Tuesday, 05 January 2010

The energy of change

I love change. I can go on for miles as long as know that whatever I am working on will shape, grow, demold, reshape and start growing again. That is the power of a new year for me, the potential and the go-ahead for change. It is as if everyone this time of the year are open toward new ideas. The world around me starts to dream, so I just follow the creative stream.

But this year, instead of trying to bring in something big en new, I'll be working on the lifestyle changes I made last year, trying to keep up the good work that is already going on inside me.

Here is my list of old things I'll keep on doing, but maybe just a little better:

Eat more from our veggie patch.
To keep on blogging and writing.
Read as wide and often as I can.
Keep on adding to a greener lifestyle.
Stay fit (last year needed to become fit!).
Learn how to pray.
Share my life.
Give away.
Humor the roles society gives me.
Stay connected (especially with El, my wife).

Tomorrow I will reflect about the meaning of this list.

4 comments:

Deon TerBlanche said...

"Learn how to pray"! Care to elaborate? I don't understand, I, as as mere mortal must admit that for some reason, call it personality, genetics or whatever (most definitely not a lack of belief) cannot pray. To me it is my worst attribute and it troubles me no end. Now, I read you say "Learn how to pray" and this coming from a preacher gives me little hope, in fact it makes me want to give up trying, because if YOU can't pray I will never be able to!

Unknown said...

Deon, thanx for the honesty in your comment. I studied for 6 years, worked for 4 years in small community and now I am heading for my second year at a macro church comminuty, and still I struggle with prayer.

Recently I took a fresh new look at Jesus and prayer.

The friends of Jesus spent three years with him, and only at the end of their time with him, did they asked him about prayer(Luke 11). All he did was to give them a prayer no longer than 40 words and a few stories about friends, fathers, bread, fish and snakes.

Maybe we are making it more complicated and "religious" than prayer is suppose to be. Jesus made simple, almost earthly, real, intimate and short.

I am still learning though.

Deon TerBlanche said...

Thank you for the trouble to answer, I really appreciate it! I am sure this is not part of your job description, and furthermore it must bore you to death as you probably get the same silly questions all the time "at work" - (do you guys actually work? he, he, sorry just joking!)
I am still rather confused though, some preachers say one should ask in prayer, but not too much, others say you must thank and praise only, others say bla bla... the list goes on and on ad infinitum, which to the laymen is very confusing. Thus to me it is so nerve racking to pray in public that I avoid it at all costs, and if I can’t avoid it, I usually go completely “blank” while praying which is very embarrassing you can imagine! I also feel that when this happens, I “insult” God making things even worse! I would love to become much more involved with my local church helping wherever I can etc. etc. But I am so scared that somewhere I will be called upon to pray that I rather avoid getting involved with my church which obviously is also not good, but then so be it…! It is demoralising to hear you say that you are still learning to pray, that then surely makes it impossible for us to ever learn!

Unknown said...

Deon, dominees/pastors/priests are not saints. Most of the time they/we are the ones battling the most with our faith and life before God. Some might be better at prayer but struggle with love, others might struggle with prayer but through their relationships they help the kingdom come.

I think you must give yourselve a break. Your local community will benefit from your honesty about prayer, rather than your perfect prayers.