Happiness and Joy

Is Happiness a passing emotion or a permanent state? The Bible says it can be both. There is happiness that reacts to happenings (which is temporary and volatile), and there is happiness that overrules happenings (which is strong and lasting). Happiness based on happenings is part of life, but if that is all we can count on we have to keep feeding ourselves with events to keep us upbeat.

Those who know the joy that comes from God don't need happenings to keep them happy. They learn how to develop inner joy because they know that no matter what happens, God offers hope and promise.

James 1:2
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.

Freedom Can Be Yours!

The daily opportunity to renew, restore, and redirect our lives is one of the most awesome facets of our relationship with God, His Holy Spirit, and our redeemer, Christ Jesus.

God gives us the power – through His Word, through His Son, and through His Spirit – to rise each day and continue the process of transformation and restoration, as He perfects us into the image of Christ.

Yet, many of us, when confronted by difficulties, struggle to maintain the victory -- of spirit over flesh…faith over fear…and the truth of God -- over the lies of the enemy of our soul.

Here are three strategies for finding daily spiritual renewal and transformation through the power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit:

#1: Stop Dwelling on Past Failures and Injuries. Failure is a part of life. When you fail, the most important thing is to pick yourself up and choose to move forward. At the same time, recognize that those around you have shortcomings and will fail, and possibly cause you pain, from time to time as well. Don’t get stuck in moments of failure – yours or theirs. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:3: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye”?Ask God to forgive – and help you forgive -- what needs to be forgiven, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight on how to move forward.

#2: Remain Open to Change. Everything in life changes. Only through learning how to navigate transition will you be able to bend – and not break – when upheaval, loss, and change occurs in your life. Accept change as good. Ask God to help you “change your mind” about change…read God’s Word to learn how Jesus counseled His followers on the changes it would be necessary to make to achieve their destiny and enter God’s kingdom…and listen for the counsel of the Holy Spirit as you prepare for the new opportunities change will reveal!

#3: Keep an Eye Out for New Opportunities Each Day. God will send you opportunities. Expect them! Be open to new ideas – and don’t get stuck in a preconceived notion of how God is going to answer your prayers, or bring about the accomplishment of the goals and destiny He calls you to pursue. Pay attention to the leading and counsel of the Holy Spirit as you maintain an open and willing mind and seek new opportunities in your life. Remember: God’s objective is for you to be transformed, restored, and perfected into the likeness of Jesus Christ a little bit more each day.

Technology Simplifies Life

Technology is often blamed for complicating our lives instead of simplifying them. But there are ways to harness the power of technology to achieve your dream of an ordered, less chaotic life.

Go grocery shopping online
Instead of wandering the supermarket aisles, have food, wine and other household goods delivered to your doorstep.
Many retailers including Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay, have online shopping facilities which can save you money, petrol and travel time.

Transfer money, pay bills and bank online
If you haven’t already, set yourself up with Internet banking.
You can move money from one account to another, do direct deposits and pay your accounts online so you don’t have to go into a store to settle your accounts.

Use the Internet for school projects and homework

Instead of a shelf full of outdated encyclopaedias, get your kids to use the Internet for school project research and even exam revision.
It will save you money and trips to the library.

Upgrade your Internet connection
If you are still using a dial-up connection, save yourself time and frustration by upgrading to a broadband connection like ADSL. Faster connection speeds and a fixed monthly fee means you won’t have to wait ages for e-mails to download and you’ll be able to budget more effectively.
You’ll also avoid tying up your phone line for hours at a time.

Thayer said, “The Internet is not only a source of information but also a great way to get your daily tasks done, saving you time and petrol money.
The careful use of technology can help simplify life – you just need to choose the technology you really need to achieve your goals”.

The Ten Commandments of Cell Phones

Failure to obey these commandments can result in your being ridiculed by strangers and disassociated by your family and even your closest friends.

1. Thou shalt not subject defenseless bystanders to cell phone conversations. When people cannot escape the banality of your conversation—on a plane, train, bus, cab, or at a restaurant—spare them. We are just not interested, you boorish twit.

2. Thou shalt not set thy ringer to play "La Cucaracha" every time thy phone rings. Or Beethoven's Fifth, or the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," or any other annoying melody. Is it not enough that your phone goes off every other second? In addition, any phone that announces "INCOMING CALL" should be tossed in a toilet.

