Lifebook

Strange how one thing leads to another...
It started with a link to this amazing video of the Grimsvotn eruption in Iceland.

Volcanic Eruption in Grimsvotn, Iceland May 21 2011 from Jon Gustafsson on Vimeo.

The music on the video side tracked me to Veigar's site, some of the music is just stunning and to the producer Jon Gustafsson's blog where this video called "Lífsbókin" blew my socks off...

Of course I had to find out what "Lífsbókin" means and that got me googled to the amazing idea of the Gideons at Lifebook Movement... Go there and download your own copy of this book/bible written as an outreach to kids of today, you may just be amazed to learn something new!
This "trip" across the internet also showed me something else as well that is so true of my life and many other Christians lives. I have experienced many amazing things, gone through many trails and survived because in the end I have come to depend on The Life Book that God provided for us. Thank you Father for putting things in place for us to be able to get to know you through the Bible, translated and printed in virtually every language known, this to me is another proof that you want everyone saved.
Thank you God that we can enjoy the world we live in as well and gaze in awe at your works.
By the way, here are the lyrics in Icelandic, when I get the english I will add them too.
Lífsbókin by BERGþóRA ÁRNADóTTIR
Ljúktu nú upp lífsbókinni
lokaðu ekki sálina inni.
Leyfðu henni í ljóði og myndum,
leika ofar hæstu tindum.

Svipta burtu svikahulu.
Syngja aftur gamla þulu
líta bæði ljós og skugga,
langa til að bæta og hugga.

Breyta þeim sem böli valda
breyta stríði margra alda.
Breyta þeim sem lygin lamar,
leiða vit og krafta framar.

Gull og metorð gagna ekki
gangir þú með sálarhlekki.

Found two more renditions of the song, I love the Icelandic Airforce Choir version too..

and this one by Ragnheiður Gröndal...


Blogging is also a form of Lifebook like a diary come to think of it...
"God will one day hold us each accountable for all the things He created for us to enjoy, but we refused to do so." Rabbanic Saying

The Glory of thy Creation

Boxing day at Hoggies we went sightseeing, showing the new visitors some of the sights of this enchanting village... as we left the Chapel on the Hill this greeted us!








What is amazing to me is the way the sun fell on the tree.. which has a resemblance to a Cross. Coincidence? I do not believe that for one instance.
God is always with us and has given us the greatest gift of all.







Plaque at the Chapel...
The words say it all...



















I believe this is the message we should take with us in the coming year...
Here the rest are amazed by the sight of sun on trees...

Inside the chapel... each one with their own thoughts...

G&A in a stolen moment...


Before the Chapel we took a walk around the Labyrinth and then took a peek over the Edge...
The Labrynth

The Edge

A looking very pensive as she sits on the Edge.

On the Edge...

More edgy stuff...

G&A on the edge...

MD and M on the edge...


G&MD admiring the vista


Of course I could not resit taking some pictures of the flowers that crossed our paths...
Pelargoniums... all at the Chapel, these are new to me.

Another pelargonium.

Pelargonium in pink

Budding Aloe at the Labrynth.

Fittingly this came to mind as we drove back to the house in Hoggies.
"Genesis Chapter 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,"

Just a thought

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."

Factor in the change

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)

[via FoxyTunes / Anastacia]

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

C'mon yeah seasons change
C'mon yeah seasons change
C'mon yeah 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!

[Chorus:]

[Chorus:]

C'mon, c'mon yeah seasons change
C'mon, c'mon yeah seasons change

[Chorus:]
So as I go to get my warm top ponder this...
"There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter."
Billy Connolly

What is a bucket list...

Before there was the movie I had my very own bucket list called If Wishes Wus Fishes over on my website. Amazingly a lot of the things have come true, albeit in ways I never thought of, or are in the process of being realised. Some I may delete and there are a few I may add... more on my wish list later...
Back to the movie, I think the combination of Jack and Morgan was brilliant but I am not giving away too much, if you have not seen it do so ASAP... put it on your Bucket List!
As I mentioned in my last blog, this movie makes you think and the theme song "Say" by John Mayer is great...

John Mayer "Say" Lyrics

Take out of your wasted honour
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so called problems
Better put them in quotations
Say what you need to say (8x)

Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you’d be better off instead
If you could only
Say what you need to say (8x)

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You better know that in the end its better to say too much
Than to never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open
Why?
Say what you need to say (25x)
Words that carry a lot of meaning in today's hectic life... we so often forget to say to our loved ones how we really feel, how much we care, how much we appreciate them and how much joy they bring to us... A line from the movie I found very insightful was;
“You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ 'Has your life brought joy to others?’"
This is something I have come to realise as a great truth even before I saw the movie and I want to make this my life motto... so I ques it goes onto the Wish list!

