tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38616892011-07-14T23:28:19.320+02:00Soul gardenersLife is messy and not a 5 point plan! Jesus gave us wonderful metaphors to navigate the mess. We are an African couple committed to the Gardener.
Our passion is tilling and working the soil of our lives and gardening with a community. We live in South Africa and we are praying for God's direction in our lives.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comBlogger2221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1079358305867124962004-03-15T15:45:00.000+02:002004-03-16T14:04:45.483+02:00I'm moving my blog to typepad, the new address will be http://kleipotgemeente.typepad.com/soulgardeners and I'll point soulgardeners.com to the site. See you at my new site!Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1077884511726796832004-02-27T14:21:00.000+02:002004-02-27T14:25:54.250+02:00Ash Wednesday
We had a wonderful AW (Ash Wednesday) service. It wasn’t all fun, yet it was good. In our self-centered lifestyles it is hard to submit to periods and journeys that don’t flatter our egos and tickle our fancies. AW is the kick-off for the season of Lent. A time used for repentance and fasting, for introspection and cries of “Mercy God”, the problem with this is that I don’t likeThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1077653986850587982004-02-24T22:18:00.000+02:002004-02-24T22:22:34.920+02:00Kleipot’s social responsibilty.
On a flight back to Africa I realized how un-holistic I’m living. It’s so easy to profess God and keep Him cordoned in the intellectual realm of my being. I read “The Awake Project” a book tackling the issue of Aids in Africa head-on. Somewhere between Frankfurt and Johannesburg the Spirit stirred within me, awakening me to the realization of my privileged Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1077565431185117982004-02-23T21:43:00.000+02:002004-02-23T21:46:37.513+02:00“Everything that needs numbers in order to become significant is by that very fact insignificant. Everything that can be arranged, executed, completed only with the help of numbers, the sum of which startles people in amazement, as if this were something important – precisely this is unimportant. The truly important is inversely related, needs a progressively smaller and smaller number to Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1077044571493751812004-02-17T21:02:00.000+02:002004-02-17T21:05:30.123+02:00God is building a community!
Yes, you’ve read it, God is doing some amazing communal things in the daily relationships of our community. The neat thing about it is that we’re not initiating anything specifically – God’s the author of all of it. Let me share just one neat thing that happened in the last few weeks:
Schalk is our friend who lives in Mozambique. A few Wednesdays ago a few of us Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1076249133950400192004-02-08T16:03:00.000+02:002004-02-08T16:07:59.796+02:00Thanks for the prayers on behalf of Francois. He is back home at the moment and will spend the rest of next week recuperating. We really appreciate all the support and love.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1076243622784468352004-02-08T14:25:00.000+02:002004-02-08T14:36:08.153+02:00Our friends Tom and April are parents
Tom and April are the new parents of Ethan Ryan Hook. Tom wrote some awesome thoughts on the pregnancy stage:
Do you know what I think is amazing? God shows us so many things about himself through life's cycles and situations. Why did God desire that a woman be
pregnant for 9 months? He could have made the woman in such a way that she gets pregnant and Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1075834325055279032004-02-03T20:52:00.000+02:002004-02-03T20:55:33.216+02:00Please pray
Please pray for my brother Francois, he is in hospital and is in desperate need of sleep. When you go to bed tonight please pray for a sweet rest for him. ThanksThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1075834181133442052004-02-03T20:49:00.000+02:002004-02-03T20:51:59.950+02:00A morning with the senior citizens.
Our church’s gathering is in a community center where all kinds of people meet during the week. Pottery classes, Boy – and Girl Scouts, Belly dancers, Ballet, Gymnastics and many other groups use the facility. We love being a part of the local community. One of the groups meeting at the center is the Senior Citizens. They invited me to kick their year off Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1075741616942900592004-02-02T19:06:00.000+02:002004-02-02T19:33:06.170+02:00We had a fabulous Lord’s Supper at our community yesterday. When we started the church we decided to bring the meal back to Communion, Wolfgang Simson said:
“Church tradition has managed to "celebrate the Lord's Supper" in a homeopathic and deeply religious form, characteristically with a few drops of wine, a tasteless cookie and a sad face. However, the "Lord's Supper" was actually more a Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1074633815195296472004-01-20T23:23:00.000+02:002004-01-20T23:25:35.110+02:00Keep me from McDonalds
We are all called to live from our creative center. Connected to the Creator. This world places us unto a conveyer belt of franchise. Everyone looking the same. Clones. I want to break free!! A friend sent me this first picture of life on Mars :)
++ God, help me to live an original life, keep me from becoming a McDonalds’ franchise ++
Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1073930534245558182004-01-12T20:02:00.000+02:002004-01-12T20:02:35.480+02:00The story of our lives
We are by default part of a story, a global one at that - everyone is in the cast. Billion characters living their story - together. Each one battling with the nagging question: "What is my role?" Knowing that we're in the cast helps us to orient ourselves into a communal "us" and saves us from the poisonous tendency to live life for ourselves. Over the weekend we Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1073507606714584462004-01-07T22:33:00.000+02:002004-01-07T22:33:46.203+02:00A prayer, a thief and a screaming male
On Wednesday evenings we pray as a community. Tonight we had a rather interesting prayer experience. Half an hour into our praying and intercession a few of us became aware of a peculiar sound outside the house, the ‘THUD’ ‘THUD’ of a hammer connecting something with force. I ran out with Jacques and saw our car forty meters down the road; three men wereThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1073416541542100082004-01-06T21:15:00.000+02:002004-01-06T21:16:01.056+02:00The new season of Alias started in South Africa tonight. It was a delightful first episode; we just miss our American buddies who watched it with us every week. The American season is almost done and we are only just beginning! Lollie and I also watched Seabiscut today and it was a good movie - never underestimate the underdog!
Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1073334069827657212004-01-05T22:21:00.000+02:002004-01-05T22:21:29.020+02:00Added a rss feed to the site.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1073325788169178372004-01-05T20:03:00.000+02:002004-01-05T20:03:27.500+02:00Driving in the emergency lane
First day back in the routines back home. It’s good being back. I’ve meditated on our driving experience on Friday. The drive back from the Cape Province to Johannesburg took fourteen hours – some beautiful scenery – but still a long ride. Driving in South Africa presents some challenges; one of them is an unspoken rule that goes like this:
If you drive a fast Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1073221057973991052004-01-04T14:57:00.000+02:002004-01-04T14:57:56.200+02:00We had a great vacation
Our vacation was an absolute blast. We rested and had some wonderful bike rides. Our first few days were spent camping and then we stayed in a wonderful condo 100 yards from the ocean. Today was our first gathering at Kleipotgemeente for 2004 and it was a blast to see everyone.
Tonight we will watch Ruturn of the King as a family - I'm really excited.
All the best Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1071521906194411462003-12-15T22:58:00.000+02:002003-12-15T22:59:08.793+02:00We are going on a vacation
Friends, Lollie and I leave for the ocean tomorrow!
Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year,
We'll be back on the 2nd of January.
During this time we can't read ..
E-mails
Internet
Any bills
Bad weather
Geniet julle vakansie!Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1071255484040136042003-12-12T20:58:00.000+02:002003-12-12T20:58:16.326+02:00The thief in the night
We woke up this morning and found that our wheel (hub) caps were stolen last night. It's sick to think that someone jumped over our gate and stole them. I told Lollie: 'thankfully they only stole the caps', she responded that it's so sad that we should be grateful that they only stole our caps!
This week was a hard work week. Our whole community will be scaterred Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1070999640415624642003-12-09T21:54:00.000+02:002003-12-09T21:54:11.976+02:00I'm using Typepad to build a site for our community. Check it out at kleipotgemeente.org.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1070998284415549602003-12-09T21:31:00.000+02:002003-12-12T21:13:46.066+02:00This floated in cyberspace for the last few weeks, I guess someone found NEMO!!!Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1070992366973138252003-12-09T19:52:00.000+02:002003-12-09T19:52:59.306+02:00Guess what? I realized today that our faith community is totally organic. We are living the script of our own geography and not copying something that works in another city, country or continent. It takes so much pressure off! I guess it must be like finding out that you can only parent your children by being you. Kleipot gemeente is proving to be a wonderful experiment of home-grown grace.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1070991861451227812003-12-09T19:44:00.000+02:002003-12-09T19:48:13.450+02:00A lot happened in the last week here in the Smith house:
- My dad had an operation on his shoulder. I’m the official dresser at the moment – it’s kind of weird to dress
my dad!
- Dirk (my brother) wrote the Charted Financial Analyst exam and studied his butt off. He also went to the Christmas party at my dad’s firm. (it was a fancy dress)
- Francois (the other Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1070377098735113262003-12-02T16:56:00.000+02:002003-12-02T16:58:28.416+02:00Taxi to soweto
Slimer and i went to Soweto today. Soweto is the toenship South of Johannesburg. It was created as a segregated black area during the apartheids regime. It was fun. My friend graciously donated his mattress to Gloria and she really appreciated it.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1070222905187708542003-11-30T22:08:00.000+02:002003-11-30T22:08:35.076+02:00South African Thanksgiving
We had a great South African Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, pumpkin pie, beans, and some delicious potatoes were features of the meal. It was weird eating these hot foods on an extremely warm and sunny African day. Nonetheless we had a blast. The highlight was undoubtedly the sharing time. It struck me how diverse our community is. We have people in their twenties Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1069960091052364582003-11-27T21:08:00.000+02:002003-11-27T21:15:36.716+02:00Operation mend the pot
We had a great visit last night. Sunday we broke a clay pot and gave everyone a piece to write a prayer in. Last night was operation “put it all back together”. Our evening was spent praying and playing. When we broke the pot, we placed it in a bag and threw it on the floor. The pot scattered into a lot of pieces (something the group repeatedly told me). ‘Why didn’t Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1069684923439959232003-11-24T16:42:00.000+02:002003-11-24T16:42:11.196+02:00Kleipot Gemeente/ Clay pot community
That’s the metaphor our community chose. It’s derived from Paul’s words in second Corinthians; we carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. We used our gathering on the weekend to unpack the use of clay, clay pots and potters in the Bible. Lollie and I planned a cool service with some great worship songs, poignantThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1069169365356680642003-11-18T17:29:00.000+02:002003-11-24T16:40:03.510+02:00The relation between a horse ass and a space shuttle
It's raining in Johannesburg! I love it - just seeing God's cleansing power. He washes all the yuck and dirt away. He is truly the Living Water. I watched an interesting movie today, The man who sued God. In conjunction with that I'm reading Chesterton's Orthodoxy - it's a slow read with a lot of witt and substance. I found a few cool Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1068749364888431412003-11-13T20:49:00.000+02:002003-11-13T20:49:29.766+02:00Choosing a name for our community
We had a lot of fun choosing a name for our community. Jacques came up with the brilliant idea of choosing movie names:
Tomb Raiders
There's something about Mary (excellent for a Catholic group)
I really don't like ministries who are named after the founders, in response to this Jacques proposed:
The Thomas Crown affair :)
Maybe you have some movie names asThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1068625060628713182003-11-12T10:17:00.000+02:002003-11-12T10:17:45.653+02:00THE CHRIST LIFE IS A CHILDREN’S PARTY
Every Tuesday I meet with my friend Hermann – some of you know him as Slimer. Our favorite meeting place is a place called Wimpy. A fast-food chain in South Africa we go there because of the mega coffee. A huge cup of Java!
