Stewart 5

People don’t really celebrate Halloween in South Africa. However, we had a party last year, which means precedent was set. Also, Melissa was just in America, and you just can’t resist all those chocolates and Halloween-themed items, can you?

So, the kids carved pumpkins on Sunday (well, Mairin carved a butternut squash). They decorated the house today - mostly with spiderwebs that we will still be finding next week. Then this evening, some friends came by. It was mostly for kids, so they had candy and played a few games. The adults had a braai (bbq)…. and candy.

The last pic is NOT one of our kids.  It’s our friend Lizzie - the only adult who dressed up!

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Melissa got home yesterday evening.  And, of course, there is lots to catch up on.  She visited with her sister, attended a conference, spent a lot of time with friends, saw her dad, had several flights, and was in America.  We have also had two weeks of life and travails while she was gone.

It’s almost like there is too much to catch up on to even get started.  In the end, most things will come our, piece by piece, over the next week or so.  If the kids will let us, we may get a nice long chunk of time to chat together today, but who knows… the kids are pretty excited to have their mom back.  So, we have this weird, “I know lots has happened and I would like to hear but I’m not sure how/when” thing.

Does anyone else know what this is like?  How do you catch up when lots has happened?

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i’m not sure, but i think the kids set some sort of record today.  they’re all home sick, and consequently don’t have the energy to run around outside (and probably shouldn’t since they are sick), so what else are they gonna’ do?  now for some reason, our kids are actually able to get up EARLIER on days when they aren’t going to school.  and since i’m not feeling so hot, they were up and watching the simpsons for a while before I got up.  I think they stopped around 11:30 am, so that would be probably a solid 4.5-5 hours of simpsons.

i have a lot of friends that would love to spend the day like that!

dear FOX executives…  please do not sue me or shut down my blog because i posted this simpsons pic i found on some other random website

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I spend a fair amount of time with playing cards, particularly during our weekly poker game at Pangani.  Recently, I’ve been thinking about the King of Hearts, maybe even as a possible tattoo…

A lot of what we do with NieuCommunities is helping people explore their hearts, know their hearts, connect with God’s heart.  Interestingly enough, it’s a journey I desperately need to engage myself.  And again, I find myself thankful that I get to do this for a living.

So I am drawn to the King of Hearts.  Not because I am him.  But because I want to be him.  To be comfortable with who I am, to be able to share this with others, to have a heart that is big and open.  That’s who I need me to be, who my family needs me to be, who my colleagues need me to be.  I had thought about the Jack of Hearts - the high servant.  But why not aim for the King?

Traditionally, the King of Hearts is a “suicide king.”  He is depicted with a sword going through his head (it’s actually behind his head, but that’s not nearly as interesting is it?).  For me, its a reminder that for me to grow in hearts, I must “die” more and more to myself.  My heart will only increase as I become less self-centered.  Interesting too that the sword is going through the king’s head - the great barrier in my life to my heart.

So, maybe the King of Hearts is being dealt to me.  We all know that I AM married to the Queen of Hearts ;)  Perhaps she’ll consider letting me get some ink to this effect…

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I figure all you readers can answer this one. So, please do! I know, it’s nothing to do with culture, God, etc. But, we can have fun here too, right?

As for me, it’s been 21 for a long time. Maybe because that’s the legal drinking age in CA? More likely it has to do with an athlete who wore that number. Can you guess who?  btw, 21 is used in quite a few sports

So, there’s two different questions for you to respond to.

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I like Radiohead.

First, they create some cool music - edgy, interesting, moody.

Second, they take risks.  Who saw “Kid A” coming??  (btw, I think they are slightly weird too)

Third, they have now recorded an album - In Rainbows - without a record label, that is available directly from them by download.

Fourth, YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO PAY FOR THE ALBUM

I respect radiohead for doing something that doesn’t fit the system.  Not sure how much money they will make from this (unless you boy the box set for $80), though I think people may pay more than you might expect.  I hope cutting out the middle-man (record label) works and more artist make their work directly available to the public.

Heck, buy the album just because radiohead is cool for doing this. Even if you don’t like radiohead, or don’t know if you like radiohead, why not give it a try?

I got it and really like it.  Would love to hear what you think…

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During our NieuCommunities year, one of the things we do is read books together (and with locals) that inform and integrate our leadership Postures.  We are at the point of deciding books for next year and wanted to see if any of you have recommendations.  So as not to bias your thinking, I will NOT tell you what we currently read.  Below are the postures and brief descriptions.  What books would you suggest?  Also, are there any books that you find to be “essential” to understanding and living the Christian life that would be good for the year as a whole?

