In His Image

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. -Benjamin Franklin Oh how countless the tempting moments I've succumbed to. 'It had to be said,' I thought. They say honesty is the best policy, but in many situations my intentions weren't always that noble. Sometimes it was verbal sparring, other times I had to vent, or make a point, or be witty, or make X understand, many times it was an unintentionally careless or thoughtless word. Once it was out, it was out there, and many a time thereafter, I had to eat my words. Hindsight is always 20/20 as they say, and how true that is, when it comes to our speech. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:2 None but one, have ever lived up to this truly high calling. But I think the purpose of this verse was never to frustrate t

It's been a dark few months in the world. In the wake of every imaginable disaster hitting different continents; political, religious, natural- I feel miniscule and helpless at the thought of it all. What could one person do to stop corruption, or the spread of Ebola, or save lives from terrorism? How can one ease the hurt and loss that plane crashes have caused? Is the one true theme in all these superhero movies the fact that the world is gradually getting worse? What does God think about all this? How do we manage to keep calm and carry on in the middle of such chaos? I think, somehow, quite comfortably. We watch the news, sigh in dismay, get back into our little bubbles and deal with our own problems, praying that we never have to personally face such a catastrophe. We have no way of telling when one day it will be our country, our families or friends but for now, we all have a part to play in mitigating of the repercussions of these disasters. These are exhortations to mysel

One afternoon as I went through my 'Soulful' playlist, a thought came to mind as I listened to one of my all-time favourites; Lana del Rey- 'Young and Beautiful'. Do obscenely good-looking people ever worry that their beauty is not enough..? Next came 'Pretty Hurts' by Beyonce and I wondered if she actually lived out those words and rebelled against the status quo, how much of a difference that would make to her daughter, and to how her legions of fans perceive her.   I consider myself a moderate consumer of pop culture with an innate confidence, and yet I am no stranger to the allures of the glossy and glamorous lifestyle. While I, and most people I've spoken to say they'd never go the full monty with cosmetic surgery, most of us have felt at some point or another that longer legs, harder abs, more sculpted arms et al wouldn't go amiss. I will go on record to say that last week I spent approximately two hours idling through photos of Irina Sh

Life sucks. This isn't an absolute statement but it's definitely truer on some days than others. Wouldn't you say? Life throws a myriad of experiences at us, which makes it exciting and unpredictable but sometimes it seems we only pass through one valley of the shadow of death to get into another. Some of these hurts can etch so deeply, leaving us with traces of post-traumatic stress, loosely defined: I never want to go through that again. We find a way to cope or carry on, for better or worse. Let me start with 'for worse'. You can become a master at holding onto your bitter hurts, someone called them 'cherished resentments.' You look at the scars often and revisit the emotion you felt enough to remind yourself to avoid that situation at all costs. Instead of reaching out and sharing the parts that make you most vulnerable, your weakness, you close yourself in a shell as a protective mechanism. Your insecurity eventually only allows you to

Each year Independence Day rolls around, for a few minutes I am filled with mixed feelings: heartfelt honour then an inner sigh of resignation. Is independence the last good thing that happened to Zimbabwe? Some celebrated today, meat and beer in hand- Tuku in the background or maybe attended a gala somewhere, for others it’s a day like any other. I spent it in quiet contemplation, with some IPL in the background, wondering just how a day of such immense historical significance affects us today and how it will affect the post-modern era. By us, I mean the millenial generation. 34 years ago we were declared free to enjoy independent governance, to assume rightful proprietorship to the land, rid of colonial oppression and the ability to make our own decisions and even mistakes, as long as they were our own. Places to walk, eat and study were once marked by racial segregation, and my how we have progressed. We would do well to remember in profound gratitude and never take for granted

Found this when I was scrolling through my old posts and it reminded me of who I want to be.. My last 15 reflections before a new year • There’s a peace that comes from honesty; because even if a lie can save you- with truth, you can live with yourself. • There’s a peace that comes with learning to see the best in people, especially because we all want everyone to believe the best about us. • There’s a peace that comes with doing the right thing, and not the easy thing. The measure of integrity is who you are when no one is watching, especially when your family isn’t watching. • There’s a peace that comes with admitting your wrongs. A clear conscience is the softest pillow to sleep on. • There’s a peace that comes with trust, because that is the glue that holds all relationships together. • There’s a peace that comes with letting go, realising you did your best and giving someone their freedom. • There’s a peace that comes with taking a chance, even when you look li

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that come