[For Doreen Benjamin] What was I doing? I was cleaning the microwave tray from excess milk. Why? Well, because the milk boiled over. But I wasn’t crying; no one was. At least they weren’t anymore. But let me explain; You see, this spilled milk was over two weeks in the making. It was yet another turn in a series of unfortunate events which led me to that moment of taking that simple step, with my sister casually looking on opening the little door to the microwave, peering in, and then throwing my head back to look to the heavens in a proverbial “OHHH Jesus Please… (take the wheel)” Which prompted my sister to abandoned me after her initial sharing in the groan of frustration. But why two weeks? The fact is that this spilled milk could be traced back and blamed solely on one thing, and one thing alone… Pneumonia. Mm hm. That foulness that collects on the lungs and that is of no benefit to the world or humankind whatsoever. This ‘P’ word is to blame for my moment of woe. But allow me to divulge a titbit of backstory. Had my Grandmother not contracted Pneumonia, I, or any of my other family members, would not have been at my Uncle’s flat to begin with to aid in the matriarch’s recovery, after she’d spent a tiresome long-weekend in hospital. Not a slight thing by any means; waking up and not knowing where you are with no one familiar around; this coming after a hazy and delirious few days, involving a backache inducing overnight vigil (by said Uncle) and a somewhat unconscious ride in an ambulance. So there I was, making a round of coffee for several of us. My uncle meanwhile, had stolen himself away from ironing some of his Sunday best shirts, and was now attempting to turn on the geyser. We wanted to give Granny a relaxing bath earlier, but my uncle’s attempt to reprogram the geyser’s timer had only succeeded in making it fail to come on at all. So there he stood, behind me in the kitchen, leaning precariously on a small wooden stool to reach the geyser’s control panel. Then he asks me, over his shoulder, to run inside and switch off the iron. And so I did. Low and behold the iron was there in the back room, huffing and puffing away like it was dying of thirst. And so, that jog to the room, unplugging the iron, and making the return journey had cost me a minute, and one could not pass by Gran’s room without checking in (costing me several more precious seconds). The consequences of which were evident at the opening of the microwave. SO, you see, had Pneumonia not struck down my Gran, she would not be recovering at my Uncle’s place, he would not have been stretching to reach the control panel (during a session of earnest ironing) and I would not have been there to make some cups of coffee that required milk at an above-than-ambient temperature… Hence, no milk would’ve spilled. As it is, or was, many prayers were said before the milk boiled over, and many since (from around the globe mind you). The old Lady (I shan’t reveal her age… ladies take issue with these sort of things) is on the mend, stubborn as always, craving ice cream and Ginger beer whilst smuggling sugar replacement sachets for her afternoon tea. Although it must be said she was preparing herself for her date with Jesus whilst curled up on a gurney a week prior (I would be too mind you), but she has not sung her last song just yet… and she does love to sing. Thanks to Jesus for taking the wheel, healing a loved old lady… a family can draw nearer. And so, Pneumonia and spilled milk aside, there are some deep positives to this tale: beauty that runs deeper than tired legs, battered lungs and a tray of medication . . . but runs through heart and mind and soul, witnessed in moments and memories - a soothing bath, combing of hair, or sharing a warm meal at a table a half a century old. An old lady fell And a family rallied around her, to share in this fragile and mysterious thing we cling onto, holding on so dearly, when its most flagrant. --- God Bless you all.
