Lockdown 195

Lockdown Day 195 - 7 October 2020

Still on the earth topic, tonight I am dwelling on the tree hugger topic. I wondered where this all started. Who was the first tree hugger and why? 

To my surprise I found the term tree hugger was coined in 1730 when 294 men and 69 women from a Hindu tribe clung to trees to prevent them from being cut down. They were all killed for it. 

In China, after a mass tree hugging outside the Imperial gardens, tree hugging is forbidden in China, stating that tree huggers were a dangerous cult and a threat to national security. 

Regardless of what any country thinks, hugging a tree increases the levels of oxytocin, the hormone responsible for feeling calm and emotional bonding, reduces stress and increases happiness. 

Personally, I love hugging trees and have found certain trees 'ask' for it. It confirms my humanness and makes me feel grounded. If this is a foreign concept for you and nature doesn't grab you, I encourage you to grab it first! 

God also uses the analogy of a tree to descibe our firm rooted faith in Him. In the words of Psalm 1:3 of the one who follows God's way, " He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of his life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous. "

Consider hoq you were carefully designed with great care and love, to be part of Creation. Happy tree hugging! 

#Godsgotthis

Lockdown 194

Lockdown Day 194 - 6 October 2020

In awaiting summer, steeling myself for the eminent heat, I am spoilt rotten with cool weather, or as I call it three-quarter-sleeve weather. 

Three-quarter-sleeve includes, tops and bottoms; you know, those 7/8 pants or long skirts you only wear when its almost summer or almost winter. 

Today I tried an off-the-shoulder Tee, but kept the jersey over it or around my shoulders most of the day. My 3/4 wardrobe is sparse and small, because this kind of weather never lasts for more than a week at the most.  

The Free State people have started wondering if the ice age is on its way and most speculate an amazingly rainy El-Nino season.  Good news all around, because the one thing we all need desperately is water. 

Not all humans on this planet realise the dire state our resources are in. Especially water and oxygen which pretty much keep us alive. We should all be water guardians and tree huggers (youtube is full of them) in our own spot where we stand on this earth. 

God created the earth and the heavens. We are the crown of His Creation. It's time we start acting like crown wearers and cross bearers to, at the very least, make our voice heard in honour of Him who provides. Provides Water and Oxygen. His breath gave us life, so it's time we live to protect and honour His precious gift. 

"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life." 

Job 33:4 NKJV

Ggt.

Lockdown 193

Lockdown Day 193- 5 October 2020

Life. Part 3. We are so busy being serious about life, I decided to find fun facts about life. Enjoy:

-The average person spends 6 months of their life waiting for a red traffic light to turn green.

-Love toast? One lightning bolt generates enough energy to toast a hundred thousand slices of bread.

-Cherophobia: The irrational fear of being happy (not being scared of singer Cher) 

-A blue whale's heart beats 8 to 10 times per minute and can be heard 2 miles away.

-A blue whale's tongue weighs as much as an elephant.

-28 000 Yellow rubber ducks were lost at sea after falling from a cargo ship in 1992. Some made it all the way to the Atlantic and some were found frozen in ice. To this day, there are still many of them "lost at sea".

-London cabbies have to take a  4 year long series of tests called The Knowledge, requiring them to study 320 routes, 25 000 streets plus 20 000 landmarks.

-Artist Jim Sanborn created a sculpture outside CIA HQ in Langley, Virginia, which fittingly includes uncracked codes. Featuring 4 inscriptions, 3 have been cracked, with the 4th still a mystery. (In 2010 he offered a clue: The letters NYPVTT are an encryption of the word BERLIN.)

-The largest snowflake recorded was in 1887, witnessed by US Army staff in Montana, measuring 15 inches (38.1cm) wide.

-Scotland has more than 400 words for snow,  including snaw (snow), feefle (swirls of snow), and flindrinkin (a light snow shower). And that giant snowflake that fell in Montana—that would be called a skelf. 

-In Oregon, the city of Boring has a sister city in Perthshire, Scotland, called Dull. Oregon's governor named August 9 to be the official Boring and Dull Day throughout the state. 

-The punctuation mark ?! is called an interrobang.

-Sea otters hold hands while they sleep.  This ridiculously cute behavior is to avoid floating away from their partner during sleep. Sometimes they hold hands in groups, producing a "raft."(aaaawww) 

-The blob of toothpaste that sits on your toothbrush is called a nurdle, boasting a lawsuit over which toothpaste company had the right to depict it.

-Tic Tac mints are named after the sound their container makes.

-In Tsovkra, a small, secluded village in Dagestan, everyone who's physically able can walk on a tightrope in a tradition that's existed for more than 100 years, producing at least 17 famous tightropers in circuses all over the world.  It's even taught in school to the village children. 

-Great white sharks are so scared of killer whales that they'll avoid an area for up to a year after spotting one.

-The space between your eyebrows is called the glabella.

Tonight I shall dream (Ria, this one's for you) of becoming the finder of those lost yellow rubber duckies, being caught in a flindrinkin, hanging an interrobang on my glabella while swimming in a sea otter raft. Or maybe I'll take a ride on a skelf to Boring and Dull while chewing on a colgate nurdle. 

