Happiness is ...

{All of these quotes comes from the back of brown sugar sachets, that is served with the coffee, at my favorite coffee shop. Their peppermint Crisp Tart is also a favorite with me}

There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy

Robert Louis Stevenson

Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product.

Elenor Roosevelt

Remember, that happiness is a way to travel, not a destination

Roy Goodman

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have

Hyman Judah Schactel

Happiness is perfume, you can't pour it on somebody else, without getting a view drops on yourself.

James van der Zee

Hope in a hopeles world

Friday 19 October 2007 around about 22:00 local time.

For now I am going to unhook myself from the laptop’s power chord, and just time, whatever comes to mind, until I am reminded by the laptop of the battery.

At this moment in time I am feeling the emotion of euphoria, sweeping over me like a giant wave. The Springboks are facing the English roses in the World Cup Final Match (which they will win), but on quite the opposite pole I feel a certain degree of uncertainty.

There are so many things going on in the world at this moment in time, no wonder we have people with chronic stress-related diseases. The people of South Africa fear for their lives, because of crimes. People are dying in neighboring Zimbabwe, because of poverty. The freedom of people in Myanmar (Burma) is in an imbalance due to the rule of the Militant Junta.

I know, by this time, you are considering, going to the next best available website. But just read on for a little while. I believe with all my heart that the next couple of sentences, paragraphs, are just what God wanted to tell you this week.

Saturday, October 20, 2007 around 06:30 AM

After I’ve typed the full stop of the last sentence, I went asleep. So I am going to carry on, where I have left off.

This past week, I was searching for an envelope in the side table of my mother’s bed. And I came across a book that I borrowed her, quite a while back, called “And Jesus Wept”. So I though to myself, “what is the significance of me finding this book at that time”, a question left unanswered for two days or so.

Later the week, I went back to the side table to retrieve the book. I turned the book around and this is what the back covered read: “A marriage ends in up in divorce, a terrorist-attack kills thousands, A mother of four killed in a vehicle-accident. What did Jesus do when this happened? He Wept. When Jesus sees our pain, and sees our heart ache, he weeps with us …”

The profound thing here is this: Most people ask the question “why?” when something terribly goes wrong. They asked it with 9/11, they asked it with the Tsunami in Thailand in December 2004, and they are still asking it today. Let me rephrase the previous sentence: We asked it with 9/11, we asked it with the Tsunami in Thailand in December 2004, and we are still asking it today.

Have we totally forgotten that God, our Father in heaven, may also have felt the pain and the suffering? You know the One that created man in His image? Do you think it was easy for him to flood the planet in the days of Noah? Do you think it was easy for Him to see His Son die on a cross?

The point I am trying to make here is this, God is still at work in the lives of people around the world every day, it does not matter which religious background they follow, just because they, we are His creation, image-bearers of the Creator, and covered with His fingerprints. God wants to lift us out of a state of hopelessness, and give us in abundance. He wants the Believers to go out with their brokenness and bring healing to other broken-hearted people. He wants to use YOU, with YOUR brokenness, hurt to bring healing, to give others HOPE of everlasting life!

Coffee-Shop thought

Man can try as hard as he can to build a human being, but still fail, because he can't give his creation GOD-breath!

Inspiration for the week

"Allow the children to come to Me – do not forbid them – for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” This was the rebuking words of Jesus to his disciples, when they try to prevent the children to come to Him.

This past Friday-evening, a couple of our church’s high school youth action, went to visit the newfound satellite home of the Durbanville Children’s Home, which is situated in Kraaifontein.

It turned out to be a wonderful evening for both the children and the high school children of our church. Chris, the proponent(a proponent is a minister of the Word who has not yet been legitimised by the Dutch Reformed Church’s council) at our church, put two snoeks on the coals for us, whilst the rest of us rediscovered out inner child, when we had some fun with the children of the children’s home. For those who are wondering, there are about 9 children staying at the satellite home, between the ages of 4 and 18.

The most profound thing that I’ve realised, while spending time with the children there, is that they have accepted each other as brothers and sisters, no matter what their ages are, or even the colour of their skin. There is a love between the children, which my words cannot describe.

