How do you handle grief?

Credit: internet.

Everybody hurts - so goes the song. Listen to it on the internet by clicking on this link and I do give due credit to R.E.M. for this incredible song. And it is true. According to the Scriptures the entire universe suffers and is hurting. I am no exception. My reader, you are also hurting and you are suffering grief. How do you handle that grief of yours?

My question, and I dare say most people will ask the same question, is: How do you handle grief?

A few years ago I was dealt the most severe blow ever. I am still hurting but not so much because time marches on but more than that I trust in the living Jesus Christ for healing or endurance or whatever He might have in store for me and my loved ones. I cannot change the past; I am not a prisoner of the past and my hope in Jesus Christ drags me forward - that is dragging me on when I can't keep walking. 

Last night [3 July 2018] my wife read me this portion that was posted on Facebook and it brought great comfort and relief to me and to her - have a look at this link. Please read it to the end and I will pray that it will bring comfort to you, my reader. 

If you wish to drop me a note, please write to my e-mail address: neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za I will appreciate your note. 

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Paul McCartney’s Extraordinary Carpool Karaoke Tour of Liverpool With James Corden

Paul McCartney 

Sir Paul McCartney

When I grew up during the 1960’s and 1970’s I was led to believe that the Beatles were the blood brothers of the devil himself; nevertheless, I listened to some of their stuff and even liked it, in spite of the dire and stern warnings!

They had long hair and made a lot of very loud music and were extremely popular. I remember that it was a hair-raising experience for the older people. My parents were horrified! There was even a very well-known Afrikaans preacher [“dominee”] who alleged that if you play some of these very popular band’s lyrics [not the Beatles’ by the way] backward, you get satanist verses! Oh, my word!

Now that I am much older I realize that those ideas were expressed within a specific political environment and from a specific political spectrum. Even in light of those sentiments the popularity of the Beatles rose and nothing could keep them down. Listen to Paul McCartney at this link; even he is startled by their lyrics being evergreen and still popular many, many years later. It is such an experience to see and listen to him, being a much older man now, and to see his vivaciousness. If you want to read the story, click on this link.

It is clear to me that every generation will and do test the previous generations viewpoints and lifestyles – it does however not mean that there is something inherently wrong with that. It only means that we test life all the time and move forward. Sometime it is excruciatingly painful and it can be life threatening at that. Yet, life finds a way and life goes on – and there are new “threats.”

The young of today are the oldies of tomorrow and even they and theirs will be tested and found lacking or adequate or only to be tolerated!

link

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THE CREATIVE PROCESS

My wife's creative patch - new course in botanical art or illustration

My wife just started with a course in botanical art or botanical illustration and she loves it. As I walked past this scene on our dining room table I was just struck by the creative process that confronts us every day. She is working very hard at this new hobby of hers. 

We are practicing lawyers in South Africa with the emphasis on the private individual and his or her legal problems. But we are much more than lawyers - we are first and foremost humans and there is life outside law. We love to do a lot of other things as well. 

I recently uploaded a short audio visual presentation of an exhibition of the latest Jurassic Park movie that is on the circuit. I do give full credit to those creatives that brought this thing to light. I think it oozes out of them. My wife and I just took some video shots and photographs and I created an audio visual which you can access at this link on my YouTube channel by clicking here. Please have a look at my other YouTube publications. 

What are you doing/creating? Write me a letter at neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za 

Hope you have enjoyed our endeavors. 

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GEORGE & BARBARA BUSH MARRIED FOR 73 YEARS

 Neels and Annemarié  Coertse married on Friday 13 April 1973

Ex President George Bush and his wife Barbara married 73 years

I am always struck by people who are married for many, many years. It certainly is absolutely remarkable that Mr George Bush and his wife Mrs Barbara Bush were married for 73 years. 

My wife and I are married only 45 years, that is now compared to the Bush marriage life. I am sure that it was not always bliss and roses and moonshine for these two. And they have a clear cut testimony about Jesus Christ in their lives and marriage. 

My wife and I can always go back in history and test the waters by asking whether we still believe that we were brought together by God Almighty in His eternal wisdom? We are both sure about it - and I can assure that there were times when our pillars of faith in Christ Jesus were shaken to the  foundations! Sometimes we are still reeling. 

Please take your Bible, and if you don't have one, I recommend that you go out and buy one, and read Psalm 116:10. It reads in my THE LIVING NACH translation as follows: "I had faith when  I would say, "I've suffered greatly." The Afrikaans translation reads as follows: "Ek het in U bly glo, selfs toe ek gedink het dit is klaar met my."

My wife Annemarié is truly a blessing in my life!

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Second Cambridge Analytica whistleblower says 'sex compass' ...

Brittany Kaiser 

• Brittany Kaiser says Cambridge Analytica used numerous questionnaires to gather data. You can read it at the link provided above. Interesting reading.  
• Sex is such a powerful force in life and in death. Why do I mention death? It seems to me that even in the face of death there are those people who will perform a sexual act - have a look at the images pouring in of areas that are struck by violence and you will see thin, emaciated pregnant women, clutching a tiny baby, being surrounded by young toddlers. 
• I ask myself the question whether we have good crooks? Of are there only bad crooks? Or is a crook bad per se? These guys seems to be manipulators par excellence. In the meantime, our money is pouring into their pockets at our expense. Robin Hood, the prince of thieves? Maybe there are good crooks!
• Besides this lot about good, bad or indifferent crooks out there, whistle-blowers face a tough time. In my country South Africa some of them have to go into hiding or request special protection. 
• Be careful what you post on social media - somewhere someone is going to exploit it or "misunderstand" it or feel aggrieved by it or twist it to suit his/her way of thinking. Be mindful that there are most of the time various levels of interpreting messages, be it written, spoken or images. The way you read a message is not necessarily the correct way to read it. 

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THE CONTORTIONIST IN THE HIGH COURT AS ACCUSED NO. 1

The Contortionist is at it again - this time not a NumbaOne, but as Accused Number 1

There is a good summary, so it seems to me, on News24 available of the charge sheet against Accused Number 1, the erstwhile President of the RSA, Jacob Zuma, at this link. I have not read the original charge sheet that is the reason I state that it seems to me to be a good summary. But knowing the antics of this man, the Contortionist, he will have "good explanations" or in other words, "good stories" to tell the court. I encourage you to read this summary of the charge sheet and just imagine what, if you were the accused, you would have to tell the court to get off? 

One thing is for certain and that is the formidable State Advocate, Adv Billy Downer SC who successfully prosecuted this man's erstwhile shaky friend, Shabir Shaik. When a lawyer looks at the crime of corruption there must logically he at the minimum two people involved. One person cannot commit the crime of corruption; one person can commit the crime of murder for instance. Now is the time for the second person to stand trial. 

Our country was prejudiced by the trial of Shaik alone! Zuma should have been with him.

Another interesting fact to notice is that the trial judge is still not named - you can read it at this link. 

Will we get the same caliber  as that of Judge Hilary Squires? Let us hope so.

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ARMED FORCES DAY IN KIMBERLEY SOUTH AFRICA

STATE PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

 Today I feel very proudly South African. Why? Please join me and watch our President taking the salute of the armed forces. Watch his face and body language: he acknowledges the armed forces marching past him on Wednesday 21 February 2018

What a difference this new incumbent makes to the highest office in the land.

Here is the link. I acknowledge the author of the photograph of the President - I got it from the internet. And the video clip is on the face of it by the SABC and I acknowledge that as well. 

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