THE CHRISTMAS STORY - ANIMATED BY MIHAIL ALDASHIN ROZHDESTVO

UNITED NATIONS - WORLD'S PEACE KEEPING FORCE

There are hundreds of animations on YouTube available. And more so with the Christmas theme of Christ being born in Bethlehem.

One of the best I have seen is by this Russian artist Mikhail Aldashin Rozhdestvo - and I give him all the credit I can muster for his wonderful creative spirit and I ask you to join me enjoying his viewpoint by clicking on this link.

Of course you cannot watch this YouTube video without having read the story of the birth of Christ in the Scriptures at the Gospel according to Matthew at chapters 1 - 2, Luke chapter 1 and then about the peace the He brought into this world. Not the peace the world gives, but His peace which is materially different from the world's peace idea - please click on this link for the story in Matthew. You will see it starts off with a genealogy of Christ - I suggest that each one of us can relate to this list because each of us have some relatives that are not to be too proud about. Nevertheless, He was born into this world for me and for you. I have accepted Him as my Saviour and I trust that you have as well, alternative please consider making Him your King and Lord. If you have for some reason shrugged Him off your life, please consider inviting Him again.

May you have a blessed Christmas.

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SIYA KOLISI - ALL IT TAKES IS ONE PERSON TO RESTORE HOPE

All it takes is one person to restore hope! Wow! Do you believe that? I do.

SIYA KOLISI - SPRINGBOK CAPTAIN 2019

This is the message I got from our South African Springbok Captain during 2019 - it was one teached in his school that got thru to Siya. And as Siya says: "You must say yes to God. And then things will happen to you." Listen to his story by clicking on this link.

He tells his story with such humility and honesty and that is striking. When he grew up in Port Elizabeth, all his childhood heroes were drug lords and other criminals. He saw his dad physically abusing his mother. He was taken under his grandmother's wing and when he was hungry she would give him sugar water to drink. After that he went to bed and "pissed" his bed; then granny would give him a hiding. When he went to a certain school he received socks and his very own bed. How proud he was of these things whereas other boys took it for granted. He said God chose him and he said yes to God. One person at a time in his life made all the difference.

Are you making a difference in peoples lives. I am sure you do. Please tell me about it by writing me an e-letter at my e-mail address: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

I would appreciate it to hear from you.

God bless and keep on making a difference in peoples lives.

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EQUATING WEALTH WITH VIRTUE IS A VERY BAD IDEA

The Chapel at Bishops Cape Town

Photo credit: News24 dated 21 October 2019

Interesting heading not so? One would think that virtue and wealth go hand in hand. The one flowing from the other. Not so! Far from it. Why do I say so? There is a very sad but true story that underscores the heading that to equate wealth the virtue is a very bad idea. It all started at the very wealthy and posh school in Cape Town called Bishops. A young teacher had apparently sexual relations with some of the boys at school - you can read a interesting story about this at the following link. On the face of it, it seems as if it is a school that should have a Christian ethic and ethos. But does it have it?

Be careful to put people on pedestals just because they have more money than you might have - or if it appears that they are rich and powerful. There are of course those that are super rich with super rich personalities and a Christian ethic and Christian ethos but not all of them have it. Take your time to assess. I have just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's book TALKING TO STRANGERS and I can highly recommend it to you. It changes the way you are looking at life and more particularly at people. And this incident at Bishops underscores it. In Afrikaans I would say to you: "Katvoet loop. Katvoet." It means that you should tread lightly almost like a cat.

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SOUTH AFRICA HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE THAT LIES AHEAD - WE HAVE TO WORK ON THIS IDEAL

I have just read with growing concern, the latest crime statistics officially released by the Commissioner of Police. People whatsapp me videos purportedly of the recent xenophobic violence in Pretoria and it is really disturbing to watch. I receive SMS's and whatsapp's about our water supply - and it is distressing. You stand among people at braaivleis [barbecues in Afrikaans] fires and all they can discuss is either the lousy beer they are drinking or how horrible it is to live in South Africa - while their luxurious 4X4 vehicles and most expensive smart phones and receiving one message after the other. The only conclusion one can draw from this lot of negative messages is that South Africa is over the brink! There is no saving grace for us living here.

