As I sit here typing the weather forecast on SABC is announcing... "No rain forecast anywhere in South Africa" while the thunder rolls outside and the pitter patter of raindrops on the roof tell me the opposite... wonder when they will stop using those apprentices over the weekends! Not that I mind the rain although it has prevented me from taking Shrek for a cobwebs removal spin... where did this week go! After last weekend's successful MX regional I am enjoying a slightly less stressful existence... even getting time to type a word or two on the blog! I suppose by now you have seen the other posting of the day, the title of this one sort of reflects on this theme... It was not posted to blast or lambaste Oprah but to warn of the dangers out there. There is so many things that pose as goodness when in fact they draw you away from the daily walk with God. While going to the shop earlier this evening L remarked how beautiful the sunset was with the gathering clouds, I was reminded how God is always providing us with what we need to survive this earthly existence. So I gave thanks while remembering so many have less than I have. This got me thinking of a conversation I had with a shop owner today, we both agreed that a business salary package should look like a pyramid... on one side the unskilled and trainee workers, then the next level should be supervisors and then middle and upper management... the other side should be the directors... level with the average worker... Directors are usually also shareholders and often serve in other businesses boards... that means they get profit sharing from more than one source... no need for that multi million rand salary. Rather pay your workers and management more for doing a good job I say! I think big business has gotten it totally wrong with the triangular model followed by big business these days... Oh... another guy getting it wrong is this... posted over on Megalicious Mayhem... "'Whom are you?' he asked, for he had attended business college." George Ade (1866 - 1944), "The Steel Box", 1898
I was told it is high time that Vernon and Ken Lee disappear from the top of this blog, was working on a Mayday Motocross post but could not get the pic's off Moondancers memory card... it went Cyrillic on me! What to do? So I was thinking of the last few weeks, one flat out rush and very little time to smell the roses except for the times when we both watched the sun set and rise on a new chapter in MD's life, half a century sounds a long time but when measured against Creation we are but a mote of dust, a moment in time. That is when I realize once again that life is NOW. I am so glad to be a part of the now in all my loved ones lives but most of all glad that God is also part of my now. Without God's love and presence now is meaningless. What the most amazing part is that with His love we are given the ability to give love without expecting anything in return, the act of giving is reward enough... "It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing."
or how to show the world that you do not care what they think and become a national hero in the process... We South Africans have our own counterpoint to Chuck Norris and The Hoff... Vernon Koekemoer, the one and only! Vernon or as he is know in real life, Cassie Booyse is quite modest about it all but enjoying the ride... Then in Bulgaria we find Valentina Hasan and her rendition of "Without You" made famous by Mariah Carey which she called Ken Lee. Watch all 3 and read the Wiki...
Both these people showed the world what a sense of humour and positive view of themselves can do, they both laughed at ridicule and in doing so have become heroes in their lifetime. We should all learn how to approach life the way they do... So... when life seems to be getting you down or if someone laughs at one of your mistakes... "Sing it as you feel it" Valentina Hasan 2008
If you can, get hold of "Indescribable" by Louie Giglio, this DVD is what God revealed to me as well in my life. This is just a short montage from the 40min presentation that Moondancer and I watched last night. That God loved us small humans on this small pale blue dot so much that he sent his Son Jesus to take our sins on him on the Cross because he knows each and every one of us by name, just as he named each and every star that ever existed and that is still to form. God loves us with an indescribably huge love... bigger than the universe we know of... and that is already huge! Today's picture is from APOD 15/12/2007. Since posting this I found the the full video, watch and be awed, humbled and blessed... Indescribable - Louis Giglio
Indescribable - Chris Tomlin - Composed by Jesse Reeves/Laura Story From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea Creation's revealing Your majesty From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring Every creature unique in the song that it sings All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God All powerful, untamable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name You are amazing God All powerful, untamable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God All powerful, untamable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God INCOMPARABLE, unchangeable You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same You are amazing God You are amazing God
Here is the full song with a beautiful collage of images fitting to the lyrics...
After all that no quote would be fitting except... "Praise God who lives on high!"
I like Latin Beat, especially if there is some good guitar work... so here are some examples with a special tribute at the end... Exile had a hit with this song but the one I like best is from No Mercy...
When I get home babe, I'm gonna light your fire All day Ive been thinking about you babe You're my one desire Gonna wrap my arms around you Hold you close to me Oh babe I wanna taste your lips I wanna fill your fantasy I don't know what Id do without you, babe Don't know where Id be You're not just another love No, you're everything to me Every time I'm with you baby Cant believe its true When you're laying in my arms And you do the things you do You can see it in my eyes I can feel it in your touch You don't have to say a thing Just let me show how much I love you, I need you, babe I wanna kiss you all over And over again I wanna kiss you all over Till the night closes in Till the night closes in No one else can ever make me feel the way you do Oh keep on loving me baby And I keep on loving you Its easy to see when somethings right and something wrong Well stay with me baby And hold me all night long So show me, show me everything you do Cause baby no one does it quite like you I love you, I need you, babe I wanna kiss you all over And over again I wanna kiss you all over Till the night closes in Till the night closes in Stay with me Lay with me Holding me Loving me, baby Here with me Near with me Feeling you close to me, baby So show me, show me everything you do Cause baby no one does it quite like you I love you, I need you, babe I wanna kiss you all over And over again I wanna kiss you all over Till the night closes in...
Then again Bosson came along and made performed this amazing number...