Privileged

Baby showers are a women thing but I had the privilege to attend one today (Friday), Maggie we wish you a joyous event. May the baby be a blessing and joy in your lives.

I started this on Friday but somehow the day went pear shaped time wise, then Moondancer and myself went to the Faculty function Friday evening, only getting back home Saturday morning... then there was Guy Fawkes fun out at the MX Club later the day... and another early morning... what happened to the weekend? (Forgot the camera on Saturday! Dang!)

All in all a privileged weekend I would say, privileged to have shared it all with splendid people and wonderful sights and sounds as well as being together, we even had a dance or two albeit at a slightly stiff legged gait.

While at the MX Club watching the lightning in the clouds as the storms receded made me realised how special the past few weeks has been and how privileged we both are to experience life together, so many people have partners that do not fully appreciate them or that have lost the loving feeling. Here I include myself... but this time I know we have a backup team that will never let us down.

"A man of genius is privileged only as far as he is genius. His dullness is as insupportable as any other dullness." Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Going Home

LawDog tells a poignant story in his unique way over on his place, well worth a read.
This sort of ties up with my subject yesterday but on the other side of the coin where one wonders why people with these diseases seem to linger on in often horrible conditions and little quality of life. I do not wish to suffer that fate. Maybe one needs to clear this up with God in the living years and put in an order for a quick ticket back home?
John 14:1-3 (King James Version)
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

I was so lucky

This was another manic Monday that just had too many things and too little time, but I was able to reflect on the weekend, had a great time at Dad's do, caught up with all the family and friends. Sunday evening was amazing because...

[via FoxyTunes / Roxette - I was so lucky]

It's no secret I've been waiting
but I didn't expect this
Nothing will remain,
nothing stays the same
after you came

It's no secret I've been starving,
I never felt anything for years
I sat up all night
just to watch your smile
when you're sleep'ng

I was so lucky you came by
and turned a different corner
I could've been somewhere else,
you could've passed by,
could've passed by

Come on and sail the sea with me
Come on, let's go around the world
Maybe find a flat or a canyon house
for the season

I was so lucky you came by
and turned a different corner
It could've been someone else
you had in mind

I was so lucky you found me
My rags turned gold and silver
I could've been somewhere else,
you could've passed by,
could've passed by

What would you make of this, my baby?
The sun through the trees
Is there a better place to be?

I was so lucky you came by
and turned a different corner
It could have been someone else
you had in mind, oh my

I was so lucky you picked me
My trash turned to silver Yea,
I could have been somewhere else,
you could've passed by,
you could've passed by
Not much else to say is there now...
"Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence."
Og Mandino (1923 - 1996)

From a distance

Once again you all amaze me, I forgo posting my blog for two days and I get e-mails to say "Wazzup?"
Life and RWC got hold of me by the scruff of the neck the last few days that is why post's have been lying in draft mode this weekend. The "missing" days are up at last and I apologise for letting you all worry. So it seems I am being checked up on from a distance...

[via FoxyTunes / Bette Midler-From a distance]
From a distance the world looks blue and green, and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream, and the eagle takes to flight.
From a distance, there is harmony, and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace, it's the voice of every man.
From a distance we all have enough, and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease, no hungry mouths to feed.
From a distance we are instruments marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us.
God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.
From a distance you look like my friend, even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend what all this fighting is for.
From a distance there is harmony, and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves, it's the heart of every man.
It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance.
When I hear that song I always wonder what God is thinking when he sees how things are going on here on earth, how we all seem to be rushing around doing our own thing and not considering how we can change things by being the salt, by prayer and by example. Change begins with each one of us. That is my prayer...
I found this amazing song and video called Everything About You by Sanctus Real over on RT's pondering page, thanks! I am linking to your blog and to GodTube... (updated link to YouTube, the God Tube embed is broken)

Be my light in the darkened room
I'm on my face and I'm calling you
I can't fathom all you've done for me
Every time it finds me on my knees

Like sunlight in the winter cold

Everything about you, it takes my breath
Away...Hallelujah
I tried this once without you and it was my
Great mistake...Hallelujah

Questions fade when you invade
You chase all my fears away
With your love in my atmosphere
All confusion disappears

And nothing but your truth remains

Questions fade, you remain
You are color on a page of white, bright
Like eyes beneath black lights
Like a glowing city on the plains, you call
My name

Hallelujah

"We may go to the moon, but that's not very far. The greatest distance we have to cover still lies within us." Charles de Gaulle (1890 - 1970)