3. Thou shalt turn thy cell phone off during public performances, in theaters, during speeches and meetings, family dinners, at weddings and funerals and on first dates.

4. Thou shalt not wear more than two wireless devices on thy belt. Techno-jockeys attempting to look like they are carrying Batman utility belts are not cool.

5. Thou shalt not dial while driving. This madness must stop. Put the phone down and just drive. There are enough people in the world who have problems mastering driving a vehicle by itself.

6. Thou shalt not wear thy earpiece in the presence of thy friends and coworkers. This is similar to wearing headphones connected to a CD player—it's just rude.

7. Thou shalt not speak louder on thy cell phone than thou would on any other phone. Phones have sensitive microphones, and it's gotten to the point where you can tell if someone is calling from a mobile phone simply by their volume of speaking, not how it sounds. If your signal cuts out, speaking louder won't help.

8. Thou shalt not grow too attached to thy cell phone. For obvious reasons, an addictive dependency on being constantly "in touch" is not healthy. At work, go nuts. Away from work, give it (and the rest of us) a rest.

9. Thou shalt not display thy cell phone on a restaurant table just in case it may ring. This is not the Old West, and you are not a gunslinger sitting down to a game of five-card stud in a Dodge City saloon. Be a little less conspicuous. If it rings, you'll hear it just as easily if it's in your pocket, purse or "holster."

10. Thou shalt not attempt to impress with thy mobile phone. Not only is using a cell phone no longer impressive (unless, of course, it's one of those really cool new phones with the space-age "Matrix" design, interchangeable multi-colored face with a laser-linked heads-up viewer and solar battery charger), but when it is used to impress, said user shall be immediately identified as a neophyte impost or a poseur and an outright a......

Google word power

Number-crunchers can rejoice as Google Inc offers deeper access to the underlying figures for users' web searches, giving some insight into trends based on the relative popularity of various words.

The Internet search leader is expanding its existing Google Trends service to allow users to see underlying numerical data on the popularity of any particular search in Google's vast database of search terms, relative to others.

Google Trends was begun two years ago as an entertaining but limited way to indicate what the world is thinking about over time, at least in terms of web searches.

Now Google is giving users the ability to search across terms in its database, instantly chart how they compare to other search terms, then export the underlying numerical data into a common spreadsheet format to compare with other data.

Google Trends (trends.google.com/) lets users compare demand for various search terms and see how popularity differs across geographic regions, cities or languages.

A year ago, the company introduced Hot Trends, which gave users insight into fast-rising web search trends with data refreshed several times daily. The tool's power only grows as people conduct more and more of their everyday activities online, with web search often their primary starting point.

The data in Google Trends stretches back to 2004. While the service is based on the many billions of individual searches performed each year, Google Trends only reveals data on the aggregate numbers of searches, not the searches themselves.

National differences in the endless human search for sex or love can vary widely, according to a Google Trends chart.

Google Trends users can also chart the explosion of interest in the term "backdating" since 2006, reflecting the scandal over how hundreds of companies backdated options for executives.

Searches for the word "Microsoft" had a more than two-to-one-lead in searches over "Apple" three years ago, but Apple had virtually closed the gap by the end of 2007.

Then news reports of its takeover bid for Yahoo appears to have stoked a recovery in Microsoft this year. Searches for Microsoft have outnumbered those for Apple by about 7 to 5 in recent weeks, according to Google Trends data.

Users must be registered and signed into a Google account to use the service. One can then see the evolution of new terms or concepts through Google searches, including the rise of "Google Trends" itself.

Self-knowledge

Getting to know yourself really is good for business. In fact, it's essential if you want to realise your full business potential.

Before you start your business, you need to search within yourself to make sure that this is the road you're meant to take. This is your foundation, and it needs to be solid. You need to understand why you are getting into this – is it because you are good at it or passionate about it? Too many people are driven by money and by greed when setting up a business, but you will find that this might not be enough to sustain you through the difficult times. And yes, there are always difficult times.'

'Know yourself – it is critical to identify your strengths and be masterful of the things you like and can do. Know your weaknesses so that you can compensate for them.'