OR IS IT? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

I am still planting flowers and tending to my vegetable garden [I had some freshly cut asparagus this morning]; my 5 hens still produce 5 eggs per day.

I pray and don't do crime.

And I spread my message of hope. All it takes is one person to restore hope - and I am that one person. And you are with me - so we are more than one already.

My wife and I just spent the most wonderful weekend at a B&B MY HOUSY in Ladybrand, Free-state with like-minded photographers - have a look at our group photo below. We made a huge contribution towards a stable and peaceful country. Our hosts at MY HOUSY are Len and Liezel - for six years in a row they hosted us for our annual convention.

Back: Bruce Hepburn, Carel Van Heerden, Neels Coertse, Annemarié Coertse Sonja Grobler, Jeannette Van Heerden, Jen Kruger, Anne D'Oliveira, Corine Ross, Ria Katzke, John Arseniou, Len Cousins. Front: Jeff Morris [chairman] Judith Hodgson [Australia], John Hodgson [Australia] Eric Thorburn

I spent some time in the local supermarket and took this photo of the shop bursting at the seams.

Checkers in Ladybrand Free State

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In a time of destruction, create ...

Your creative thinking processes

In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a moral principle or one peaceful moment. Sculpt something. Smell a flower. Count the petals in a flower. Look at my monochromatic image of our white stinkwoodtree. 

We visited a friend who had an extremely serious surgical operation and we returned home fully charged and so wonderfully excited and inspired by life - life in Christ Jesus that He gives freely.

Our white stinkwoodtree is stripped naked of all its leaves and its intricate structure is clearly visible - especially against the backdrop of an evening sky. I had to take this photograph and the one below. These naked branches reminds me of the intricacies of the brain and our thought processes. We are living thru troublesome times rife with corruption, murder, child molestation and other horrible criminal deeds. And yet, I am in a position to work positively against such a tide of destruction by creating beautiful images. 

I do hope that you are inspired as well.

The view from my front gate

Don't abandon your daydream. Stay alive! Stay relevant or become relevant. Grab your Bible, or if you don't have one, google the text in Paul's letter to the Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 - I am not going to give you the link because the challenge to you is to search it for yourself.

Blessings from me.

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THE POWER OF ONE - this is a must read story!

THE POWER OF ONE

This is a powerful story straight from WWII and the holocaust. I picked up the SA JEWISH REPORT 24 - 31 May 2019 and on page 5 I read this remarkable story. It is how one man, Nobuki Sugihara's father defied the Nazis and wrote travel documents to the beleaguered Jews trapped in Lithuania during the holocaust. 75 Years later Rabbi Yossi Goldman's father Rabbi Shimon Goldman was a recipient of such a travel document. Yossi and Nobuki met in Philadelphia commemorating this momentous occasion. It is estimated that most of the 6000 people Mr Sugihara Snr saved survived and some estimate that between 40'000 - 60'000 descendants are alive today because of his actions. One man saved thousands upon thousands.  

I reminds me of the story of Hannah of old who was desperate and went to the temple to pray. The priest saw her and thought she was drunk and tried to chase her away. She told him why she was praying and sometime later Samuel was born. Prior to Samuel's birth the Word of God was not often heard in that region. When Samuel grew up all of sudden the Word of God was heard in the region. The power of one woman who prayed to God. Read it in 1 Samuel chapters 1 - 4:1. 

It further reminds of one woman, Mary who was willing and faithful to be the holy vessel for the Christ that was born. Once again the power of one. Read it here. 

It reminds me again of Paul of Tarsus who met Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus where he was hell bent to persecute the Christians. Then he followed Christ - Acts chapters 8 - 9. 

Don't underestimate your influence to the outside world. The power of one person.

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Small talk with strangers puts you on a high for the entire day

Ivan Pachosky 

I love talking to strangers - from the cashier behind the cash register to a stranger walking by in the street. Just pass a remark. And they talk back with a similar remark or just smiles at you. This is a very interesting article to read - click here.

My images above is definite proof of this approach. I started talking to this complete stranger at someone's home and eventually it he invited me to a rehearsal of his music.  

I am sure you do  the same. Please write me an e-letter telling me at: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za 

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SOCCER MADNESS IN SOUTH AFRICA: 2010

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 

 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

During 2010 soccer madness gripped my country being the host for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. And my country's soccer team BAFANA BAFANA played in the opening game.