I'm gonna write you a song, so you'll understand All that you see in my eyes and read in my hand It's what I honestly feel This time I know that it's for real And 'til I find the right way, this is what I wanna say
Efharisto For all the love you give And the way you make me live I'll say the only word I know Efharisto I thank the stars above For this everlasting love I wanna say Efharisto
You are to me like the sun So warm in the sky You are like sweet summer rain As soft as a sigh
You're like the ocean so deep Rocking me gently in my sleep Don't know where I'm gonna start So I just say it from the heart
Efharisto For all the love you give And the way you make me live I'll say the only word I know Efharisto I thank the stars above For this everlasting love
I say from my heart for your love Efharisto For all the love you give And the way you make me live I'll say the only word I know Efharisto I thank the stars above For this everlasting love I wanna say Efharisto
Efharisto Efharisto
Both these songs make me realise that I am a very blessed guy... Thank you Moondancer... for being in my life, for sharing, for listening to my wild dreams, for being my muse and my critic, for being you... for letting me be me. Efharisto... sounds so much more romantic than thank you don't you think? "I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)
Life is about change... sometimes good, sometimes bad. It is how we handle that change that makes us winners or losers. I was over on AD's blog and read that he and Babs had ended their relationship but are still friends, a change handled with respect and love so it seems. Quite a few of my other blog roll friends have changed as well, some like Scully moved their blogs to invitation only, some shutting down everything, others like KatieB moving to a new town and a new career, from Moondancer and myself we wish you and B all the best, you will always have a place to stay and a place in our hearts. Change can also be handled with communication... something I have to sharpen up on again and blogging was one of the ways I could articulate my thoughts and sort out the things that were bugging me, not that much is bugging me at present... but I think I need to start practicing again... As Autumn leaves bodes the onset of winter I will probably have more time as very cold days are not always pleasant to go riding on a bike, time and conditions will tell. I usually start suffering from bikelessness within 24 hours! I do have thermal wear... Once again my music matches the subject by echoing the theme in the words from; Anastacia - Seasons Change (Concert Vid)
Cradle the weight of your life You can survive What lies before you It's only a matter of time Before the night Turns into day Oh, it should feel incredible, whoa.. To know you're not alone, uh Just look in my eyes (just look in my eyes) whoa.. just look in my eyes
[Chorus:] I said.. Happy turns to sad Sometimes life gets bad Things get rearranged Nothing stays the same It just never ends Here we go again One thing Still remains, uh Seasons seasons change
Are you scared of today? Running away I can see through you Whoaoah.. It feels like an eternal haze But it's only a faze It's all in your mind Oh, when you feel invisible, uh Just know you're not alone (c'mon, c'mon) Just look in my eyes (look in my eyes, huh, look in my eyes) Just look in my eyes Just look in my eyes
[Chorus:]
You can feel the air start to change When you're walkin' out in the rain And the colors inside your brain start fading Til the winter is washed away And nothing really feels the same When sunlight's in your eyes You feel alive
What I really want.. What I really want.. What I really want.. What I really want.. I said, yeah, yeah, yeah! Yeah!
Today was the last flight of a legendary aircraft, the Cheetah. Currently being replaced with the JAS 39 Gripen, somehow I do not see a Griffon wearing spots... "April 8, 2008: The South African Air Force has retired the last of its Cheetah jet fighters, with the last fourteen of them being withdrawn from service." This is my small salute to the machines and the men that flew them, so to all that flew with Spotty... Hamba Gahle. They truly lived up to the Air Force motto... Per Aspera Ad Astra wich means: Through Adversity to the stars.
Once again we did over 2000 kilos in a week... to say our bums are numb is an understatement... that being said we had an amazing seven days break and had a good time getting in touch with family again. Rain gear in Smithfield... and all the way to Sheppie. The bridge over the Orange River at night... Umdlodi... at last a decent Java. Full Moon... Waning Moon the next evening... Cormorant drying it's wings on the rocks... Ballito and more coffee... Argyle Arms... do not let the cover of a book fool you... a warm bed and good food for the weary travelers. The Berg... The Tree... reminds me of two other trees... One being the Easter Tree... the other was one I wrote a poem about. Putting it up down below... Lichens pass from the other end... Red mountains... and mountainous clouds... Moondancer taking in the view from the edge... Almost home... Here is the poem, not meant to be pretty but fitting with what we as Christians believe; The Tattered Tree
The smell of Semtex frightens even the vultures. The horror of shreds of bone and sinew hang in the tattered trees. Inglorious, unjust, incomprehensible inhumanity. How can one justify gaining freedom by making victims out of the very people you claim to be standing for?
Time is supposed to fade the memory, but today it seared my mind again just like that day! Today another tribe is claiming to be a savior, more evil than before they slaughter kith and kin. They claim to be of divine ordination.
When will those blinded by worldly rights become aware... that the condescending stance is but a weakness in the eyes of those that contemplate the downfall of the very freedom that these rights ensconce? That these rights are used as weapons to tear themselves asunder.
How many more of these tattered trees must humanity endure? What must be done for peace to endure? Then I remember another tattered Tree with it's unbearable load. That's when I sink to my knees and pray... This Easter once more I realized how much we have to strive to live up to the example that was show to us on that Tree... Love one another as I love you... Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Found some handy luggage for Shrek today, made to fit and with the right logo to boot. This will make those weekender's easier to do with enough room for at least 2 pairs of socks and underwear! For longer excursions I will still have to figure out a way to accommodate two backpacks as panniers. If all goes well we will be trying out this set up over easter in KZN. Hopefully I will get to see some of my family down there this time. "Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience." Francis Bacon
Musings about life on this blue dot we call home.
Mostly from a puzzled males perspective as he enjoys the ride of his life through space and time in the company of friends and with music in his ears.
Aided by technology and an inherent love of all things mechanical. From astronomy to muzic and eclectic thoughts in between...
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