LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION

Good morning

I'm so interested in how this will all work out for me. Since at least 2019 and particularly since 2022, I have been working on leaving South Africa for Europe. I did originally believe that I would be able to emigrate to the UK but, as that proved fruitless, I started to investigate countries in Europe.

Portugal fascinated me from the start and I began in-depth research into moving to Portugal. I go into this more in my Thursday Blogs. Suffice to say, once I made up my mind, I sought God's favour for the move. The Lord miraculously provided us with the most wonderful accommodation in Portugal, a blessing for which we are more than grateful.

With this 'nod' from God, preparations began. It's been a much longer process than we ever thought. Not that there were any insurmountable obstacles - just timing to move forward. During all these long months, I have not wavered in my gratitude for God's favour on the move. I have also tried to remain as positive as I possibly could. Sometimes this was exacting and I have to admit to faltering in my vision for the future.

Alwyn's video from last night was exactly what I needed at a time when I began to doubt. This morning's Bible reading was firm confirmation of the message.

When I seek God's direction, I spend some time in quiet solitude and then open my Bible. Where my eyes first fall gives me my cues. This morning was no different. Wednesdays are days for me to showcase one of my poems and, after I'd chosen which one to feature, I took it to God for His affirmation. The verses I was given were: Acts 7: 1-4.

ACTS 7: 1-4

1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken:The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

I pray that I am able to continue in "Long obedience in the same direction" to move to a tiny peaceful village which is filled with Christian Portuguese people.

My poem for today touches on keeping thoughts and actions positive. A fitting combination.

INCONSEQUENTIAL

That thought you thought this morning
When you first climbed out of bed
Will define your actions all day long
Think wisely

For every thought
There is a route
Which will surely
Manifest in your lifetime

Amazing how you think
That what you did
Was inconsequential
With no impact on your day

Think again

For every action
Creates a reaction
With a like
Or greater impact

Keep thoughts and actions worthy
Knowing how or why
Before you look, frown, smile, or snarl
Think again

Every deed
Every task
Works to destroy or
To reveal your God-given dream

IS TRUMP RIGHT ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA?

To be honest, this scares the life out of me. 

It's taking too long for everything to be in place for us to leave. I pray that we do manage to get out in time. I can't paste it on the group because D&K hate Trump. 

It's the call for violence that is terrifying. Memories of other periods of atrocity - especially when they scream for white parents, children, cats and dogs to be slaughtered and be fertiliser.

https://youtu.be/zlZIP02xzgY?si=gGifQA_pXfkWyVVc

NAE LUCK ABOOT THE HOOSE

Good Tuesday morning

Today, I’m taking a trip down memory lane to my maternal grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ time. What a pleasure it is to look back on that wonderful time.

Our family has strong Scottish roots and as children we enjoyed so many days of cooking up wonderful dishes and evenings of piano recitals with singalongs of Scottish hymns and folk songs. It was a special time, one often now lost among the technological time in which we live.

My childhood was steeped in Scottish tradition, from one of my grandpa’s favourite sayings, which was actually a Scottish country song and a famous Scottish country dance, “There's Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose”, to the always-filled jars of crunchies.

Crunchies

My first dance lessons were Scottish tap dancing when I was about five, also known as Highland dancing (Gaelic: dannsa Gàidhealach). I loved it and became quite good at it. Sadly, when our family moved from Durban up to Johannesburg for a few years, I couldn’t continue. I still love watching young people enjoying their Highland dancing.

Here’s a page with a piece of the sheet music as well as a bit of history about the song:  

https://engole.info/theres-nae-luck-aboot-the-hoose/

There’s Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose

	“There’s Nae Luck Aboot the Hoose”, Kathleen McKellar Ferguson
	“Up and Waur Them A’ ”, Battlefield Band

“There’s Nae Luck Aboot the Hoose” is a song by the Scottish poet Jean Adam, set to the music of “Up an’ Waur Them A’ ”.^[1][a] Her fellow poet Robert Burns described it as “one of the most beautiful songs in the Scots, or any other language”.