Wimpy is also a wonderful place for kids and some parents use it as a venue for hosting children parties. Yesterday we had such aThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1067973998420848522003-11-04T21:26:00.000+02:002003-11-04T21:26:41.456+02:00The static at the gymnasium
I started reading Michener’s book ‘The Source’ today and its gripping stuff. It explores the Jews and their history through captivating story. I just returned from the gymnasium, went at 20:00 thinking I would miss the stampede – I was mistaken. While biking I listened to a tape by Eugene Peterson that he taught at Regent on the Beatitudes, good stuff! Tonight wasThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1067627674047178582003-10-31T21:14:00.000+02:002003-10-31T21:53:24.093+02:00We found a place to meet as a group. It’s a community hall in a neighborhood called Berario Recreation Centre. This is so exciting because we will share this place with the community at large. Classes like belly dancing, yoga, pottery, pre- and postnatal and Tai Chi Chuan Qigong (whatever that might be) will be in the same place. Yippee and thank you God!!
By the way the picture has Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1067627323865730962003-10-31T21:08:00.000+02:002003-10-31T21:08:45.990+02:00WWLD? What would Luther do?
Today we remember Martin Luther who reformed the structures that squeezed the life out of the God life. He was a man who confronted the system head-on. Like Jesus cleansing the temple – driving the misdirecting souls away to prevent the happening of misdirected souls.
Some people contend that we need another reformation. I think I agree. We need to reform Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1067450163872693742003-10-29T19:56:00.000+02:002003-10-29T19:56:04.820+02:00I met up with an old friend today. We ‘accepted’ Christ at almost the same time – I walked into the life of ministry he studied psychology. He lives with his girlfriend and in the first five minutes of our conversation apologized profusely. A few months ago the two of them went to a church service, it was his girlfriend’s first. The whole service was designed around premarital sex – that it’sThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1067278119835795722003-10-27T20:08:00.000+02:002003-10-27T20:08:40.910+02:00A jog down memory lane
While jogging in the neighborhood on Saturday I enjoyed the calm of Randburg. It was a blistering hot day and the trees offered some spots of shade, a wonderful respite from the sun. Johannesburg has a lot of trees, in fact its one of the biggest man made forests in the world.
I jogged through memory lane. So much has changed from the time I rode my bike through the Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1066898365185517272003-10-23T10:39:00.000+02:002003-10-23T10:39:25.010+02:00In our effort to advance the Kingdom and partake in the building of the church it's so easy to get trapped in the structures used by God to advance His message. A week can pass without talking about Jesus, everything revolves around 'church'. In doing this we smother the essence of what the Kingdom is all about!
I read this passage on the Henri Nouwen site which served as a huge reminder!
Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1066848231428177262003-10-22T20:43:00.000+02:002003-10-22T20:55:37.133+02:00A few months ago I read the Da Vinci Code. Here is an interesting review from Life's Prologue that runs counter to the hooha about the book. Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1066847462782544972003-10-22T20:31:00.000+02:002003-10-22T20:31:02.496+02:00I am rereading the Divine Conspiracy and really enjoying it. Dallas Willard is a seasoned guide on the highways of God. We are also listening to a teaching series of John Ortberg entitled “If Jesus ran the world”. The whole series is about the Kingdom of God. The fact that Jesus’ message was and still is the Kingdom of God and not just a list of minimum requirements for going to heaven.
I Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1066760550343793722003-10-21T20:22:00.000+02:002003-10-21T20:22:30.270+02:00I hate false accusations. Stories floating around about your reputation. People discussing you without including you in the conversation taking your name in vain. I’m in a situation like this right now. Should I defend this rumor? Should I just leave it and let it be?