I was so engrossed with this thing and I grabbed my camera and went shooting. Never before nor afterwards I had such fun with the camera. You could point the camera at any one and shoot without an objection. There were smiles and friendly faces all over the place.

There is a small suburb near Johannesburg CBD called Randburg and I went shooting there. And made my own sound recordings of the ear splitting noise. People went crazy. This gathering you see here was in front of the Randburg Fire Brigade Station. Such goodwill I have never encountered before or afterwards.

Please enjoy it with me. It was great fun.

Oh! Yes. Before I forget: I made a scrapbook with lots and lots of photographs and events and people. I took photos of all but one or two stadiums. I will post those images later on.

Bye for now and please write me an e-mail and tell me you story.

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LONG OVERDUE POST: I TOOK SERIOUSLY ILL & DNA HELPS TO SOLVE MURDER CASES

My dear Reader
I owe you an apology for not posting anything on my blog. The very short reason for this delay is that I took seriously ill with my liver. I contracted a non-alcoholic fatty liver. I was hospitalized for 3 days and eventually "nafl" was diagnosed. I am much better and I also visited a nutritionist. There is apparently no prescribed medication for this condition; the only thing you do is to change your diet.

Now I am up and about and ready for my next post.

You must know by now that I am an amateur genealogist and a lawyer and therefore this kind of a report will attract my attention. Read this fascinating newspaper report in the NEW YORK TIMES How Volunteer Sleuths Identified a Hiker and Her Killer After 36 - click here. 

Yes, the new DNA "technology" changes everything and most certainly an unexpected perk is to solve cold case murders! Good for you! 

I hope not to disappoint you in future and happy reading.

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96 Year Old who won the Nobel Prize reveals a secret

Remarkable achievement! Or is it?

I am fascinated by this thing God gives us and what we call LIFE! When I walk thru my garden and experience the vibrancy with the bees, many different birds, different insects like bugs and butterflies and the micro-organisms at work in my compost and my compost tea that I am making, I stop and think. How marvelous! How wonderful! You can join the choir singing HOW MARVELOUS HOW WONDERFUL by clicking on this link. I see life and death in my garden.

But when the Angel of Death takes away my sister who was barely 71 years old, it comes too close to your own skin. And yet, I am still fascinated by LIFE. That morning when my brother in law phoned me to tell about Petro's demise, I still had to open my chickens to roam free and to produce eggs: all 5 of my hens! And saw the new leafs sprouting from transplanted azaleas - and I realised that LIFE goes on in spite of death. 

Then I came across the above article and was once again amazed at LIFE. You can read the article by clicking on this link. Funny how we call what this learned man does, a secret! Why call it his secret? Well, it is to attract readers and that is why I called it his secret! April  2019 I will be a mere 69 years and I still practice my profession as a lawyer - I still go to court to have matters argued and decided! I work everyday doing work in my practice as a lawyer and doing something in my garden.

May God grant me the grace to continue living LIFE and experiencing it. May God grant you grace and peace in your LIFE and thank you for reading my blog. 

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THE RAT RACE! THE ANSWER IS EXTREMELY SIMPLE. READ BELOW

Image of happiness: credit: internet images

The other Sunday in church our minister played a short internet video clip about the rat race! And the pursuit of happiness at all costs. Please have a look at it at this link. This video is by a most brilliant man namely Steve Cutts - I do give you  all the credit in the world for creating this great clip!

It is worth your while to watch the entire clip. 

Many years ago when I was a very young man, I heard the saying about the rat race. And at first I couldn't figure it out how that can be applicable on me, a human being. Then I begin to understand! And I promptly took a firm decision against it and I am standing by that decision many, many, many years later. My decision? The answer is extremely simple: I AM NOT A RAT! Why on earth do you want to compare yourself with a rat? Why? 

When I became converted to Jesus Christ, I new I was a new creature and His words in John 15 verse 11 are still true in my life: "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." It does not mean for one moment that I am always on top of the world. No not at all. It means that in my innermost being, I have joy and that trumps the so called happiness of the world. 

May you find it as well. Please write me a e-letter at: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za  

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