The subject of the song is the excitement, relief and frenetic activity when the master of the house – the “gudeman” – returns from a long sea journey.That must have been a familiar emotion to Jean as a child, as her father was a mariner and her grandfather a shipmaster.

Notes
a	The subject of “Up an’ Waur Them A’ ” is thought to be a summoning of the Highland clans in preparation for the Battle of Sherrifmuir (1715), an inconclusive encounter in the first Jacobite rebellion.[1]

If you’d like to know a bit more, this site gives the words and the dance sequences for There’s Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose: https://www.scottish-country-dancing-dictionary.com/theres-nae-luck-aboot-the-house.html

 ________________________________________________________

SCOTTISH CRUNCHIES

On to the yummies. Any recipes I share are tried and tested by me so I can vouch for them. If there are any errors, please let me know and I’ll check the recipe again.

I didn’t ever have the privilege of meeting my great-grandmother but was blessed to have my gran nearby for most of my childhood years until I was 17. She was a major influence in my life although, as children do, I didn’t appreciate how much until many years later.

Here’s my great-grandy’s 1800s recipe for Scottish crunchies. They are delicious and such a quick and easy (and healthy – yes, pure sugar is healthy in moderation) anytime snack. I've added centimetres and Celsius for ease).

CRUNCHIES

Ingredients (1)

2 cups rolled oats (or quick oats)
¾ cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup desiccated coconut

Method

Mix all these dry ingredients in a decent-sized basin.

Ingredients (2)

½ cup butter
2 tablespoons (TBS) golden syrup (I have a recipe for golden syrup if not available where you live)
1 teaspoon (tsp) bicarbonate of soda

Method

Melt butter and syrup together in a medium pot
When melted, add the bicarbonate of soda (it expands a lot so use a good-size pot)

Add the melted ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together well
Place in a dish 11” x 14” (27.94 x 35.56 cm)
Bake for 20 mins in oven preheated to 350ºF (175ºC)
Cut while hot but leave in dish until cool

THE DAIGHACAER BOOK ONE - CHAPTER 11

Good afternoon

It’s Daighacaer Day again! This time, I give some insight into Chapter 11.

This is Jeala’s chapter and is a flashback to when she first became an intuerum, to how she became the Intuerum Param and later to her integral part within The Daighacaer. The epic series is extensive and I do make use of flashbacks. I understand that this may not be the usual format for novels. However, due to the complexity and number of characters, main and sub-main, who are important to the story, I feel that they are necessary to provide back-stories for completeness. The other alternative was to have a book of Origins. I am more comfortable providing backgrounds within the main story.

The placement of Jeala’s story ties into the previous chapter and Eryen’s concern about the attacks from The Darke. As Ryallor’s nursemaid and chaperone her position in the story, although not that of one of the major characters, is integral. Her position as Intuerum Param is an important thread running through the story.

The chapter opens when tragedy strikes after three-year-old Jeala asks her mother to forego a visit to her friend:

“Mama, I don’t want you to go,” said Jeala with a slight tremor in her voice.

“Why ever not? You’re coming with me. Do you not want to come with me?” asked her mother.

“No. If you go, I will go with you but I don’t know, Mama, I feel funny. I want you to stay home.”

Jeala was clearly more than distressed, but her mother had committed to the engagement with her friend and she knew how manipulative children could be.

“What are you talking about, Child?” said her mother a little irritably.

“Mama, you will fall, Mama. You will fall.” Jeala started cried in gulping sobs.

Nessall took Jeala in her arms and held her tightly, but nothing would comfort her child. Eventually, she had to leave or she would be late. She gently removed Jeala’s arms from around her neck and set her down.

“We have to go, Jeala. You will be with me to make sure that I won’t fall,” said Nessall softly.

“Mama, you will fall so hard, Mama. We must stay here,” said Jeala.

“No, Jeala. I will not fall. Neache has made us a delicious cup of tea for when we arrive. You will enjoy that. You like Neache’s tea. Come now. Wipe your tears.”

Nessall was not quite sure of what to make of Jeala’s outburst. She was not normally such a contrary child.