Also, because of what I have experienced at the children’s home on Friday evening, I have a clearer understanding what Jesus meant by his command to us “To love one another as we would love ourselves.” There is more to this command than just loving and caring for your neighbour, for instance the person you sit with, in the church pews, week in and week out.

This command commands us to really go outside our comfort zone, taking the hands of the people out there, and loving and caring for them, just as Jesus would have done. Then ultimately we will be doing the great Commission, to go to all the corners of the earth and to do, everything, Jesus taught us to do.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. This is the first official post of my blog at my own personal web presence. And it is surely not my last.
What can you expect from this blog. Well to put it bluntly, if i have some on my mind, you will probably see it here first. This blog will be all about the stuff i expierence in my own life and it might also contain my thoughs on other topics that might come to mind.
Thank you for visting my blog and i hope to see you soon

Adventures in missing the point

Ek is gefrustreerd met myself. Toe Chris saam met my en my ma koffie gedrink het, het ek besef dat ek die boot totaal en al gemis het.

Want sien, deur die loop van die gesprek, kom die vraag van Chris se kant af (uit pure belangstelling) met watter leesmateriaal ek myself mee besig hou. Dit was toe dit uitkom dat ek meestal omgaan met Christen litratuur omgaan (en my boekrak kreun daaronder).

’n Paar sinne later sê hy ’n profound ding – Hy sê dat ek my uitkykppunt moet wyer maak as wat dit is, meer as net die oogpunt van een Christenskrywer. Eintlik wat hy daarmee bedoel het dat ek nie net een skrywer se woorde as die Alfa en die Omega moet aanvaar nie. Maar iets dieper het in my losgekom ...

En dis toé ek besef: Ek het die boot heeltemal gemis! Ek het so vervleg geraak met Christenboeke, musiek en vriende, dat ek heeltemal die wêreld afgeskeep het.

Die Bybel sê dat ons nie van die wêreld is nie, maar wél dat ons in die wêreld is. Die eerste punt, die verstaan ek – Ons moenie onsself conform met die leefstyl van die wêreld Maar waar ek die punt gemis het, is met die tweede punt: “Maar julle is in die wêreld” (my vertaling)

Ek het myself toegespin in ’n Christen-kokon – myself in isolasie geplaas, terwyl ek suppose was om Jesus se hande en voete te wees.

Ek het touch verloor waaroor my opdrag eintlik gaan.

Here, ek is jammer dar ek U gdrop het. Daar is niks verkeerd dat ek Christen literatuur gelees het nie, maar ek, Jesus, het dinge net vir myself gehou, nie my Christenskap prakties in die wêreld uitgeleef het nie.

Vergewe my , Here, vir my ignorance, my selfsug. Help my om in voeling te wees met die wêreld rondom my, sodat ek nog steeds ’n leefstyl leef waar ek nie conform met die dinge van die wêreld nie, maar dat ek ’n verstandhouding het, van wat besig is om rondom my te gebeur, hier in die wêreld.

Dankie vir Chris, Dankie dat U hom gestuur het om die oogklappe voor my oë af weg te neem.

Superheroes

(A proponent the Dutch Reformed Church it is a minister of the Word that has not yet been ordained by the Ecumenical board of the DRC.)

On 25 March, my new friend, and also our church's proponent preached on the subject of Super-hero's, during the children's service held at our church this morning. Now his message touched me so much, that I want to collaborate some more on Super Hero's.

Firstly, I want to make it clear, that I don't want to copy-cat everything he'd said on the subject, instead just voice my opinion. And Chris, if you're reading this, I thought the message wasn't great at all. It more worse … I thought it was AWESOME!!!.

Chris used the example of the comic strip/ movie/ tv superhero, superman. Chris collaborated on the abilities of superman: Speed, X-ray vision, Strength and stuff like that.

But then he told about another HERO, one with the ability to be everywhere at the same time, who can heal the sick, let blind men/woman see, let paralyzed people stand up and let them walk away, as if they weren't paralyzed at all. HE is also able to direct the weather, and even feeding thounsands of people with only 2 Fish and 5 loaves of bread. But also, when the people killed HIM, three days later HE was able to stand up from the grave and lived.

This HERO, is no one else than Jesus, the SON of the LIVING GOD, and also GOD. Now this HERO impress me more than a "make believe hero like spidey, or that other green guy or the 4 friends( not to be confused with Joey, Chandler and the other friends sitting on the park bench.)

