Sep 30, 2009 | South Africa, Top Ten Lists
Top of the week to ya! If Wednesday is hump day, I’m thinking it would be the “top” of the week –yeah? Anyway. I’m getting settled in South Africa pretty well. It helps to have visited a few times before the move. But I’m at the stage where if I walk out the front door, I’m likely to see something that will surprise me every day. Really fun. It’s good to learn new things.
Here are a few fun facts, so you can join me in the cultural immersion!
Top Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know about South Africa (Unless You’re South African)
10. South Africa averages less than one fatal shark attack every year. (For humans anyway). I would’ve thought it was more with those crazy breaching great whites!
9. Most shopping malls have a supermarket or two in them, and some other big department stores that have everything from games to coolboxes (coolers) to dishes, food and pool floats. Lots of people get shopping carts from these stores and push them around the mall. I am struggling to get used to getting sidelined by a grocery cart hurrying to a sale at the other end of the mall!
8. South Africa is roughly twice the size of Texas! Yee haw! We have a lot of trails to explore and I brought my cowboy hat.
7. English is one of 11 official languages in SA. The list also includes Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and Sesotho. Well, you may have known that if you read this blog the other day. There are five languages in the South African National Anthem.
6. Pic-n-Pay, a shoe store in the States, is a supermarket here! I especially like the Greek Yoghurt, and that you can buy milk in plastic bags instead of plastic cartons. (see example, below)
5. While South Africa was constitutionally obliged to fight with the British in WWII, the Prime Minister, Barry Hertzhog, preferred to either remain neutral, or be Pro-Axis (as in, fighting against the Allies.) Hertzhog was deposed, and Jan Smuts returned to power as Prime Minister, and declared war against Germany. He fortified the country against sea invasion because of its strategic positioning. The leaders of the Ossewabrandwag, a pro-Nazi South African movement, were jailed for the rest of the war after committing acts of sabotage!
4. Cape Point, near Cape Town is not the most southerly point of Africa, as is often thought. That accolade actually belongs to Cape Agulhas, which is 90 miles/150 km east-south-east. Cape Agulhas is also the generally agreed upon spot where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.
3. J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein. (That’s the writer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in case you were born yesterday!) And that’s Mark’s hometown!
2. There are six unique floral kingdoms in the world, one of which, the Cape Floral Kingdom, is only found in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It has 8,700 plant species, and 68% of them are only found in this tiny bit of South Africa!
1. The world’s first heart transplant was performed in Cape Town, South Africa, by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in 1967.
So here’s to learning more about a great country with a lot of heart! whaa-wha-whaaaa… 😉
xCC
Sep 29, 2009 | Stories, Travel..ling Tuesdays
This week’s Travelling Tuesday shot is from the Lake District in England. Mark and I went camping there a few years ago, and it was a beautiful weekend in some beautiful surroundings. What made this shot so special (besides the fact that it turned out fairly well considering we had the camera set on a tripod and were running back and forth using the timer) was that we went to the Spar (a wee grocery store) and bought a cheap disposable grill, some marinated lamb chops we found in the reduced section, a baguette and some drinks… And it was some of the BEST lamb we’ve ever enjoyed and a meal we often look back on with fondness! Mark even toasted the bread a little and it was lovely! It is amazing how some of the simple things in life can be more enjoyable than posh accommodation and a five-star restaurant. Hope you’ll enjoy the peaceful scene, and find one for yourself, sometime soon.
xCC
Sep 28, 2009 | Baby Photos, Stories, The Good Word
Sunday morning the Bear woke up with a sneezy, coughy, chesty cold. (I laugh when I use the term chesty — I first heard it when I went to the doctor with a bad cold for the first time in Scotland. He asked “Are you quite a chesty person?” Having no clue at first what “chesty” meant, I wanted to say, “Om, I think you can look at me and tell, I’m not a particularly chesty young lady. haha) Anyway! Asher had a cold is his chest, and we decided to stay at home, because this seemed to be the same cold he’d been struggling with since we passed through Scotland, and the weather wasn’t nice, and we thought rest would be the best thing for him.
We listened to some worship music and praised the Lord, listened to a podcast sermon, and spent time in prayer together while Asher had his usual morning nap. (Praise the Lord, he sleeps 2 – 2 1/2 hours every morning!) I was challenged to the core by something the pastor said over the course of that sermon. He was talking about an interview he’d seen of an atheist celebrity, who was talking about people trying to share the Gospel with him. The celeb said, “It doesn’t bother me so much, the people that preach to me. I don’t believe it, but what bothers me is the people who don’t. I mean, if you really believe there is a hell, how much do you have to hate someone not to tell them about it?”