I don’t know the answer but I know it hurts – even more when it’s Christians.
+++ God be our defender +++
Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1066667421737114712003-10-20T18:30:00.000+02:002003-10-20T18:30:21.530+02:00Sunday was a wonderful day in Johannesburg. We woke up to the sound of rain, drenching rain. Slowly doing its saturating work, each drop feeding the roots of a thirsty plant or organism. It rained the whole day and still is.
Our group also met and we had a wonderful discussion about Jesus as the Cornerstone of our lives. How he was a Tekton – the Greek word for ‘mason’. Recent archeology Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1066248912097704232003-10-15T22:15:00.000+02:002003-10-15T22:16:35.456+02:00In the last year or so I made a startling discovery! Jesus was a Jew. It’s weird how we interpret Jesus through our own cultural lens. Whether that is Jesus as an American, African, Asian, Australian or whatever, the fact remains he was a Jew.
This revelation brought a new awareness of my roots as a Christian. If you follow my grafted position to the roots you will find father Abraham. Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1065617555158450512003-10-08T14:52:00.000+02:002003-10-08T14:52:35.380+02:00Mozambique is our neighboring country, a fourteen hour drive from the house I grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. The difference between these two countries is huge. Twelve days in the town of Manica highlighted these differences.
The most obvious is in language, Portuguese and Shauna are the languages spoken in Mozambique – apart from the ‘hellos and goodbyes’ I can’t understand a singleThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1065373712921278362003-10-05T19:08:00.000+02:002003-10-05T19:08:33.016+02:00Mzungu! Mzungu! That word rained on us during our two week stay in Mozambique. The word means “White man” and little kids vocally affirmed our presence in their backyard using them. One evening we went to a show performed by the band practicing in Schalk’s garage. I stood there during the show’s rehearsal, fifty teenagers looking at me as if I’m the odd one out – I was! They shouted at me Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1064560756103982132003-09-26T09:14:00.000+02:002003-09-26T09:19:16.020+02:00Mozambique is amazing! We slept in a little bush town called Sussundenga where we supported the band who practices in Schalk`s garage. The concert continued till four this morning and started at five pm!! Africa time is amazing, yesterday started at seven am. Our task for the day: pick up the band members and take them to Sussundenga - 100 miles away. We finally arrived there at three o´Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1064174292555862652003-09-21T21:58:00.000+02:002003-09-21T21:58:11.913+02:00Lollie returned on Thursday and our reunion has been sweet. I love my wife; she is my best friend and my lover. After salvation she is definitely the best thing that happened to me. My BL (Before Lollie) years can be described as a colorless, black and white ordeal. The AL (After Lollie) years are marked by being more courteous, organized, neat and having a better diet. She's my highlighter.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1063567267568897962003-09-14T21:21:00.000+02:002003-09-14T21:24:58.560+02:00Adventures are impregnated with expectations and anticipations. These two elements provide the excitement in the air before the journey. Nights before the adventure are spent dreaming, imagining, visioning. When Lollie decided to go to Italy it already started. In my mind I conceived a plan for hiking the Grand Traverse – two hundred and eighty kilometers on the highest mountain range in Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1063001725234590322003-09-08T08:15:00.000+02:002003-09-08T08:15:25.246+02:00Two weeks of soul searching and adventure start today. With Lollie in Italy at the moment I decided to fulfill one of my life dreams. Hiking the grand traverse in the Drakensberg Mountains. Drakensberg means dragon’s back and serves as a picture of the ridges in these extraordinary mountains
Hiking in the Berg is tough. We (Schalk and I) will hike 250 kilometers in twelve days. One of the Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062673415853526412003-09-04T13:03:00.000+02:002003-09-04T13:03:35.806+02:00Tom always says that our site is called soulgardeners not soulgardener for a reason. That reason being that I am supposed to say my say as well. I said I’ll say something if I really have something to share. So………
This Sunday our small gathering of Jesus followers got together as usual the topic this Sunday was grace, which was a good thing since I had to facilitate our time together. To learn Lolliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06310390708031262366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062595880881606872003-09-03T15:31:00.000+02:002003-09-03T15:31:20.830+02:00We looked after Slimer's house the last few days. It seemed to be a good opportunity to be alone, a hiatus from staying with our parents. On arrival we saw a Nile flowing through their kitchen! Liters of water oozed its way slowly towards the other side of the room.
Slimer warned us, and asked us to use the towels on their balcony to clean the mess. We used the two towels, repeatedly. AfterThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062594403291161272003-09-03T15:06:00.000+02:002003-09-03T15:06:43.300+02:00Next-wave got a face-lift thanks to Jason Evans and his friends, they published one of my ramblings about my sermon struggles check it out - here.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062418962262231732003-09-01T14:22:00.000+02:002003-09-01T14:22:42.256+02:00Imagine a human being without a spine! It will be a mess. It’s no different in the spiritual life, without a spiritual spine we can’t function. Our Christian heritage offers us a rich legacy that’s helpful for obtaining such a spine or a ‘rule of life’.
