Lord to bless you in their doing.
Ask God for wisdom as you plan and set goals.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

“But the noble person makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.” (Isaiah 32:8)

We all know we must set goals if we are to succeed with our families, in our lives, careers, or even in a business. Without goals all our desires are reduced to mere dreams, dreams which may never come to fruition. But how on Earth can you set forth goals when the world is such an uncertain place? Consider if you will the planning for retirement, where one of your goals is to live happily ever after and without becoming dead or broke at age 65?

How can you set goals, which are made up of many micro-goals or mini-goals on a specific time table, if you cannot even be sure that you will have a job in the near future or if you will even have a home? Let’s face it we live in uncertain, interesting and turbulent times. If you fail to plan, you are in essence planning to fail. Break Your Large Goals into Micro-Goals on a Time Table
Commit to Your Goals
Watch for Unexpected Traps And Opportunities
Realize Nothing Good in Life is Easy

Vision Boards are destined to become the most financially life changing tool of our times as they can be the key to attracting everything you want into your life. With all the new technology available now the actual vision board is rather obsolete as now there is an even a more catchy and fun way to view your vision board and that is on a video; which I am going to call Vision Map Video. The actual physical vision boards can be frustrating because it’s hard to find the exact picture you want quickly from magazines and when pasted on, it can mess up your vision board. Now you can just turn on your computer; watch your vision map and not only are you watching something fun and catchy you are manifesting all the things you want in your life. Vision Maps are one of the most powerful tools in the deliberate creator’s toolbox. Vision Boards are too large to carry around, but we always have a computer close by these days, so there is your Vision Map right there nice and handy to watch any time you need it.

1 Committing your goals to paper creates a road map for success.
2. Use your imagination and describe your goals as vividly as possible, as if they were already a reality. Emotion adds tremendous power to your goals.
3 Social researches has proven that specific and challenging goals result in better performance then vague goals, or no goals, or people simply trying to “do their best.”
4. It is smart writing your goals in present time, as if you are living them already.
5. Be positive. Positive goals put us in a positive state of mind, and are mentally associated with positive memories and experiences, whereas avoidance goals are typically associated with memories of failures and accidents.
6. Be 100% committed to whatever you do, especially to your goals. If you achieve your goals and decide that you want something else, then go for that!
7. Choose goals that stretch your abilities and yet are within what you believe is possible. People who set more modest goals tend to accomplish less then
those who set challenging goals for themselves. Tune In next week for the other 9 steps of goal setting.

The key is in starting - Remember- Any goal is better then none!
Make the time
Goals can be achieved in as little as 90 days. Here are some easy tips to help you successfully map out a plan in order to achieve your goals in the next 90 days:
Write a list of every single task that you know will help you move closer to achieving your goal. Make them attainable, yet necessary in order to move toward achieving your goal.

By writing your goals down and completing them each and every day, this will bring you closer to achieving the goals you want to accomplish. Stay on course, keep up the good work and your goal will be achieved before you realize it.

“In The Presence Of Jehovah”

bushman — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:54:14 +0000

I spent the afternoon, trying to find, “In The Presence Of Jehovah”, by Franna Benadie, thanks to everyone at “radio Impact”, Rene` at Maranatha, and of course to Sophia, this for you.

Enjoy, and let that peace which passeth all understanding flow over you now. If any one has a prayer request let me know, and we will pray to-gether.

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Looking Out My Back Door.

bushman — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:24:16 +0000

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

~Anatole France 1844-1924

What crime couldn’t get right, the economy did. With a stroke of a pen, an increase in the interest rate; the pastoral life of living on a plot out of town became a luxury. The rise of interest rates coupled with fuel prices, forced a move to the suburb in town. I wonder if that would qualify as a forced removal and would entitle me to a claim.

As with everything there are pros and cons, the things I will miss, the things I won’t miss.

The things I miss.

Like looking out my back door, not only looking out of it but walking out of it into the garden.

(The flat only has one door, both front and back!)

Lots of space, I could fit the entire flat, into the kitchen and dining room area.

The silent titanic battle raging between the plants, with nature’s version of the squatter, all fighting for their share of the sun.

A BIG kitchen, I enjoy cooking, preparing small bowls with all the ingredients, trying out new dishes and sauces.

The silence, a silence you find only in the bush. Not that it is noisy here, but this is more of a prison silence.

My routine,

My dog.

The things I don’t miss

The power cables getting stolen every week.

The schlep of buying a ton everything. With a supermarket across the road, another around the corner, if I want some exercise, a third one a block away; three shopping centres within three blocks.

The Things I am Learning.

To become organised, in a small flat, there has to be a place for everything, and everything must be in its place.

Becoming organized in one area, has a habit of spilling over into all areas; one which I don’t think anyone else has a problem with.