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A friend asked this question on Facebook: Why do people thank God/(whichever deity they serve/believe in) for their success, when its clearly as a result of their own hard work? It’s not about us, it’s about God. When we acknowledge Him as our saviour, it is a complete and all encompassing decision that involves every aspect of our lives. --- There’s a scene in the TV Show ‘The Cleaner’ where the protagonist (Benjamin Bratt’s character, known to have ‘conversations’ with God) is asked by drug rehab centre competitor: “if you’re so righteous and are apparently on some mission from God, why is it that you and I have the same success rate with the people we want to get clean?” If all Christians were well off and living a peaceful and successful life with a great job/house/car, wouldn’t the rest of humanity/society recognise this and gravitate toward it, toward the status, that success in a veritable move of “I want me some of that” – It would be a pretty simple and easy choice. But God is more interested in transforming you inwardly first – physical and material wealth will come in their own time. Of course, the common tagline in these situations is that “it’s all a test” which it is, but it’s not a typical pass/fail scenario, because we will all fail – the point is in developing our relationship with God. And it’s in the trials that we experience the most growth; in our lifelong path. But in accepting Jesus, we take on a lot more than physical/material success. We’re also acknowledging an entire spiritual realm – the supernatural. Choosing this path is accepting that there will definitely be challenges, because it’s about Our Relationship with God! The goal here is, not to invest so much into the materialistic and fleeting nature of this world, because it all ultimately ends in death. So, in taking this path we’re undertaking a full spiritual transformation (or just acknowledging spirituality to begin with), which is the ageless struggle – involving things like faith, spirit, soul etc… --- CS Lewis. “We don’t have a soul. We are souls. We have a body” And whilst we do that, we also look at the world around us differently, the natural world, because we see it in an entirely different context (kind of like IT being the tip of the Iceberg, and we’re focussing on the unseen bit). Of course there’s the shorter answer: that when you choose to believe in God and acknowledge his power, you also come to realise that “without him, I would not exist”, and neither would this world. I exist because of him (I am here because of Him). For a God that has created worlds, what am I, who am I, or where do I fit in? I thank him for being my creator, and thank him for the ability to work and achieve, as well as giving me life… whereas others choose not to (thank or acknowledge him). Tiny robots unlocking human physical potential Can Nanobots bring about immortality? - that's what scientists are looking to answer, or what many people are curios about. Far-fetched? Probably, but it yet again demonstrates a case of Science Fiction finding its way to reality, today. I've blogged about the existence of Skynet, well here's a look at how machines could influence our lives in a very personal, intimate and implicit way, by infiltrating our bodies, and the best part,we'll let them, in fact, some will be desperate for some techno infusion. The thing is though, regardless of whether there's any credence to this theory that nanobots hold the key to immortality, an obvious issue is that in a Capitalist world, only the rich will ever have access to the medical benefits of this technology. The 'Spiderbot': "... recently featured in the science journal Nature. These microscopic robots are made out of DNA... Personally I'm skeptical about the "10 000 times smaller than human hair diameter", but I don't doubt their existence - in some form or other (seems an exaggeration though, then again truth is stranger than fiction! And, realistically these microscopic machines need to be miniscule to operate effectively)... But what exactly can Nanobots do, or what can we expect from them? Here's a short bullet list of the roles these little marvels can be expected to perform in the human body:
Needless to say that with these things swimming through your system - even carrying medication to your brain, the possibilities grow exponentially when you go into the details... and that is where this immortality fascination has been fueled, because these robots effectively act as a secondary (or new primary) immune system, making living longer the realistic pay-off. Although, it is believed that Nanobots are merely to be used as a form of treatment and medication, thus they will NOT remain in the patient indefinitely. Along with their primary purposes, these machines are also designed with different specs, equipped with navigation technology (to guide it out of your system) and a few propulsion methods - they could be self propelled using artificial intelligence, or 'driven' by a remote external source, controlled by a qualified doctor/technician/pilot. Regardless of whether you believe in immortality or not - why would one want to live forever anyway... this may seem cynical but, part of the beauty of this life is the fleeting nature of it, which happens to (or should) help us appreciate it even more. I for one believe there is a time limit to our lives, and that even with the aid of Nanobots adding decades more to your life, that person may well still plop down, dead, for some inexplicable reason. In Biblical times it was known that humans lived for much longer than in today's world, but that had as much to do with the conditions and the general health of society - what they ate and the way they lived. I think we can all agree that today, in a time of GM foods and pill dispensers, that we are not a physically healthy