“A Rule of Life is a pattern of spiritual disciplines that provides structure and direction for growth in holiness.”
Marjorie Thompson
Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062162447527461572003-08-29T15:07:00.000+02:002003-08-29T15:08:01.890+02:00RAT RACE
Humor me in reading another story from our recent visit to the Kruger Park. Our visit also served as a bridge building opportunity. Not of the physical kind but figuratively. One of my childhood friends work on a farm and I saw him for the first time in over three years. It was wonderful to visit with him and his wife who dated for almost ten years before tying the knot!
He works Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062096790208468532003-08-28T20:53:00.000+02:002003-08-28T20:54:12.216+02:00I'm busy preparing a sermon. The family is watcing a program called FAKING IT. It's a British reality show where they take a girl who grew up in a 'common' part of London through a month of intensives , training her to pass as a London higer class girl. The one scene I caught was in the restaurant where the guy asked her questions, she responded in a wonderful way. He advised her to tone downThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062088021092243372003-08-28T18:27:00.000+02:002003-08-28T21:25:31.726+02:00This is my brother Francois. A genius in his own right. Brilliant with all things computer, electronic and hair. You can e-mail him at onyxgoat@magicmail.co.za to congratulate him on his stunning hair.
My father does not approve of his current looks. His hair elicits at least one negative comment from the old man. He says his hair reminds him of a "Freakin' bushpig". I disagree. He remindsThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1062081737161413342003-08-28T16:42:00.000+02:002003-08-28T16:42:17.176+02:00Lollie is sick. She has been in bed from Monday. We took her to the doctor on Wednesday after we failed at curing her ourselves on Monday and Tuesday. Our doctor is really good - she is a pastor's wife too.
I had a good lunch with a friend I haven't seen for three years. We had a stimulating conversation about the Kingdom of God and how we can be part of it. During our conversation we notedThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1061881171469869592003-08-26T08:59:00.000+02:002003-08-26T08:59:31.326+02:00Staying in the Kruger Park is a tradition in lots of families. It also involves a particular rhythm. In order to see wildlife it’s essential to wake up early; five thirty will work. Game drinks early in the morning and late in the evening; those two times are the best time for sightings.
A typical day in Kruger consists of an early morning wakeup a game drive till eleven eating a brunch Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-10618234149910602003-08-25T16:56:00.000+02:002003-08-25T16:56:55.020+02:00Our time in the Kruger Park was a blast. We saw a lot of animals and had some good experiences. Over the next few days I’ll post some incidents and stories.
Marloth Park is a settlement on the banks of the Crocodile River. Animals live freely with people. My mother’s brother and his wife live there. Our first evening was spent with them; they have a beautiful home with an unobstructed viewThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1061191793399408592003-08-18T09:29:00.000+02:002003-08-18T09:29:53.340+02:00The Kruger National Park is one of the biggest game reserves in the world. It hosts the big five: lion; rhinoceros; elephant; leopard and buffalo. Lollie and I will spend Monday to Thursday watching game, driving through God’s creation and just hanging out in one of the wildest sanctuaries on earth.
I really hope we’ll see lion and a pack of wild dogs. On my wish list you will also find an Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060973334530679572003-08-15T20:48:00.000+02:002003-08-15T20:53:15.010+02:00South African Independence Day
Today was a big day towards our own independence. A Smith independence day if you wish. For the last three months we were fortunate to drive with our parents’ car. It was a huge blessing. My mother sacrificed and inconvenienced herself big time, giving us her vehicle.
The last eight weeks we looked for a car. It was a long and hard process. Yet, we thank Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060804948815243252003-08-13T22:02:00.000+02:002003-08-13T22:15:18.750+02:00I found this article via Emerging Minister. It’s about the editor of GQ living in the Christian subculture for a week. He reads, watches, eats and surfs only Christian stuff…
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
BUT MORE, IMPORTANT, WHAT WERE JESUS' FINTNESS SECRETS? IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE GROWING MILLIONS OF AMERICANS LIVING IN THE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR CHRISTIAN ALTERNACULTURE—IN WHICH EVERYTHING IN MAINSTREAMThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060788163563933572003-08-13T17:22:00.000+02:002003-08-13T17:27:30.513+02:00CONFUSED SIGNS
A few years ago our family hiked through a well-known forest in South Africa. The hike is a mixture of excitement and mystery. Eons of history echo in the silence of the lush hushed vegetation. Anticipation is heightened by knowledge of some animals roaming free in the bush – Elephant!
My brother and father, saints that they are, removed a precious sign from the forest (Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060721454418735692003-08-12T22:50:00.000+02:002003-08-12T22:50:54.430+02:00Every now and then we discover a gem. Unpublished, un-hyped but mature these gems once discovered prove to be so enriching. Lollie and I wanted to see a movie the other day and chose Whale Rider, a movie from New Zealand. I had no expectations and not a clue what it would be about. It was a gem. I shared with Lollie my fear that it won’t be shown in the States (it will be Terminated by the Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060634239464817782003-08-11T22:37:00.000+02:002003-08-11T22:37:19.406+02:00Oh, by the way we're experiencing the season's first thunder storm. The wind is howling and the sky is illuminated with flashes. Spectacular. I'm going to bed now. Enjoy your day and evening.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060633906790632172003-08-11T22:31:00.000+02:002003-08-11T22:33:19.170+02:00Farewell to a friend
We had a fun day with our friend Schalk. Schalk works in Mozambique. He lives in the town of Vanduzi where he is one of ten whities. His project entails farming, teaching people English and helping people through sport and computer skills.
