MAY YOU EXPERIENCE CHRIST'S BLESSINGS THIS CHRISMAS AND IN 2017

May you experience Christ's blessings this Christmas and in 2017

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WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA THE 14-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO BUILT A WINDMILL

William Kamkwamba's windmill - a crazy idea that generates electricity!

When you look around you, you will notice [If you really want to notice] a lot a most remarkable things happening all of the time. People are truly amazing. People are reaching out to others. People are striving to make this world a better place to live in.

Such a person is William Kamkwamba who is a school dropout and was starving together with his people in Malawi during a drought. But he was a person who said: “We skip the problem by creating our own solutions.” And he did exactly that by visiting his local library and started reading about energy and the power of windmills.

"We skip the problem by creating our own solutions" William Kamkwamba

The local community inclusive of his mother, thought he went mad when he started building his own windmill. His wild claims that his contraption will generate electricity then underscores what the common wisdom is all about: “William, you are crazy!”

He continued with his ideas and he visited the local scrapyard and got parts for his crazy idea. He then built it. And it generated electricity enough to power four light bulbs in his home. Then there was enough electricity to charge the villagers cell phones.

Looking at his windmill, it is crude, and for all intents and purposes a crazy idea – yes the locals were spot on with their critique about this 14-year-old boy. But he and the wind knew better. His windmill works! And it generates power.

He now wants to build a stronger one to use for irrigation.

He is community minded.

He is driven by a passion not to sit and to look at things and complain!

No – he gets up and he does something about it.

He executes his ideas!

William is a Christian young man.

I am reminded about another man who was ridiculed about his crazy ideas until it started raining. Do you remember Noah? Do you remember how he was ridiculed while building his ark? That saved him and his family while others perished.

There was yet another Man who was ridiculed whilst He was perishing. Jesus Christ was ridiculed while He was hanging on the Cross for you and for me. You can read about Noah here [Genesis Chapter 6] and about Christ by clicking here [Matthew 27]. While you are searching for these chapters, please continue to read the entire sections and meditate about the contents. 

May God bless you!

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THE WOODEN SHAVING MUG AND CHEAP RAZORS

My cheap razor, shaving cream and trusted dented shaving brush

Every morning I take my shaving brush and a fingertip of shaving cream from my 180g plastic bowl. Then I use the cheapest razors on the market to have the cleanest shave in the world.

When I started shaving many, many years ago I used a Shick injector razor. I used it up to 2000 when I went down to Durban, South Africa to attend to a savage murder matter.

Unpacking my bags in the hotel room I realised I left my trusted Shick at home.

The hotel reception directed me to a very dingy dirty little shop just around the corner of this prestigious hotel. It was too creepy for words and I was on the lookout for crawly creatures lurking in the dark spaces ready to invade my personal space.

I bought the cheapest packet of 5 razors for about R5.00 per packet at that time [15 years ago]. It was cheap enough and had to last for exactly one shave. Financially it was worth the experiment of 1 razor for the price of R1.00. I thought I could manage that one!

Well it didn’t only last for one shave. It lasted me three months per razor. I then had 15 months of shaving pleasure for the grand sum of R5.00. Now I am a devotee of the cheapest, sharpest, best razors on the market.

When I started writing I actually wanted to tell you another related story; a story of a 20cm [8 inches] wooden shaving mug but I got side tracked and ended up with the story about a cheap and trusted razor. Let’s get to the real story written by Alan Patricof [80 odd years at the time of writing].

Alan Patricof's No 89 Floris 8-inch wooden shaving bowl

He got this No 89 Floris 8-inch wooden shaving bowl 30 years ago – that meant Alan was in his 50’s. And he uses it daily and lately it reminds him of his mortality; he is of the view that it might survive him. You can read his story and the poem by Rabbi Irwin Kula by clicking on this link:  

You see, my story about my cheap, trusted and surgically sharp razors are not too farfetched or out of the way? I had a very clean shave this morning using the same stuff I had been using now for many years although not as long as Alan. I am going in for 16 – 17 years with the cheapy!

However, my story does not stop here. I want to tell you also about my brush I am using. You can see that it is somewhat used as it should be after more than 30 years of faithful duty. I had to glue it together again just about four days ago with Prattley’s putty. Maybe it will outlast me – who knows? I have no intention of getting rid of this brush – it knows my hands and the contours of my aging face. It knows its place on the window sill to dry out for the next morning’s shave. And it knows that if it gets knocked over I will come to its rescue and get it going; it knows it is not Humpty Dumpty who was wrecked beyond repair.