And I thank God for life's funnies and a sense of awe and humour. And of course because He's got this.

Lockdown 192

Lockdown Day 192- 4 October 2020

Birthdays, especially those in Lockdown, should celebrate life and love....... and a gluttonous Sunday lunch. We said goodbye to Louis and Nina at first light, went for a walk and after church, left for a buffet with friends Peet and Marna to celebrate hubby's birthday. 

My memories of buffets do not do this one justice. This buffet has no equal. With more than 8 amazing meat dishes ranging from various lamb and beef dishes to pulled pork. The really outstanding veg included real "soetpatats" and fabulously crispy roast everything. 

We were spoiled for choice and even with a miniature sample of everything, our plates looked overloaded. And literally everything tasted superb. 

Desert also had much to offer with the ultra moist spicy carrot cake my favourite. After coffee we had to summon the strength to leave without looking like pot-bellied aliens who survived an all-you-can-eat lunch. 

We spent the afternoon recuperating in a horizontal fashion, feeling the after effects of our gluttony, vowing never to put ourselves through this again. 

This made me think of a friend who runs the comrades marathon each year. And every year after finishing she always exclaims, "Never again!", only to repeat the exercise the following year.😅

Tonight as I stand in the cool air of the green room, watching the clouds drift by the full moon, I thank God for His grace towards our lacking faith and human error, and for His muchness in mercy He imparts when we boldly aporoach His throne in praise! Thank you God for holding us in the palm of Your Hand. And that You've got this too.

Lockdown 191

Lockdown Day 191- 3 October 2020

Still on the Life topic, tonight I muse over the happenings in life that make it special. Yesterday my patriotic Free State friend Izabeth came for dinner and we talked about the rarity of true heartfelt friendship and how you never really lose contact even if there are thousands of kilometres between you. 

This has nothing to do with good cellphone reception or internet connections. This is the kind of bond that transcends and supercedes all technology. A kind of matrix embedded in your tissue, forever engraved in your spirit. 

Today started out with an early walk and breakfast, after which we decided to make a dish in honour of Ma Daph. Called "Rolrib", it is made of a deboned lamb rib (hubby's skill in this department is remarkable), laid flat and salted, with a layer of lean bacon and crushed pineapple. 

It is then rolled up, tied with string, topped with a spice rub and baked in foil in the oven till dark, caramelised and deliciously soft like pulled lamb.

While pondering what we would have with this rib for dinner, our friends Louis and Nina called. On their way to Kruger after a late getaway from the coast, they decided to overnight in our valley to avoid night driving with their caravan. 

We were thrilled and excited to see them as we share that same bond of friendship with them for many years now. What a delight to have them here, we polished the rib, toasted Ma Daph's eternal life and chatted till late about life and the blessing of friendship. 

So tonight I retire, blessed to the core knowing God chooses my friends for me, each and every one handpicked. Just thinking of them all, makes me realise God's got me. And He's most definitely got you. Above all, He's got this. 

Enjoy this song by Michael W Smith:

https://youtu.be/oOCJAVlESEo

Lockdown 190

Lockdown Day 190 - 2 October 2020

Friday. The 28th Friday of Lockdown. I had a few things to do in the shops this morning, and as the first summer rain fell, I was acutely aware of the flow of life that just keeps going in spite of Lockdown and hardship. I stood still and listened to the sounds of this Friday. A trolley attendant running past with the clickety clack of his "train" of trolleys and the sound of the wind through the parking lot's trees being rocked to and fro in the wake of the rain. The swish of car tyres and the humming of chatting people entering and exiting the parking. 

While walking to my car I notice a little clover growing against all odds between the paving and a wall. The will to live is its primary objective, its small soft stem driving up against the brick and concrete. 

Life happens whether you let it or not. Just like a river. You can decide to jump in and go with the flow, or stand on the banks and watch the water drift past or you can turn your back on it and walk away. There is one other option: you can fetch a pair of ski's and a parachute and enjoy the water!! 

The words of Psalm 46:4 comes to mind, "God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places. " (Psalms 46:4 TPT) 

He ís the River. He is Life. And He's got this.

Lockdown 189

Lockdown Day 189 - 1 October 2020

Today, with the October rains on the way and the smell of rain in the air, the wind and dust took over our province. I was relieved to be indoors for most of the day with online training, studies and research. I thought about Lockdown lifestyle and how, in the same way I hid from the wind and dust, people  just stay indoors because of the abominable virus. 

While many people worldwide experience Agoraphobia (a fear of being in situations where escape is difficult or imposiible) and FOGO (fear of going out), many more develop Mask Aversion and Speedo-face (just as weird as Speedo's at the beach) just by contemplating a lifelong captivity in virus regulations. 

I realised if I let all these phobias get to me, I go back to believing Lockdown happened to me.  

After deciding yesterday that Lockdown happened for me, I realised another profound fact: 

God was never locked down. 

In a sense the world wanted to have God locked down too. This is where freedom of faith has no boundaries: to know God is Spirit and He transcends all. 

John 4:23-24 explains our role in this so clearly, "From here on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. 

For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.” 

When we start living the John 4:23-24 way, we also become non-locked down spirits of His eternal Creation. Completely free. Really knowing He's got this.