We love Schalk. Miss Betty , his dog, will travel with him to Moz a first for her. The locals are known for eating dogs (when Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060198912294246482003-08-06T21:41:00.000+02:002003-08-06T21:49:18.556+02:00Lollie and I watched Terminator 3 today. It was pretty good, I think primarily because we had no expectations or hype to spoil the moment. We also bought a baby shower gift for one of Lollie's friends. It's interesting how our friends are moving into the getting babies faze. Will we follow soon?
Today the fine people at Ruimsig let us know that they really want us to apply for the position Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1060023856001859562003-08-04T21:04:00.000+02:002003-08-04T21:10:57.036+02:00Over the weekend we (my dad and I) played in a golf tournament, it was great fun. We ended in joint sixth place. Golf is a great way for me and him to bond. My dad has a lot of golf books, in fact I sometimes think he finds more pleasure in reading and trying new ‘methods’ than just playing. His latest book has an illustration in the beginning chapter which starts with a cesspool at the Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1059507599624835232003-07-29T21:39:00.000+02:002003-07-29T21:39:59.523+02:00Worlds colliding
On our way to the church where we are volunteering for the time being we experience a clashing of two worlds. First world and third world flowing into each other, a brand new Mercedes Benz and the poorest of the poor so close to each other that the underprivileged man can smell the fumes from the vehicle and the poor man a blur in the rich man’s mirror.
It’s a mind-bender to Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-105847259578909302003-07-17T22:09:00.000+02:002003-07-17T22:09:55.780+02:00Sermon Struggles
I have a confession to make. I don’t think preaching works. Now before you reach for a rock, physical or cyber, hear me out. Traditional preaching doesn’t and won’t work in the new world. I’m a pastor and therefore the ‘sermon’ is a huge part of what I trained for, prepare and deliver on a weekly basis.
Hours of my life are invested into the art and craft of sermon. Some Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1058354921586798802003-07-16T13:28:00.000+02:002003-07-16T13:28:41.520+02:00The Hamstring chronicles continue.
My hamstrings are short. When I do stretches, the right way, with my back straight and not hunched over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame I can only stretch halfway up my leg.
The physiotherapist tells me that I have to stretch A LOT. My shortened hamstrings will need two months of disciplined stretching in order to lengthen. A shortened, cold hamstring Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1058262874109195902003-07-15T11:54:00.000+02:002003-07-15T11:54:33.926+02:00Hamstring stories
Life is a sequential cycle of happy, sad, life, death, winning loosing – and you know what. These extremes keep us in balance by the act of being out of balance. Like the rest of the human sapiens on earth I’m also subscribed to this weird rhythm. Let me explain.
Squash. A word that brings up a myriad of images. Like the time you wished a big African python would squash Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1057741713519630272003-07-09T11:08:00.000+02:002003-07-09T11:11:35.226+02:00Lanes Merging.
We were in the United States for three years; detached from our homeland and the rhythms of our friends and acquaintances. Our lives are merging again. Everyday we see someone familiar, our brains start to process the face open the folder with the name and then we start the greetings. It’s fun. The cobwebs over years of rhythms are clearing up. The week of our arrival we feltThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1057669777165636342003-07-08T15:09:00.000+02:002003-07-08T15:09:37.143+02:00Cyanide
Pick ‘n Pay is a South African version of Safeway in America. A convenient way for millions of people to buy groceries and goodies for the house. They have a problem. In the last few weeks they are being held hostage. The hostage takers are poisoning some of the food in the stores. Sardine cans, chips and other products are injected with cyanide. It is headline news in SA. The Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1057064215796434072003-07-01T14:56:00.000+02:002003-07-01T14:56:55.633+02:00The Da Vinci Code
Those who signed up for the discussion let's read the book and when you're done just post in the shout out that you're ready to rumble! Once we're done reading the book we'll discuss.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1057064096946228472003-07-01T14:54:00.000+02:002003-07-01T14:54:56.786+02:00God is amazing. For the past few weeks I’ve used a Celtic Prayer book as a part of my rule of life. July’s entry starts with the heading PILIGRIMAGE; the word is derived from the Latin word peregrinus that means ‘foreign’. The Jews went on a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Psalms of Ascent was sung during that journey,
Psalm 120:1 reads: “I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to himThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1056559642242475952003-06-25T18:47:00.000+02:002003-06-25T18:47:22.116+02:00Reading and learning
We spent some time with good friends this week. Those of you who know us well understand that we have a huge value of allowing COF's (Cool Old Farts) into our lives. This week we reconnected with some of them. One of the blessings of our visit was an answer to the question: How can we discover the history and climate of our country? Our friends directed us to a bunch ofThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1056382797419350672003-06-23T17:39:00.001+02:002003-06-23T17:45:21.120+02:00Leonardo Da Vinci and Jesus