Establishing goals without goals it is impossible to organise anything.

I must really look into it.

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Angus At Loftus

bushman — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:16:25 +0000

On the 20^th May I mentioned I had tried to get tickets for Loftus for yesterday the 19^th of July. I had tried to get the tickets in March thinking I was early, the fact was I had only heard about it after it was already sold out, the event was sold out in less than a week.

Last month in June I was in Johannesburg twice once to visit someone in hospital, ten days later to attend the funeral of the same person. The first time we went we got lost in the area we had to go to. We had to return some things we had which belonged to somebody else, which had been with us for a couple of years. We stopped at a filling station and phoned the people, asking me where I was, I mentioned we were opposite a refugee camp, which had been set up as a result of the xenophobic attacks. The people came collected their stuff, drove in front of us to where we had to go.

Ten days later after attending the funeral and the service we went to Heidelberg, where we visited family, it was casually mentioned they had tickets for Loftus, and two of the batch was for us. They didn’t know I have this blog, or that I had posted something about Angus Buchan. I hadn’t told them about this blog, because it was never intended to be a Christian blog, I already have one;(which I need to work on.) This blog was primarily set up to show someone else how to set up a blog, and how easy it was to set it up. Setting up blogs is easy, it is maintaining them where the work comes in, an area I really need to work on.

All this seems like scattered fragments, yet stepping back a little, they all come together.

Being at Loftus Stadium with sixty odd thousand people was awesome and humbling; it also illustrated to me graphically the logistics of how big the tent must have been, for the Mighty Men God Conference, which was held On Angus’ farm just outside Greytown earlier on in the year. Not to mention the fact of 60000 men together for a weekend, without a single fight or swear word. Angus shared feedback of, a father and son reconciliation, fathers and husbands returning home changed men.

Seeing the crowd as one raising their hands in praise and worship, or the crowd going down on bended knees; At the start of his message he asked that everyone turn to a stranger and pray for each other. I am inclined to stutter, or mumble if praying aloud with strangers, yet when I started to pray the prayer came out of my mouth with clarity and conviction without thought of what I was going to say.

As Angus went into his message, a simple one delivered by a simple humble man, several areas of my life that needed working on became crystal clear. When Angus said that change in our country wouldn’t come out of the House of Parliament, but out of the kitchen door, I thought of the refugee camp I had seen and taken pictures of, the same one which had been in the news this week. It is up me as an individual to do something, not to hang around for the government to do it.

If I can’t see what I can do, I can start by praying and praying earnestly for the direction. Everybody can pray.

Angus being at Loftus was organised by Loftus For Jesus, and it was very well organised, but then God was in control, at the end of the day that is what it was all about, all about Jesus.

http://www.loftusforjesus.com

Angus is planning for two hundred thousand for the Men Of God Conference for next year, last year it was five and a half thousand, this year sixty thousand.

http://www.shalomtrust.co.za

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About Parrots And Websites.

bushman — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:01:32 +0000

I have spent the last two months trying to get my website live.Every day I am reminded more and more of the story of a guy who is lonely and decides he needs company. He goes out and buys him self a parrot, he asks the shop keeper if the parrot can talk, after being assured the parrot can talk, he buys the cage and the parrot.The next day he returns to the shop, complaining the parrot hasn’t spoken.

The owner of the shop asks him if he bought a little ladder for the parrot to climb up and down. “Everybody knows a parrot needs a ladder to climb before it can talk.”

The next day the same story parrot still isn’t talking.

“Have you got a mirror?”

“A mirror?”

“Yes everybody knows you need a mirror, the parrot climbs up the ladder looks in the mirror and talks.”

Next day same result a still silent parrot.

This time some parrot toys gets palmed off on the guy.

This ritual carries on for over a week, the guy leaving with extra paraphernalia, until one day he walks in with a dead parrot.

The shop keeper asks him “Did he talk”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“Why didn’t you buy me bird seed!”

Everybody knows you need your own domain.

I’ve got my own domain.

You don’t need flash, just a simple design, easy to navigate pages. No fancy fonts.

Straight forward content.

Months of designing and planning pretty much useless if nobody can view or read it.

Now I am told I need a lot of other geek paraphernalia. I still wont be able to upload anything myself at three in the morning, which is when I get up to do it.

Now the question is do I get the extras like the guy with the parrot and still land up with a dead website down the road, or wait out the short term contract and transfer.

I mentioned to someone the other day, one of the buttons on their site wasn’t working.

“Yes we know, we have been trying for months to get it fixed, we are waiting for contract to expire then we will be transferring.” The other party asked me in closing, “Would you by any chance know of a good company we can go to?”

Maybe after sales service has somewhere along the line has fallen victim to the expression.

“How Retro!” spoken with derision.

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