society; add to that anxiety, stress and a lack of exercise to a materialistic lifestyle, and you end up with humans looking desperately for any means to prolong an inherently ill-rooted life. This then is an innovative, complicated (in design and conception, and for now, by all accounts, implementation), expensive and in some ways scary solution (or alternative) to a widespread self-made messy problem/s. We're still early in the development of these things, so it'll be a while before they're fully in the public domain, but it does provide some necessary food for thought and debate. This piece may have an undercurrent of negativism, due mainly to humanities' exploitation of innovations, but there is a very legitimate and positive vision behind Nanobots, in a bid to cure Cancer and combat all sorts of illnesses, but as always I'm biased to natural products and methods,I'm even partial to stem cell research - using our own cells to target affected areas. Perhaps Nanobots is a topic best left for the next generation, or when I'm much older, and the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks... Your Thoughts? Some interesting links to browse through: 10 ways technology could destroy the world 10 reasons why Tesla is a scientific god To the day – the 12th of September 1963 – John Le Carré’s "The Spy who came in from the cold" hit bookstore shelves. To celebrate, I decided to finally get round to reading it. It’s been labelled many things, including ‘the definitive spy story’ or ‘the best spy story ever written’, and in many ways forms as the signature John Le Carré novel. It took me a few years and two attempts to get around to reading it, but then again my first attempt was hampered by my own impatience. Older and wiser, I've finally taken the vaunted steps into this dark world. Plot Synopsis In the height of the Cold War,and the shadows of the iron curtain, the British Intelligence hatch a plan to entrap a high level German officer. The plan though, involves a Trojan-horse like operation that may result in them knowingly sending one of their own agents to his death. Target When I first attempted to read this I was still a teenager, and couldn’t get to grips with the initial pacing. So the target is a more mature reader. But you grow accustomed to the pace as well as the style of the narrative – as certain things occur in an atypical timeline, learning of conversations and events that have already happened, to punctuate and better explain events in the present. Once you’re in the groove though, the pages will turn quite swiftly. “... I chose le Carré. God alone knows why, or where I had it from.” Bottom Line Painted by the dull colours of his time in the service, David John Moore Cornwell – pen name John Le Carré – had to forcibly retire from British Intelligence (MI5/MI6) in the 60’s because of the success of “Spy”. British tabloids somehow got hold of his true identity and the rest is history. Most of the great authors of the era tend to have some inside knowledge of the game (Robert Ludlum had his sources and friends within the CIA, Frederick Forsyth used his journalistic research skills for ‘The Day of the Jackal’), so the gritty and cold realism of his third novel seemed too good to be true in many respects. True enough, the world had never seen a book like it. It was, and still is the antitheses of the Spy novel we’re used to; namely the glossy, quirky, action packed and romanticized 007 archetypes. There are no gadgets or posh locations here, its all stark and in shadows, or alternatively, cold blinding and all exposing light. What struck me was the way Cornwell describes characters and makes the ‘grey area’ of the spy world so apparent. Seldom do you find a villain so grating and sinister simply by the nature of the description of the character’s physical appearance. The antihero is a man you wouldn’t ordinarily like… and that is essential to the tormented beauty of this story – it’s simply about people, who happen to find themselves on opposing sides of a wall. They may of course have different values, opinions and beliefs, but when you disregard the dividing lines, it’s hard, or impossible to tell them apart and decipher the good from the bad. Of course the pace does quicken, but it's more of a tightening, and the tension in the climatic scenes is unparalleled. If you enjoy this genre, then of course it goes without saying that this is a must read, a ‘must own’ even. It is a cold hard hammer of a spy story. Sometimes we do a thing in order to find out the reason for it. Sometimes our actions are questions not answers. Plainly put, there are two sides to every story, or genre… in the spy world, there’s the two polar opposites as mentioned above, and then there’s everything in between. It speaks volumes that in modern culture producers, filmmakers and storytellers have seemingly sought to find the balance or blend between the two worlds of espionage. Even Timothy Dalton aimed to dirty things up with a darker and grittier James Bond in his 1980’s incarnation, a dynamic that has been taken to heart in the latest Daniel Craig version, all to keep up with the times, with a wiser audience to cater for. David Cornwell set a trend, and continued it with his subsequent George Smiley novels, and that is a hallmark. It may not have been Cornwell’s first release, but this was the one that got him noticed in a big way, it was the one that made him… Film: The Spy who came in from the Cold was adapted for film starring Richard Burton as the fatigued and burnt out Alec Leamus and Rupert Davies as George Smiley. In 2011 we saw the release of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” with Gary Oldman playing Smiley. David Cornwell’s sons have been spearheading the new wave of film adaptations with "A Most Wanted Man" to be released later this year (based on the Le Carré novel of the same name) starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The timing of the latter release earmarks it for award season attention. The trailer – Coming Soon! There's also a sequel to Tinker Tailor in the pipeline. The films have also rekindled the interest as book sales have spiked, with new and younger audiences drawn in to rediscover a literary legend and his collection of genre defining works. The 23rd and latest John Le Carre novel: 'A Delicate Truth'; view the Book trailer below. This of course all this, stories, novels and films, tell of a very amoral world, where men and women hold themselves to higher or simply a standard removed from everyone else, a world constantly aware of the puppet strings, the walking wounded – it is cold and dark and unromantic, yet for the larger population it intrigues us to no end… suffice is to say, we’d rather read about, and watch it on the silver screen than actually live it. But, for those who do, us novelists (me in my infancy as it is - I do aim to emulate the greats - and this is timely inspiration) try to tell their stories, amplify their voice in whichever way we can, and to take a line form the book, (because sometimes that voice is hard to hear, the message either plainly simple or incoherently convoluted in the grey stage of world politics and economics, and war) “Once she had cried out, and there had been no echo, nothing. Just the memory of her own voice.” Visit Author John Le Carré's official site at www.johnlecarre.com For an in depth interview to get a deeper sense of Cornwell the man, his personal life and what he’s up now in all his 81 year old glory, follow the link to an interview conducted by Dwight Garner for the New York Times earlier this year. We get to hear his thoughts on the modern Spy world as well as his sentiments about modern media and politics, even his views on the film Zero Dark Thirty. Article: John le Carré Has Not Mellowed With Age "A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world" The Knesset is wrong about the way they’re going about ‘preserving’ the Jewish state, demonizing all and sundry, etc etc. You, we, everyone already knows this. They’ve lost their humanity, disregarded many of the values preached about in the Bible – chief among them: “Love thy neighbour”. We needn't say anything more. So, I got to thinking, since this is the Israel we are saddled with, and for all intents and purposes, it’s not going anywhere (despite the wishes of Hezbollah, Hamas and many other Arabs). So, what are we to do about this…? Here then is an objective look at what is happening… and what the Bible tells us - and with that, we can also take stock of why the Bible is in fact relevant at all: Now, for a neutral reader, let's look at that – why use the Bible? Well, let’s approach this from a broader perspective and look at it as it stands… for instance, approximately 80% of the prophecies in the Bible have already been fulfilled, considering it was written by so many authors, and many predictions involve modern day occurrences (sometimes speaking of things which even they did not understand) and always in great detail, and since Israel herself has always been a central figure in the Bible, it seems logical. [there are of course those who do not believe in the Bible as a tool of historical fact, but that is a different debate altogether - objectively it has proven itself, thus far, as at least "80% accurate" in its predictions, with the other 20% still pending] It was predicted that the people of Israel would be scattered all over the world: “These are the people of the Lord, yet they have come out of HIS land” In modern times, this has already happened. Isaiah 66:8 “Who has heard such a thing? Who Prior to this Israel had never been a sovereign nation, since before Christ. Also, read Luke 21:24 Some history:
At the moment Israel is not the most loved state in the world – to put it lightly (they were never really) – and their influence on world events goes hand in hand with the controversies. I am not contesting that Israel are wrong for treating the Palestinians in the way that they have, but it is expected when looking at it in Bible context. If Israel were an organism, then this is the way it would go about neutralizing the threat to its existence. Even when nations pledge “peace” – which they have claimed to do (whether you see Israel as victim or perpetrator) – the Lord says there will be only destruction (1 Thess 5:2-3, Jer 8:11). When you look at the nation of Israel, their history and the nature of their existence; then their current actions are not surprising for they have been at war and under threat for so long. Additionally, when you consider that the Prime Minister is an ex Special Forces soldier and war veteran, on the same page with the head of Mossad (with similar qualifications), it all starts to make a little more sense. You see, there is wide sentiment that Mossad (the most effective killing machine in the world) is indeed out of control, much like the CIA, and exact their own agenda to manipulate the might of the US war machine, to their benefit. (*See the Trojan Operation which directly led to America invading Libya on false terrorism claims.) Knowing that they are the only (tiny) Jewish State in the Arab dominated Middle East, and that in 1967, in the Khartoum conference (5 surrounding Arab nations united) declared... “...no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel and no peace with Israel.” So with the opposing side very clear, the lines drawn in the sand with a constant threat of war (the Yom Kippur war was a surprise attack), a country like Israel would push to stay prepared and be pre-emptive in their actions. Those actions have made many enemies, but they seem not to care for anyone’s opinion – this too was prophesied in the Bible - as Israel have always been pinned in a corner, forced constantly overcome