Tell me your story. Send me an e-letter to my e-address: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za

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THE SUPER RICH GETS ROBBED ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA? NO!!!

Bentley 2016

Do you think that crime is located only in South Africa? Oh no! Even in Paris, France people get robbed in their motorcars. Super rich people get waylaid on their way from a Paris France, airport to their hotel and they got robbed - click here to read that story. If you travel to Paris, France, here is a travel tip only if you are really uber-rich:  Think about keeping your valuables at home.

That is how this article in the influential Washington Post started! Two sisters from Qatar were teargassed in a Bentley and robbed of $5million.

Well, Kim Kardashian got robbed in her hotel room in Paris, France while she was attending the fashion week just the other day. You can read all about it in the same article. 

South Africa is a great place to live - of course we have crime, so does France. And it happens all over the world. Thank you to all of you who don't do crime!! God bless you.

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CHIEF JUSTICE MOGOENG MOGOENG: PUTS CHRIST JESUS BACK IN HIGH OFFICE

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng - he puts Christ Jesus back in High Office

It is very refreshing to follow our Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng's speeches and to see how consistently he refers to his faith in Christ Jesus. He longs for a more moral society and with leaders with integrity. I personally don't know any other Chief Justice of South Africa who were so openly in his testimony about a living faith in Christ.

On Thursday 17 November 2016 Mogoeng Mogoeng delivered the opening address at a gathering of Christ Redeemers Friends' International Church. He talked on the UN's 2030 agenda for sustainable development. 

On 27 May 2014 at Stellenbosch University he delivered a speech pleading for morality and integrity. You can view a video clip of the Chief Justice by clicking here, It is fascinating to listen to him. 

Journalist Poplak took the Chief Justice to task - read it here. Poplak seems to be in favour of an immoral society as long as it is within the law! "But there is no way to “elevate the role of love and the sensible discouragement of divorce,” because in a moral society adults are free to behave immorally within the bounds of the law. The key word here is choice. Who is the Chief Justice to insist that South Africans refrain from shagging their neighbour’s spouse because of some religiously mandated edict?" 

Journalist Poplak misses the point completely. Christ Jesus is against this immoral behavior. I agree fully with Mogoeng. Just look around you and see and read about the heartbreaks and shattered lives of immoral behavior. Christ Jesus is spot on. Read what He has to say about marriage and adultery in Matthew chapter 19. If you haven't got a Bible I urge you to go out and buy one and start reading it. If you have one, read it prayerfully everyday.  

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HUMAN TRACKING IN SOUTH AFRICA: A SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTING THIS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: A SEMINAR AT WEBBER WENTZEL, SANDTON

Please take notice of this important topic and the seminar that is scheduled for 1 December 2016 at Webber Wentzel, Sandton.

Modern day slavery, human trafficking and drugs are bed fellows - they are inseparable.

Yes, I am aware that slavery was outlawed many years ago and Brink wrote about the effects it had on the people during those times. Yet, you should remember that it was only outlawed at the time. Slavery is since then illegal but so is murder. Oscar Pistorius acted with disregard of this simple fact and today he is a murderer. So is slavery illegal, but it is still practiced. 

I invite you, if you are prepared to go deeper into this scourge of modern day slavery to have a look on the website of NEFARIOUS by clicking on this link. I further invite you to explore that website. Or go to this site by clicking on this link. You may even just use our old friend Dr Google by typing "modern day slavery" or click here. 

I trust that when you go to bed tonight that you will be acutely aware of this scourge and that you will say a word of prayer to Jesus Christ. And maybe, just maybe by tomorrow you might have done something extra for these people. Or for refugees.

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TOWER OF HOPE, TROYEVILLE, JOHANNESBURG

Tower of Hope, Troyeville, Johannesburg

Deep inside Troyeville, Johannesburg there is was a disused and redundant cell phone tower on the property of Andrew Lindsay where he runs his Spaza Art shop and workplace. He with the help of an unknown artist with the pseudonym of R1 and a trash collector Isaac, they re-created this redundant piece of steel into a symbol of hope for the people of South Africa. When you click on the link you can read more about this wonderful project. 

You can also see a short video clip of this Tower by clicking on this link.

Yes, in spite of all the negativity and the antics of Jakob Zuma and his Gupta cronies, there is hope.

The entrance to the Tower of Hope at the Spaza Art Shop, Troyeville, Johannesburg

Yes, I as a Christian believe that there is hope for our people - even for the angry students, for Jakob and his Guptas and all their shaky friends. 

Thank you Andrew, R1 and Isaac for your initiative and message of hope that shines out over Johannesburg and now all over the world

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