Whoa. I thought that this was an incredible comment to make, and a perceptive observation. I think one of the greatest lies of the enemy, totally from the pit of hell, is the lie that there is no hell. Or that God is too nice and lovey dovey to ever send anyone there. Sometimes I find myself wanting to believe that. It is nicer to believe there isn’t a hell. It is nicer to think no matter what we live like in this life, the outcome will basically be the same. We want to believe all of our family members will be in heaven with us. If we do believe there’s no hell, then we don’t have to share the Gospel, and we can kind of just live how we want. The problem is, that is not what the Bible says! Ouch!
If you remember a wee while back, I was deep into the parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, and began to recognise a pattern. Jesus is constantly warning about the wrath that is to come, and more specifically about all the people who think they’re okay, but aren’t. Think about the wise and the foolish virgins (Matthew 25) — all of them were waiting for the bridegroom. Some of them just weren’t ready for him. Think about the parable of the talents in the same chapter. All of those guys were servants of the Master — some of them just didn’t understand who the Master was, or what His expectations were.
That’s what’s scary. Jesus is continually making it apparent that a lot of people who think they are all right with Him aren’t. Perhaps I can slightly modernize this statement for you: “Not everybody who says, ‘Yeah Jesus, you’re my homeboy…I mean Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The people who will are the ones who actually make Me their Lord, by doing My Father’s will. And when judgement comes, a lot of people are going to be like, ‘Hey Jesus! Remember me though, right? I prayed a prayer when I was five. Okay so maybe I didn’t do much after that but…remember me?’ Or, ‘Hey Jesus, I made you my Lord! I went to church every Sunday. And I did stuff in Your Name.’ But I’m going to have to reply, ‘I didn’t know you. Depart from Me. You ignored my commands and did your own thing.'” (Matthew 7:21-23, heavily paraphrased)
Now some of you might get a bit huffy at this point and say, “well, is our faith justified by our works, or are we saved by grace, and through faith? You make it sound like we work our way to heaven.” That is definitely not the case. I don’t believe your works get you into heaven — and hope you won’t believe that either for a second. Just like Ephesians 2 explains it, our salvation is by grace, and through faith. It is absolutely a gift of God, and it is not by works, so that no one can boast that they earned it in their own merit. And Romans 10 makes it clear again — if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved.
So is there a contradiction here? Not at all. If we really believe Jesus is who He says He is, and we confess Him as Lord, and actually mean it, then we are saying He is our Lord. Meaning He is boss. He is in the driver seat and we are riding shotgun. Â With the gift of His Holy Spirit, we can begin to follow His lead for our lives. As sheep spend time in the presence of a shepherd, and begin to learn His voice, we spend time in the presence of God, begin to learn His voice and His ways, and where He leads us, we follow.
If you are going to claim Christianity, it seems apparent from Scripture that there’s more to it than coming down to the front and praying a prayer once when you’re eight years old. It sounds to me like Jesus says, “Come and die, and find your life again in Me.” “Follow Me.” And if we really believe what the Scriptures say, then 1) we have to obey them and 2) we should be warning people about the judgement that is to come.
The only thing I know for sure we can do now that we won’t be able to do in heaven (besides sin) is share the Gospel. Because everyone in heaven will already know it. So here’s the opportunity. Start by asking, “Do I really know Him?” The next question is, “Do you?”
xCC
Sep 26, 2009 | Stories, The Good Word
The story of Esther always gets me excited. It’s like the Old Testament Jewish version of the Princess Diaries with Anne Hathaway. Sometimes you just need a reminder that if God is for you, no one can stand against you. And in Esther 6, I enjoyed that reminder today.
The backstory is, the Amalekite called Haman worked for the king, and he had a major superiority complex. Haman got a big promotion, and the king decreed that people would have to bow and pay homage to him. However, Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) would not bow down and pay homage to Haman, because he would only worship the true God, the God the Jews believed in. Haman was, shall we say, ‘bovvered’ and began conspiring to take Mordecai out — and the rest of the Jewish nation with him. Not long before that, Mordecai had discovered a conspiracy to assassinate the king — I know, the story just keeps getting better! And he alerted the king’s men, so that the plot was foiled. Meanwhile, Esther (who has risen to the position of Queen because the previous Queen wouldn’t honour the king, and was deposed) is trying to figure out how to save the Jews. Â So that should catch you up, basically.
In Chapter 6, the king finds out that Mordecai saved his life, and realises, “Ugh, guess I oughta do something for the fella who done saved my life.” So he asks Haman for some suggestions. Since Haman thinks the king must want to honour him, (a la, “Who is more honourable to the king than me, awesome Mr. Haman?”) he comes up with this awesome idea to parade the fellow the king wants to honour around the town in a royal robe the king has worn, and on a horse the king has ridden. And one of the most noble princes should go before him saying, “This is how it’s done when the king wanna honour someone!”