great odds. In Zechariah the Lord foretold, “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the people around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. [So, even as a plain book, the Bible continues to be relevant… just one of the many reasons it’s a bestseller.] To conclude: the actions of Israel and the situation we sit with today, in some way (human rights violations aside perhaps), is simply the way it was predestined to be… and in these times, if there is another not-so-deeper message to tack on (from those prophecies) is that it will be violent, and it will get ugly. I pray for strength and wisdom! Final thoughts, on Syria: Who stands to gain the most from a destabilized Syria? For Israel, any Arab nation not looking their way, is a good Arab nation. If there is any animosity toward Israel, be sure to target it at The Knesset – just like whenever I reference the US and their disagreeable actions, it’s imperative to focus on the Government. The people may have put them in power, but of course that power is abused. Sentiment will always be divided... God Bless! {Bible verses from The MacArthur Study Bible} Related Reading: An Objective look at Apartheid Israel, Part 2 Israel: An Objective look Part 3 - Tipping the 1st Domino "Discovering the secret of a man's soul." This is NOT something that can be done by reading ONE book, but it's a journey of discovery to be traveled and learned over a lifetime. John Eldredge though, goes some way in attempting to figure out what really makes men tick, and what is at our core. Although there are inconsistencies, and he does take liberties with scripture and context, he still manages to hit the mark, going some way in setting those foundations (or re-setting them) of a real man. Synopsis What happens to our boyhood dreams "beating the bad guys... and rescuing the damsel in distress"? John Eldredge looks to highlight the plight of the modern christian man, sitting in the church pews, bored. Wild at heart invites men to rediscover the true passion at the heart of God, simultaneously inviting women to learn the true secret of a man's soul. Target All men who consider themselves real men, should read this. It's not so much about being the tough guy, but it is about discovering true masculinity. So those men who are after God's own heart, if you wish to understand yourself, and him, a bit better, this book sure helps. Bottom Line So yes, I did question some of the context of a few scriptures, which I won't go into here - the lesson there though is: whenever you hear someone, or read a quoted scripture, be sure to check the Bible to confirm the context and how that scripture is being applied, as apposed to how it is being used. That aside (it comprises just a few niggles here and there), the greater message is not lost, far from it: the message of how a christian man should go about discovering what he is made of and what is at his core. I've always known, or ever since my father taught me, that to find the purpose of a creation, one should check with the inventor, the creator... in this instance, the creation is us, and the creator - GOD. So, to find our purpose we should by rights inquire with... But there's much more to this book, which strikes at the reason's for why men have strayed from masculinity, what is required of us in the modern world. It looks at the role of our fathers and the deep set wounds we all bear. "Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight" "The trajedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives." I agree with Eldredge when he says that there's something wrong with society (above and beyond all the other problems with it), that men are required less and less, what with the advent of the 'metrosexual', 'getting in touch with your feminine side' et al. not to mention the lack of honorable father figures in society. Somewhere along the line, the need for masculinity has dwindled, and we as men of God, need to reclaim it. I recommend this book for the simple reason that it has got a relevant message and that inevitably, you will glean something useful from it. Whether it's that you actually learn something new, or are reminded of a truth you already knew - there's something here for every man, christian or not - and of course, women should read it too, to gain a better understanding of your man, or the man you desire, and how you can be part of a journey of adventure... to play a crucial role in an epic story (This is not bashing the 'independent woman' - but attempts to explain why there is this complex, due to the lack of respect for women - it's all related. Note: There's another book by Eldridge and his wife Stacy called 'Captivating - Unveiling the mystery of a women's soul' which I'm currently reading). By my reckoning, if Elderedge's intent is to draw men (any and all) closer to God and aid them in realizing their purpose and living the life God wants them to lead, then despite the niggles, I believe he succeeds. This book certainly found me at the right time as it answered some questions that have been sitting on my heart! God Bless.
Photo: 'things' by greeblie (flickr)
I'm redirecting you to a piece I wrote, recounting an actual event from my recent past... It's a short piece and you can find it here, Thanks must go to Shinazy Linda for hosting it, and inviting my humble literary contributions; you can visit her blog BOBB (Bitchin old Boomer Babe) to read more stories by her and a variety of authors/writers every week - there's also a link to the right in my blog's sidebar under Blogroll. The title of my story on the site is actually "Things we keep" - I couldn't really decide what to call it, so it kind of has two titles ("Conversations..." being the other of course). Enjoy, and keep reading! |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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