Half a world away

I count myself blessed with quite an average circle of friends in real life and over the interwebs I have "met" quite a few others that I can call friend as well, some are fellow soldiers from my time in the SADF on our mail-group and others from blogging. Some have been part of my life so long that I know if and when we meet face to face they will be exactly as I picture them, others have revealed their faces and I have been amazed that they look very like I imagined. Others I have eventually had the honour of meeting over a cup of coffee or a cold one, they are now real friends.
It is because we have shared part of our lives over time and countless snippets, sometimes light hearted and other times deep sorrow as they shared a glimpses of their lives.
Some people say one should not give the same value to your online friends as your real friends, but I disagree. The test of any friendship is how well you communicate and empathise with the other person and how you witness them in your life as well as you being a witness in theirs. Because in reality we will meet them all face to face one day.
That is why I thank Moondancer for using something she had on her blog, it was in Afrikaans but is 100% relevant in any language;
How can I pray Our when I live a self centered life, how can I say Father if I am not His child, how can I say Who art in heaven, if I still live an adamic life
How can I pray Hallowed be Thy Name. when I use it as a curse?
How can I pray Thy Kingdom come. when I do not witness.
How can I pray Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. when I want my own way every day
How can I pray Give us this day our daily bread. when I ignore those in need.
How can I pray And forgive us our trespasses, when I still hold grudges
How can I pray as we forgive those who trespass against us. when I cannot forgive others
How can I pray And lead us not into temptation, when I do not give up those desires
How can I pray but deliver us from evil. when I do not acknowledge the power of the Spirit
How can I say Amen. when I do not have childlike faith?

How can I say For thine is the kingdom, when I do not serve Jesus, how can I say and the power, when I let fear rule my life, how can I say and the glory, for ever and ever. when I rule my own life. Amen
By the way this part is not in the original Gospels and I separated it for that reason but I like using it to emphasise God's authority when I pray The Lords Prayer.

This is a poem that I wrote for all those people Half a World Away from me that have touched my life through the years;

I read your words, written half a world away.
I wished I could be there to hug and reassure.
I felt your pain at another lost love.
You painted a picture with your words I could see.
You revealed your sacred duty with words of mirth.
The sound of battle was almost real to me.

Each one of my friends, half a world away.
Read each day, wished well each night.
As the sun rises on my side it sets on yours,
Know that even when your face is unseen,
I appreciate and value your part in my life.

Each one of you, half a world away I pray,
May Angels be with those in jeopardy.
My comfort be with those who have lost,
something or someone, tangible or real.
May you all be witness to each other,
Half a world away, someday we will meet.

So as my circle friends grows and ebbs like the tide I am thankful for each and every one for touching my life and making me a better person, the same way pebbles get shaped in a stream we get shaped by the friends we meet and although some share a brief time with us in the stream others stay nestled up close and slowly become familiar trusted souls on the same adventure of life. Sharing and bearing each other through good and bad times. Always a stone throw away, by phone or e-mail or across the fence. Half a world away...

"The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money." Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Pudd'nhead Wilson

Sound familiar?

Please meet Jean at Pondering... the force is strong with this one. She writes some stunning poetry that touches my heart and reflects many of my moods and experiences. I hope she does not mind me taking this excerpt from her blog...
Write your life...

Whether it be like this or in letters to yourself,
as in a journal, or a diary.
Write everything about you so that others
may know. How you lived.
What you thought. When you cried.
Loved and laughed. Did you dream?
It may be found some day, and those who
knew you. Might cry. Might laugh.
Might gasp, "That's why!"
"That's when!" "That's where!"
Then again, a stranger might find you
in your words. And know you better than
all those others. Take you home.
Live with you another life.
See in you another way. Love their life again.
Find the path. Forgive their pain.
See the stars.
You are a book. A poem. A song.
Write your life.

Another person that believes in being a witness to others lives, I am linking to her blog to do so... May she prosper and grow strong. (Jedi theme today)
"History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity." Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), Pro Publio Sestio

Lessons from walls

This posting has been long in gestation and today in Church I got the final threads to finish it off as promised previously... It is neither a lengthy or noble dissertation, just something that I have felt needs to be said.

Life is a procession, some may call it a comedy of errors, others call it a learning process. I call it an adventure these days...We all get hurt by life at some time or another, some build defensive walls and attitudes to protect them from the hurt. Others carry on regardless in their selfish ways. Others hide away in despair. Others take on the poisoned chains of pride.
Then there are people that want to throw off the yoke of past experiences to be able to live again as we are supposed to.Joyfully and adventurously.I am one of those people, but before I could do that I had to love myself again, to see that even with my bruised ego, broken heart and mangled self worth I was a person that was worthy to be a creature of joy again. Part of this was accepting and realizing that God loved me no matter what I did or had done. He had made me and He had loved me enough to create a way for me to be with Him eternally. How could I doubt my worth if the God of creation considered me worthy?
Once this was out of the way I realized that I had to get rid of my fortress that I had built around me as a result of past experiences.I had to get my psyche naked, this was the toughest part, because when you are exposed like this the flame of a passing soul is like a blowtorch, some have a flame of hatred, others of jealousy, even friendship scorches...
However if you persevere the freedom of not hiding behind a wall or mask is bliss itself, you know that you mean what you say and do what you mean. This honesty is sometimes disconcerting to others catching them off guard and flowing over them like a tsunami. I keep forgetting that part...