'Money buys the wrapping paper, but your happiness is the real gift waiting to be unwrapped. As you reveal your talents, learn more about yourself and make your impact.'

Blogging Etiquette

Blog etiquette is important. So make sure you don't offend a fellow blogger by following a few of these simple rules.

1. Be respectful. If you don't agree with someone's post, feel free to comment and convey your thoughts, but do not insult the blogger or get vulgar. Name-calling is not cool and should be left on the playground. Personal attacks are never fun to watch.

2. When you comment on someone else's blog, do not post a link to your own blog. If we want to find you, we'll know who you are and where to go. Also, leaving a comment like "read my blog" is not a real comment and is irritating. Stop it!

3. Don't force your opinion on people. A few bloggers have been bombarded with bible excerpts posted as comments which made no sense. If my blog isn't about religion, don't force it.

4. Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, post someone else's words on your own blog. Pulling a quote and linking to the blog is great, and will be welcomed, but it is never ok to copy and paste an entire post without the original blogger's consent. It's just not cricket.

5. Take responsibility for your posts and comments left on your blog. You need to be your own moderator.

6. Do not type in caps! Typing in caps is considered as shouting. In fact, when I read a post in caps, I flinch away from the screen. It's just not fun to read then. And remember, punctuation is your friend, use it!

7. Please resize your images. Not everybody has a super-fast internet connection and downloading images can cripple a few bloggers. Be kind and keep your images small.

8. Respect other people's privacy. There's no need to publish a difficult neighbour's name all over the web. You never know who's reading and could get yourself into a lot of trouble.

If you follow these rules, you'll be a happy blogger.

SMS etiquette

Texting is an easy way to communicate those things that you'd rather not do face to face, but be careful, there are a few rules...

In South Africa, we call the text message itself a SMS. But the acronym stands for Short Message Service and is actually referring to one of the many options offered by your chosen service-provider. This is why, overseas, people refer to it as a text message.

But whatever you call it, texting is a wonderfully cheap tool that allows quick messages to be sent without having to get into a long conversation over the telephone or in person.

Don't b a txt msg abuzr
As with a telephone conversation, there are certain basics you should bear in mind when sending an SMS. Follow these simple guidelines to avoid SMS abuse and make sure you don't annoy those around you:

SMS in private if possible. Composing an SMS while you're in a one-on-one conversation someone is just plain rude.

SMS is informal. It shouldn't really be used for formal invitations. It definitely should not be used to break up with your partner!

Before you text someone make sure they are familiar with SMS and that their cellphone accepts messaging from yours.

Don't SMS while you're driving!

Use the SMS slang when texting close friends. If you're SMSing your boss, avoid slang and opt for a more formal tone.

Be aware of other people's schedules. Don't assume the person you're texting is in a position to receive or reply to your message.

TXT flirting
Texting has taken off as a fantastic flirting tool. Showing an interest in someone no longer has to include blushing and stumbling over your words when you bump into the object of your interest at a party. 'Will I see you at the party tonight?' or, if you must, 'C U @ the ParT 2nite?' is a great way to let your love interest know you're thinking about them.

It also allows you to fi nd out how that person feels about you. A quick message saying 'sry – got other plans' is much less humiliating than an awkward telephone call. The only danger of SMS flirting is ambiguity. 'Will I see you at the party tonight?' could have been sent as a group SMS.

Replying, 'Yes! Can't w8 2 C U!' could expose you as being a little too keen. At the same time, although not receiving a reply after sending a flirtatious SMS may mean a lack of interest, it could just as easily mean the recipient has no idea how to use the SMS service or hasn't received your message.

To avoid ambiguity, you can always risk being obvious by sending an extra-flirtatious message such as 'R U free 4 D rest of Yr Lfe?' (Are you free for the rest of your life?), or 'I C ** wn I think of U!' (I see stars when I think of you!).

Smilies for you
Instead of typing words, images made up of characters can express how you are feeling. Try these so-called 'smilies':

I-O – snoring
:- – sceptical
:-D – laughing
:-X – not saying a word
%-} – intoxicated
;-) – winking
Y! – typical man

Online Safety for kids

During the next year your kids are bound to be spending more time than ever before surfing
the web. The Internet is a marvellous resource – for research, education, news, leisure and socialising. But let’s not be fooled.