I love reading, therefore people ask me what is the best book you read in the last year? A few months ago a Brazilian dude gave his wife a book. His wife told me to read it – I did and it propelled me into a searching. In the midst of a lot of postmodern talk going on, the book I read was a wonderful introduction into what we will experience in the religious Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1056228664135399192003-06-21T22:51:00.000+02:002003-06-21T22:51:03.986+02:00The Australian blogger Darren (whose rugby team is better than the Springboks but lost to England today) wrote a very funny article on Harry Potter, he will make a lot of money with this.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-1056226762877092562003-06-21T22:19:00.000+02:002003-06-21T22:21:36.790+02:00I'm depressed
Spent some time surfing the blog world - and to tell the truth it depressed me. Why you might ask? Well because to use some Maslow - it seems like most people I'm reading are in self-actualization mode. I'm on surviving; trying to get a life- mode. Most of the posts I read have stimulating questions and discussions in contrast the discussion in my head goes something like Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2004413052003-06-20T13:40:00.000+02:002003-06-20T13:40:49.720+02:00
We are back from our trip. It was very good for us. Our time was spent eating, praying, sleeping, talking and doing things husbands and wives do when they go away on trips like this. Yesterday we told our friend in Alberton that we don’t feel like his church is a fit we thank God for giving us clarity regarding this
We barbequed on our vacation – and as you can see it was good! We ate a Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2004313432003-06-17T10:51:00.000+02:002003-06-17T10:51:09.870+02:00It has been more than a week since our last blog! The last week has been hard. It is difficult not to have your own place – a place where we can crash and just be ourselves. We are staying with our parents and we are really grateful for that, but nothing beats your own place.
Our friends Slimer and Adel gave us their timeshare at Magaliespark, and we will be there from today to Thursday. We Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2004023732003-06-09T15:24:00.000+02:002003-06-09T15:24:51.560+02:00It is amazing how easy we can adapt. Give us some time in a certain environment and we morph with the environment. It starts with a challenge and then we meet it – surviving. After years of living this way we become so accustomed to ‘survival mode’ it’s second nature!
I remember when we came back to South Africa for the first time after being gone for six months. In a certain way we were Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003930062003-06-06T12:50:00.000+02:002003-06-06T12:50:10.453+02:00Today is a weird Johannesburg day. Rain season is summer but it is raining big time today. We even have some thunder storms coming thru! Winter with rain. Today is our first Sabbath day in South Africa – my brother Dirk made a fire and we’re reading, thinking, sleeping and praying in front of the hearth.
I’m rereading The return of the Prodigal by Nouwen. It’s one of my favorite books. So Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003883182003-06-05T14:55:00.000+02:002003-06-05T15:05:24.000+02:00Driving Miss Daisy
The last few days have been NUTS. We are running around doing paperwork and getting settled into a rhythm. The past few days we applied for medical insurance - South Africa has the best medical insurance. Dicovery has been voted as the best scheme in a worldwide competition. This weekend we will preach at one of the churches in Alberton - a town in the North of Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003748992003-06-02T21:00:00.000+02:002003-06-02T21:00:44.140+02:00Incarnation
Incarnation. A theological word. A concept we take for granted. God living among us, drinking our water, breathing our polluted air, sharing in the uneasiness of our lives, what a blessing that is. He understands us!
We lived in the United States for the past three years and now we are back in Africa. Africa is different from the States. In a lot of ways – shapes, thoughts, Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003683882003-05-31T23:01:00.000+02:002003-05-31T23:01:10.396+02:00We went to Lollie's reunion today. It was good and sad at the same time. Good to see my wife mingle with old friends, bad because some of them have not changed a bit. They are still amused by booze - getting motherlessly drunk is still their favorite hobby. Most people asked us the predictable question : "So what are you doing?" To which we only replied - nothing - trying to figure out what Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003590412003-05-29T22:34:00.000+02:002003-05-29T22:34:00.416+02:00Today is Ascension Day – the day Christ rose to heaven. It’s a day that can be very deceptive, in distance that is. Hearing the phrase ‘Jesus went to heaven’ can leave us with emptiness - almost a lost ness. Thank God that it’s not true! He is not far removed from us. He is intimately involved with me and you and every person in the world.
The Lord’s Prayer starts with the first phrase: Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003590322003-05-29T22:32:00.000+02:002003-05-31T22:44:19.000+02:00Seductive Statistics
Statistics have the subtle power of seduction,
Infamous for reducing to the impersonal -
A precious child of God turned into a dollar amount,
A hungry soul reduced to an attendance figure in Excel!
I’ve lived that way far too long!
Raving and bragging about comparative statistics -
No reverence for the individual stories,
Lusting for bigger and more
Over time only .......
Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003524592003-05-28T16:05:00.000+02:002003-05-28T16:05:41.090+02:00We are home!