Pre-reading: getting apprentices ready for the year and experience ahead

Orientation: a book that we read as we are starting, sets the tone for the year and how we will live

Listening: how to hear God, culture, and our own hearts better

Submerging: incarnating after the model of Jesus in the neighborhoods and lives around us

Inviting: receiving and extending God’s invitation to life as it was meant to be lived

Contending: Fighting for what God wants in our lives and the lives of others

Imagining: Seeing and embracing what God has ahead for us - both individually and together

Entrusting: releasing control of what God is doing in our life to Him and the others He wants to lead

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It’s Spring here in South Africa. Among other things, that means the beginning of the rainy season, aka chance of thundershowers every day. We’ve ben getting quite a bit if rain over the past week, big thunder, lots of lightning. Today, we also had hail (which Iain and Mairin were delighted to eat off the front lawn)

It’s brought back the memory of one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I think it must have been two years ago, and I was at Pangani when the thunder clouds started forming above. I was standing outside on the stoep, and you could FEEL that it was going to rain.

I kid you not, I was looking at the AIR, and I could see it! Now, smog jokes aside, you don’t generally see the air. The best way I can describe it is blurry, like the air was melting and sort of shimmery or fuzzy. Scientifically, I think this had something to do with charged ions or ozone or something to do with the impending lightning storm. But it was AWESOME, in every sense of the word. Yet another moment where I was caught by God’s amazingingly beautiful work.

Since I’m writing about weather, it also reminds me again how much I like living in Africa and how much closer I feel to the earth and creation. We don’t have aircon so when it’s hot outside, it’s just hot. When it’s cold in the winter, we don’t have heating, so it’s cold. The weather has great impact on people’s lives. In the end, I think you are more grateful for things like rain. I know I am. And it is so cool to have thunder and lightning

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We’ve returned to reading the last chapters of Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy as we wrap up this year’s apprenticeship. His chapters are on being a disciple/student of Jesus and how to go about training more disciples. Seems like a good fit for our “Entrusting” posture…

He starts his chapter “on being a disciple, or student, of Jesus” with these questions:

Who teaches you?
Whose disciple are you?

“Honestly, one thing is sure: you are somebody’s disciple. You learned how to live from somebody else. There are no exceptions to this rule, for human beings are just the kind of creatures that have to learn and keep learning from others how to live” (p. 297).

Willard goes on to say that although we in the west like to think that we are our own persons who make up our own minds, this is really only because those who have taught us have taught us that! We’ve all been disciples of many - parents, teachers, playmates, peers, public figures. We may not recognize it, but what we think and do is shaped by all of these.

Then, the kicker:
“It is one of the major transitions of life to recognize who has taught us, mastered us, and then to evaluate the results in us of their teaching. This is a harrowing task, and sometimes we just can’t face it. But it can also open the door to choose other masters, possibly better masters, and one Master above all” (p. 299)

What about you? Are you/have you asked these questions? (Cori has)
Who has taught/shaped you? How?
Who do you WANT to teach/shape you? How?

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This weekend I’ll be attending a “Captivating Weekend” along with a small group of South African women based on the book Captivating This group follows a 2 day seminar led by Sean and Jean Daly based on the book Sacred Romance.

Then, I’ll be joining a group of women from CRM to share and learn more about the challenges we face as women in ministry. The CRM Staff Development and Care Team (SDCT) is hosting this gathering of “Women of Influence” in order to equip, empower and learn from women across CRM. I am particularly interested in this gathering as I feel it will be a support and encouragement to me personally as I engage my calling in ministry alongside my role of wife and mother. I also hope to learn new and better ways of mentoring the single and married women who come to journey with us through NieuCommunities Road Trips and apprenticeships as well as the South African women God has placed in my life. This group of “Women of Influence” will gather together three times over the next 18 months. The first gathering is October 21-25, 2007 in Denver, CO.

Another reason I am excited about this trip is that I will be able to travel through Cincinnati and stay with my sister, Heather, and her husband for 5 days on my way to the gathering in Denver. I am looking forward to spending this time with my sister as this will be my first time visiting her in her home since she and Joe were married in 2005 and especially now that she is pregnant with her first child…I’m going to be an Auntie!

I truly feel honored to have been invited to participate in this gathering and thank God for the blessing of this trip personally as a wife, mom, and sister! This gathering also reminds me what a privilege it is to be part of a ministry organization such as CRM. Their dedication to equipping, supporting and caring for their staff is evident.

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