So, guess what? Mordecai receives the honour that Haman thought he was planning for himself, and Haman ends up being the guy who has to holler all around town, “This is how it’s done when the king wanna honour someone!” Haman is totally ashamed and runs home to his wife to cry his little eyes out. Â When he shares the whole story with his wife, and his wise friends, their response is this (pay attention this is the best part!) “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him but will surely fall before him.” The people in Haman’s day recognised that the Jews had a certain invincibility — the blessing of God was on them, and the curse of God was on their enemies. Haman was actually a descendant of the Amalekites, who were enemies of the Jews in generations previous — so he basically stood no chance.
This was such an encouragement to me because the promise of God for His children thousands of years ago is the promise of God for His children today! Even the things your enemies might fashion against you, God can use to bring about good for you. Â (See also Psalm 91. If you read on in Esther, you’ll see how amazingly well all this comes together). Carrying on from the theme yesterday, God is able to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. And as the story continues, He does, in amazing ways, in Mordecai’s life. That means that we can trust God, even in situations that look difficult, even in situations that are hard, awful, sad or even life-threatening, because He intends to take care of His children, whom He loves. And He will!
Mordecai loved God and risked His life in obedience to Him. God honoured him, and brought about the demise of his enemies. Take the tough route today! Honour God no matter what doing so might cost you, and trust Him to bless you for it. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land. That’s a promise.
xCC
Sep 25, 2009 | Hometastic Goodness
So, we thought some friends were coming over for a braai last night, (translation for my Americans & Brits: Grilling Out or Having a Barbecue) but when they weren’t able to make it, I had a ton of mashed potatoes left over, and they ended up being a super tasty treat this evening. So much so that I had to share the recipe. The Lord has blessed me with Faith like Potatoes again! (This time, meaning, faith that I could stand to eat potatoes again, after having them the night before, and just a few nights before that). If you’re not a fan of recipe-blogging, please say so and I’ll do my best to keep it to a minimum. However, if you are, let me know, because it will make my day! (Especially if you try it!)Â And I can perhaps begin an occasional Foodtastic Friday!
Now on to the tasty tasty tatties! I seriously made these with stuff that we already had in the flat — and considering the fact that we are in a holiday accommodation flat (meaning not the place we live) and most of my spices are hopefully floating along on a big cargo ship on their way here — I think they turned out pretty well.
These are da playas —
- 6 or 7 medium sized peeled, boiled and mashed potatoes
- Feta Cheese, Greek Yoghurt, butter, oil and a little milk
- Two or three slices of bread. Old ones are fine.
- And the following spices: Cayenne pepper, salt, garlic salt, oregano, and black pepper – preferably freshly ground (seriously, this is what I’ve picked up since we got here – all of it)
This is da game —
- Peel and boil your tatties until they’re soft. And while they’re boiling, keep yourself busy! Toast those two or three slices of toast, give ’em a coarse grate with your cheese grater, and toss them in the oven to get a little toastier. (On a baking tray, of course!) It’s nice if the bread crumbs have some big chunks in them, so don’t be bothered if they’re not Martha Stewart. Don’t neglect them! Give them an occasional glance and stir.
- Once your tatties have boiled, drain them and mash them in the same pot. No need to make a big mess! Melt in a few tablespoons of butter. Careful with this if you’re prone to heart disease. Maybe a reasonable facsimile is a good idea. But those have a whole other set of issues don’t they? Anyway, melt in some “butter or something” and pour in a half to 3/4 a cup of milk. Whatever’s on hand, unless it’s chocolate.
- Stir in a few healthy shakes of cayenne pepper…whatever’s good for you. Skip it if your kids don’t fancy the hotness. A half a teaspoon of salt, and another half of garlic salt or garlic powder come next. Of course salt isn’t so good for you either, so if you need to use less, I’ll understand. Just don’t blame me if it doesn’t taste so nice. Add a generous bit of oregano. Don’t be shy. Then grind in a healthy portion of black pepper and you are cooking!
- Now check on your breadcrumbs! Have you burnt them? Should you stir them? Hopefully you can bring them out now and let them cool a little.
- Next crumble in a few tablespoons of feta cheese, and a couple tablespoons of greek yoghurt. Plain yoghurt is also okay, I suppose…if you have to.
- Once all this is mixed together, taste it and see what’s missing. Add some more spices (and if you have to, butter) until you like how it tastes. If the consistency isn’t creamy, you might need a little more milk.
- Now slap a tablespoon of oil — olive, sunflower, whatever your pleasure — into a pyrex, and get messy spreading it around and up the edges with your fingers. Â Dollop your delightful mashed potatoes in, and spread them out until they’re fairly smooth and even. Sprinkle on your sassy homemade breadcrumbs, and feel free to layer them with a little grated cheese if you’re really feeling wild.
- Bake your Tasty Tasty Tatties in a hot oven: 200C or about 375F 40 – 50 minutes, until they’re hot hot hot, and your breadcrumbs are looking tastycrunchy.
I hope you enjoy your Tasty Tasty Tatties! Please let me know if you do, as it will warm my heart!
xCC
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