Just like anything where society at large has access, there are some risks, and you may be worried what exactly your children are looking at online.
While the best parental guidance is undoubtedly physical supervision, it’s not always possible to be there, leaning over their shoulders while they surf or chat to friends via e-mail.

So how do you control what they’re viewing without physically padlocking the keyboard?

There are a couple of things that parents can do to protect their children to ensure a healthy
and informative online experience.

Here is a list of top tips for parents to help minimize the risks our children
might encounter online.

Make it a rule to never give out any identifying information like your address, phone number,
photos and school name in public messages such as chat rooms, forums, forms or questionnaires.

Warn kids about the dangers of arranging face-to-face meetings with anyone they meet
online.

Kids should never reply to any e-mails, chat messages, or forum items that make them feel
uncomfortable.

Opening e-mail attachments from people you don’t know is dangerous as these could contain
viruses or spam. Children should never click on any links that are contained within e-mails from strangers as these could lead to inappropriate websites.

It helps to set house rules and guidelines for computer use, setting appropriate times and
durations that your kids can surf the Internet. Discuss your proposed rules with them and make sure that they understand what you mean by it. Post the agreed upon guidelines near the computer as a reminder.

Get to understand the Internet and any services your child uses and, if possible, know your
child's online identity (parents should know children's user IDs, screen names, and passwords in case of online emergencies).

Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can’t see or even
hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent themselves. Make sure your children are aware of this possibility.

Remember that everything you read online may not be true. Any offer that seems too good to
be true probably is. Be very careful about any offers that involve you going to a meeting, having someone visit your house, or sending money or credit card information.

Make surfing a family affair, consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than your child’s bedroom.
Internet access can be a valuable educational tool and by making it a social activity, your family will learn together what the Internet has to offer, and enjoy it safely!

Heavenly Tattoos?

To some, it's a form of intricate artwork. Others may look at them as wild acts of rebellion. Many may consider them to be a tool in witnessing for Christ. In any case, these pictures or images are indefinitely worth thousands of words.

Some would attest that a tattoo is the ultimate expression of an individual's personality. Every image carved into the blank canvas of a person's skin stands for or symbolizes something. Each story told by someone's tattoo is unique to the next. From dragons to butterflies…from crosses to chains…from snakes to spiritual things…tattoos of all shapes and sizes are seen on people everywhere we look. Have you noticed it lately?

Getting a tattoo has not become "the thing to do" or "the latest trend" overnight. At first, this was seemingly thought to be the case. The influence and prominence of tattoos has gradually climbed over a period of the past 30 years.

In speaking about this, the notion of tattooing our bodies is not something that only Non-Christians are doing. Christians have also jumped on this bandwagon of tattooing various symbols of faith on their bodies as well.

Whether your beliefs are liberal or conservative, or regardless of if you would see a tattoo as wild or stylish; degrading or intriguing; rebellious or cool; one cannot deny the influence that it exhibits among many people of our world today.

However, in thinking about Christians tattooing their bodies, in some ways this almost sounds like an oxymoron. Think about it. Being a Christian and having a tattoo don't usually go hand in hand with each other. Yet, as we look around, we see the tattoos of "religious" on many individuals today. These symbols could include doves, crosses, angels fighting demons in battle scenes, Biblical references, portraits of Jesus, crucifixion scenes, panoramic views of many stories of the Bible, among many other images. However, some would argue that because this Scripture is in the Old Testament, it would be considered "under the Law of the Old Covenant. Sometimes, we might miss what God is trying to say. The Old Testament is written a bit differently than the New Testament. There is a lot of symbolism that we cannot overlook."

Shocking Revelation for Western Cape Schools

Recently this devastating report (below) appeared in Die Burger newspaper tucked away in its inside pages. I sincerely feel that such an important issue should have received front-page exposure. The implications of this report have huge consequences for South African society. What a sad day for South Africa and its citizens when provincial government accepts foreign monies to fund a project like this.

CLANDESTINE AGENDAS

One just has to observe the values of the youth in the Netherlands to witness the destruction such atheistic teaching produces. Now, shockingly they have been given license, by investing large amounts of money into our education system to corrupt our children. A snap survey of a few parents indicated total ignorance of this investment and the proposed introduction of evolutionary teaching into the schools. Most were astounded when I pointed this out. Have you been informed?