Just a quick note to let you know that we arrived home in one piece. We are really tired and feel like emotional wrecks. It was hard saying goodbye in the Springs but also very cool to say hello in South Africa. It's my birthday today and our families will celebrate tonight with my mom's cooking - yeah! We love all of our friends!
If you commented in the last post, please Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003419922003-05-26T21:37:00.000+02:002003-05-26T21:38:16.000+02:00Check out this new site! These people are the REAL THING.
Please pray for us as we make the transition back to Africa. Our flight will be 39 loooooooong hours.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2003190302003-05-20T23:55:00.000+02:002003-05-20T23:57:09.000+02:00In less than a week we will be on a plane heading for South Africa.
The last few days have been emotional. A lot of good-byes.
Who knows what God will do?
We are lightening up - all our possessions in two suitcases.
It feels great to be mobile again.
I spent my day clearing my deleted folder in outlook. I've kept every e-mail since 2000 in there. As I deleted every one of them I had a lot ofThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002966962003-05-15T20:48:00.000+02:002003-05-21T00:08:40.000+02:00Muscle memory
When you repeatedly execute a physical movement like for instance a pro-golfer hitting a ball then you develop a muscle memory. A person with muscle memory can hit a golf ball with their eyes closed. In the spiritual life we are urged to develop the same principle. The ancient writings continually encourage us to REMEMBER.
I was thinking about all this earlier this morning. AsThomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002911672003-05-14T20:45:00.000+02:002003-05-14T20:45:32.100+02:00We are back in Colorado Springs. Our visit in San Luis Obispo and Camas Washington was great. The trip was refreshing in a relational sense; it's always good catching up with friends. Today in two weeks we will be back in South Africa, it will also be my birthday. Most of the practicalities in moving have been taken care of and now we can hang out with friends!
Something happened in Camas Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002787602003-05-12T17:52:00.000+02:002003-05-12T17:52:17.260+02:00If only .....
We had a good weekend. Visited with some friends and made some new ones. Last night we had a discussion about church and how to be and do it. I went to bed haunted by this quote I read on Greg's site. If we would only spend as much time talking about Jesus as we do about church.....
This is a Henri Nouwen quote:
"If you were to ask me point blank: 'what does it mean to live Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002714902003-05-10T17:39:00.000+02:002003-05-10T17:42:48.000+02:00Reflections on grapefruit
On a recent trip we ate some fruit over breakfast with some friends. Eating a grapefruit is how I want to live life. To successfully eat grapefruit you have to slice it in two – then use a special knife to dissect it after which you lift the flesh out and eat. After you’ve depleted the fleshy part of the meat, you squeeze the fruit to get the juice out. Our hostess Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002503752003-05-06T18:51:00.000+02:002003-05-06T18:51:43.240+02:00Bush mail
My friend Schalk van Heerden - who is doing some amazing work in Mozambique sent me this piece, some good thoughts to ponder:
I’m not a morning person. Never has been and at times wonder if I ever willbe. This is not conducive to early morning ‘talking with God’.
Two days ago, on a 2100km trip from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Manica (Mozambique) I slept over in a small hotel Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002425392003-05-05T08:03:00.000+02:002003-05-05T08:03:56.466+02:00On the road again
We're in California this week Will blog on the road.
Please visit this newcomer to the web.
Have a good day.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002309122003-05-02T06:16:00.000+02:002003-05-02T06:19:12.000+02:00The spirituality of toilets
We all use the white throne regularly; at least I hope so. A month ago I noticed it for the first time. On the rim of one of the most used and less noticed seats in the world you will find something like this:
1gpf/3.8lpf
It stands for 1 gallon per flush or 3.8 liters per flush. It indicates the flow rate of the toilet. We all know without a good flow rate the Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002192682003-04-30T03:54:00.000+02:002003-04-30T03:54:53.246+02:00We are totally wasted today!
Yesterday was a monumental day:
- We moved out of our appartment
- We moved into our missionary friends' house (the same one we lived in for 7 months three years ago)
- We sold our car
The desert father's said that our spirits have to catch up with our bodies and advised times of silence and contemplation - I need to do that.
Below you will find part 3 of our Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002192532003-04-30T03:51:00.000+02:002003-04-30T03:51:44.646+02:00Part 3/3 The Montana Trip
Our trip to Yellowstone and Teton National Park was executed in typical Tom Smith planning style. No planning – just go and plan on the road. So you can guess my disappointment when the fine ranger at the Teton’s told me that only the West Gate of Yellowstone was open. To get to the West gate we had to drive 3 hours – through Idaho. So early Saturday morning we Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861689.post-2002030722003-04-26T16:36:00.000+02:002003-04-26T16:36:36.000+02:00Part 2/3 The Montana trip (thoughts on our resignation)
We woke on Friday with snow drizzling down in Jackson, Wyoming. Although the sun rose, it was as if everything were clouded in mystery. Good Friday is actually a very real and earthy day – Jesus struggling through the day obedient to the Father’s will.
Church of the Transfiguration is a little church with an awesome view of the Tetons.Thomas Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01574027400663179550noreply@blogger.com