What I also have found is that I have lost the art of picking up hidden cues... I do not expect them because of my directness and openness... why should others play games when I cannot? But they do, mostly not intentionally but on a constant basis... I have to retrain myself to read these signs I suppose. Then I go read a recent study on kisses and I seem to be once again the exception to the rule as my goal when kissing is not to end up in the boudoir... I put a lot of emotional value in a kiss, to me a kiss is not part of what they say, a kiss is like cement for my heart, it fills in the cracks and makes me whole again. Yes it does set my heart racing but it also tells me that I am not alone in the adventure of life or the building of a relationship. Without a kiss it just a great friendship... but with a kiss once in a while there is a hint of something that may well grow to become that once in lifetime experience.

Being a gentleman is also a given when one has chosen the path I have, considering the other person and respecting their wishes is worth it, trust me, as the other way of being a boor and throwing a tantrum is not going to get you any points either. What I am talking about is when you have told the object of your affections your feelings, respect what you get back, I know it is hard to have to reign in your emotions but unless you expect instant gratification you are far better off being a friend than earning instant enmity. I actually think that the Victorian era had perfected this as a man would very often court a woman for many years before even telling her what he felt, rather getting to know her over time through many conversations and countless letters... we have forgotten that art gentlemen! Time to back track and do things in a proper and fitting fashion I believe. Chastity has it's own reward...

However as mentioned in a previous post, I think modern men are losers when it comes to understanding their purpose in the scheme of things, I am not excusing myself either, I have learnt that lesson well and have been shown the error of my ways regarding our responsibility to children we bring into the world. Only when we understand what the true meaning of being a Gentleman is will this change. Leaving a child in the lurch is a cowardly way to excuse
yourself from your responsibility. Just as God loves you you should love that child and do all you can to provide for this gift you received. At the same time if you had followed the proper order of things you may well never have gotten in this place at all... passion has both a price and a place.

Now all I want is to nurture those I love, to protect and serve and lead by example, in some small way show them the love I have been shown. When I see one of them hurting I wish I could take that cloak and put it on myself and bear their pain instead. I cry more easily because of this... I seem pray more often as well.
Lastly I leave you with this test of love that I only recently came to understand in full and without this any relationship is doomed to failure:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. - I Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)

Chilly August Night

As a counterpoint to Neil Diamond's concert and album, today was a miserable windy day and the weather forecast is even bleaker... thank goodness the bad weather has lifted somewhat in our lives though. I believe that it is partly due to the fact that I will not let bad things bring me down and make me start worrying, I hand the worry part over to my Problem Solver. He has a way of sorting things out in amazing ways.
We on Earth should also be thankful we do not have Martian weather, at present there are planet wide dust storms raging, I cannot imagine that here, we are blessed to have this Blue Dot to call our home. We should learn to look after it better but also keep in mind that a lot we see these days is not caused by our hand, sometimes that big old glowing ball in the sky gets a bit brighter... and heats up the whole Solar system...
Enough of that... I am so glad the KatieB's friend M was only shaken up in the crash that totalled his bakkie today, I really believe that a Guardian Angel had a hand in that close shave as well, another thing to say thank you for today!
Coming back to the title, my favourite song from Neil's album Hot August Night is Sweet Caroline, here are the words...
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
Where it began, I can't begin to know when
But then I know it's growing strong
Oh, wasn't the spring, whooo
And spring became the summer
Who'd believe you'd come along

Hands, touching hands, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
I've been inclined to believe it never would

And now I, I look at the night, whooo
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two, oh
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulder
How can I hurt when holding you

Oh, one, touching one, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
Oh I've been inclined to believe it never would

Ohhh, sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good
Funny how some of this songs words are sort of relevant to my current friendship, KatieB has been around in my motocross life circle since more or less when I started this blog but we have only recently really connected, sometimes you miss the tree for the woods I suppose but sooner or later you notice the one that has always been there like an Oak, dependable and strong. Sorry... that is not a good analogy at all for the lady in question! But I think she will understand what I mean. She has the knack to read my mind...
Oh the life circle idea? That is the circle of friends and acquaintances one has in one's life at work and play... Someting I may blog about one day, I have added it as a label so I suppose I am commited to do so some time?
"One of the things about being a grown-up is learning how to act right even when you feel wrong." Sean Stewart, Perfect Circle, 2004