We believe a matter of such importance needs the full support of the parents of the children who will be exposed to such teaching. After all parents are responsible for their children – not the state. The consequences of children believing they came from nothing, are nothing and are going nowhere, has a severe impact on society, especially in the area of accountability to the law and to ones fellowman. If there is no respect for God and His Laws, the Ten Commandments, then there will definitely be no respect for the law of the land. Evidence of this is already glaringly obvious amongst non God-fearing political leaders and business leaders in South Africa today. The Western Cape Consultation of Christian churches have been made aware of this report and have subsequently sent off a letter to the Dutch Embassy.

They have requested an urgent meeting to discuss the concerns, specifically that the plurality of our community is being undermined, in that the views, beliefs and values of a large segment of the population in our schools are being overridden and disregarded.

All the major religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, by definition reject evolution. The implication that a foreign government has made this investment into our education system to foster the teaching of any particular ideological paradigm does not create a healthy precedent. We will keep you informed of the progress and outcome of these meetings. In the meantime we encourage every parent to call their school principals and request a parent information meeting in order to become informed of exactly what is being taught and what is going to be taught and what the consequences will be for both them and their children.

PARENTS HAVE RIGHTS

Parents have rights and will be accountable to God one day for the way in which they have brought up their children. We also call on all the intercessors in the land to pray against the forces of evil trying to erode our society. Childrens’ values and their beliefs should be taught and entrenched by parents and not by schools, or state education departments.

This project, as indicated, will stretch throughout all the provinces soon, so it is not just a Western Cape problem.

We encourage parents not become intimidated by teachers and principals who support this introduction of the THEORY OF EVOLOUTION. Many un-Godly academics like to use fancy scientific grammar and terminology to influence and intimidate parents. Always identify the spiritual understanding of the teacher or principal before one discusses this matter. Christians do not, and cannot, support evolution. It is an unproven theory and no palaeontologist, scientist or physicist has come up with proven evidence.

Fathers who Build Confident Kids

THOUSANDS OF BOOKS, ARTICLES AND OTHER forms of instructional media are available to guide the new father on the path of fatherhood. Many provide conflicting advice whilst promising outstanding results. The new father is faced with the decision as to the advice he will follow realising that he has only one shot at this project. There is no second chance to raise a child.

Where do you begin? God did not leave you in the dark as to how to raise your children. He provided a comprehensive manual describing in detail, how to nurture, develop and raise your children. Your children will need to grow, physically, mentally and emotionally to be all that God destined them to be.

As a dad, you have the awesome privilege and responsibility of overseeing this process. Your responsibility is to ensure your children are raised being certain of having the ability, judgement and resources that they need to succeed. You want the very best for your children. You have great plans for their future and plans for their success. Will this result in them growing up to be the confident, well adjusted individuals that God intended for them to be? Do you need some help in raising confident kids? Let’s get to work then, there is no time to lose!

Realise that your children are individuals

Children are different, it is God’s idea. Observe families and you will be amazed how children born into the same family can be so different in nature, temperament and appearance. This is quite normal. Let’s check the manual and make sure we are still on track here. Psalm 139:14-16 reassures us that this is no factory defect but rather it is part of the master plan. “I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt. Nothing about me is hidden from you! I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below, but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything I would do.” Remember, God never says “Oops”.

Give your children assurance and affirmation

Speak positive words over your children.

Be on the lookout daily for reasons to praise them.

Never open your mouth without engaging your brain. Think before you speak.

Realise that your every word has a permanent impact on their lives.

They want your approval and encouragement.

Make time to be their best friend

Here is a vital component of your role as father. In the busyness of life, you may be tempted to take short cuts when it comes to spending time with your child. They look to you as a mentor, a confidant and a friend. If you are not there for them, they will find a substitute and this is usually where things go wrong. A myriad diversions are waiting to take your place as their friend. Drugs, alcohol and inappropriate relationships are just a few of the alternatives to your friendship. Take heart, they all come a distant second to you and if you make the time you will discover that the results are well worth the effort.

Well, isn’t it time for you to take the controls now? You can make a difference in your child’s life today, and remember if you forget something, it is all in the “Manual”!