Jesus himself said "No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."(John 15:13 MKJV). That is true what He'd said, because He did not just lay down HIS life for those who followed Him the 3 years He ministered the Good News, when He walked the earth. No, He came to said us free, from the sin that bound us from the time of Adam and Eve, until He'll be returning to earth at the day of judgement. He came and walked this earth, that the relationship man and GOD had before an incident involving, a man, a woman a snake and also a fruit, may be restored[made whole].

He loves you so much that He paid the Eternal price of your sin[wrongdoings], with HIS death, when HE took all the sin of the world-Past,Present and the Future on his shoulders and paid for it ONE TIME.

He died a sinners-death, so that we don't have to. Romans 3:23 says "For all has sinned and come short of the glory of God" (MKJV). Romans 6:23 repeat this "For the wages of sin is death, …" Jesus already died that death for us, for our sin. But verse 23 continues with this: "but the Gift of GOD is Eternal life through Jesus Christ, Our Lord."

You remember what Romans 3:23 said: "For all has sinned and come short of the glory of God". Now for me this means, my good deads, going to church, reading my bible, stuff like that "Christians" do, won't get me into heaven, no "For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, MKJV).

The only way you can be saved, is that you believe with your whole heart, that JESUS paid the price for you sin and it is by this gift of grace that you can be saved.

You can have a restored relationship with GOD, and Inherit the grace gift of Enternal life, right here, where you are sitting and reading this.

Firstly you must admit(confess) to God that you are a sinner, that you have came to a place in your life that you've realized, that you need Someone to free you from your sin. Then making the decision to turn your back (repent) on all your sinful desires – stuff that hurts others and yourselve. Confess to the the LORD that you believe that HE died for your Sin and that He raised from the dead, so that you don't have to pay the price for your sin. Accept Him as your LORD and Saviour, willing do to His will, Going to where He calls you to GO.

The following is a short prayer (conversation with GOD) that you can do right now that says what the previous paragraph has said:
"Dear God, I don't understand it all, but I do understand and admit to you right now, that I'm a sinner, that needs Someone to set me free from my sin. For I know that I am sinner and the result of my sin {Confess the stuff that you have done wrong}, is Eternal death.

But I stand in the position to make the decision to be set free by You right now, and turning my back on all things that has hurt You, the people around me and ultimately myself.

Lord, I believe with my whole heart, and I confess it with my mouth, that You have send Your Son, Jesus to become man, and to die on the cross for my sin, and that He rose from the grave on the third day. That He has conquered Sin and death and Won!!! Lord, I now submit myself to Your will alone. Lord Let Your Will Be Done In My Life. I turn my back on earthly gods, and accept You now as my Only GOD.

Holy Spirit, please fill me with your always-present presence,Convicting me of sin in my life and confessing them as they come to mind.

I ask You Lord, all of these things, in the Name of Jesus Christ, My LORD AND SAVIOUR.

Amen.

If you just prayed that prayer, I just want to say, welcome to the family of Christ. If I don't see you while here on earth, I will see you in heaven.

Because you have been born again, you are a Spiritual baby and just like real babies you need to grow. The following list of stuff will help you to grow:


Read your Bible every day: Start by reading the Gospel of John. Don't have a Bible? While you're on the Internet, do a search for Online Bible, and you will find lots of links for Bibles that you can read, while online, or Free Bible Applications that you can download. You can buy a Bible at most book stores.

Pray: For any relationship to work (any kind of relationship), the two main things to do is Speak, and Listen. To grow in your relationship with God, you need to speak (Pray) to him daily, and wait for Him to speak to you (Listen). There aren't any special words, so what I do, I would speak to him, as I would to a friend, a normal conversation.

Fellowship: This basically means, join a church where the Good News of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. You need people around you that can help you grow Spiritually.

Witness: Tell other people of your decision to follow Christ as your Saviour. Most people will slander you, or be mean to you, but that is part of being a Christian, you must be willing to speak out of what Jesus has done in your life.

For more questions, please email me at: tianboonzaaier@gmail.com

If you just decided to follow Jesus, please email me also at the above email address.

God Bless.

Tian