They did not have far to walk to reach Neache’s home and, with Jeala’s tiny hand enfolded in her own, Nessall set out.

Jeala was still gulping back her tears.

They were no further than two houses away from Neache’s house when tragedy struck.

Nessall slipped on a smooth cobble stone and fell, hitting the back of her head hard against the cobbles. Her blood spurted and pooled around her as Jeala began to scream.

Introducing Leene, the Intuerum Param:

“I need a bed litter, quickly. I have to get her to my home. Hurry now!”

People rushed in all directions. What the Intuerum Param wanted, the Intuerum Param would be given, and the very best of what was available.

Leene was loved by all. She was a stern but caring intuerum and every one of the people in the group surrounding Nessall had, on occasion, visited Leene or had Leene visit them. They would do anything for her.

Leene walked over to Jeala, picked her up and cuddled her close against her. She looked into the child’s eyes and stroked her hair and back while humming and rocking her back and forth. It was not long before Jeala’s sobs lessened and then stopped.

Jeala clung to Leene and allowed herself to be comforted.

“You are so young, Little One,” said Leene. “Your pre-knowledge of this accident will define your life, although you are not yet aware of it.”

Leene set Jeala down and held her hand.

Jeala nearing her sixteenth Naming Day – On becoming an intuerum:

Jeala joined the Circle of Healers and started working with them on developing various combinations of herbs for tonics and unguents. She love it. She watched and learned as the midwives delivered babies; and helped to set bones and administer salves.

Nonetheless, while she was enjoying what she was doing, Jeala started feeling an unexplained deep void in the pit of her stomach. A burning desire to know more, to be more.

Her turning point came when Leene called for her one day to attend her at her home in the intuerum housing estate.

Although, when she was young and after her mother’s tragic accident, Jeala had spent many happy days and hours in Leene’s company, this was different. This was a summons from the Intuerum Param and Jeala was not sure what it meant.

When the Intuerum Param requested attendance, it was to a great extent a summons rather than a request.

With more than a little trepidation, Jeala almost ran to answer the call and arrived, out of breath and dusty, at Leene’s home, just as Leene sat down at a small table set with a meal for two.

“Come child,” called Leene through the open door and gestured to Jeala with aged but still perfectly straight fingers. “Your dinner will get cold, the longer you stand there gawking at me.”

“Yes,” said Leene and nodded, as if she were in the middle of a conversation. “I exist.”

Jeala was not sure what to make of the comment so did not said anything. She made a decision and, instead of keeping her mind blank, she looked deeply into Leene’s eyes just as Leene was looking into her eyes.

“That’s right Child,” nodded Leene again. “Look into me. Look deep within me. You will find that behind our outward consciousness lies the vast unused sphere of our subliminal inner being.”

As she continued to stare deeply into Leene, Jeala’s head began to ache but she could not break eye contact with this incredible woman.

“I can feel you feel it, Child,” said Leene in a whisper. Her hands opened palm-upwards towards Jeala in a beckoning gesture.

“Feel as I feel. Understand as I understand. To be an intuerum is an exquisite and delicate sensitivity. Within our deepest being, our intuition forms a vinculum with the very pulses of life’s energies.”

As a depth of understanding washed over her, Jeala gave herself up to the ministrations of the Intuerum Param.

“I am an intuerum,” she said, finally. “I am an intuerum.”

Her tears flowed freely and seemingly unnoticed by Jeala.

Leene held the vinculum and allowed Jeala to cry, to sob and then to wail a desperate keening wail which filled the room, overflowing into the streets and the surrounding houses. She continued to hold the vinculum long after Jeala stopped crying and was lost in the depths of their bond.

Finally Jeala asked, “How, Intuerum Param? How? How did you know how deep my pain and desire were?”

“Intuition is knowing without knowing how you know, Child,” said Leene as she took both Jeala’s hands in hers. “Within our strength, within our very existence, are locked away limitless abilities and inconceivable skills which we never use. I am approaching my time of transition, Jeala, and my final task within this mortal realm is to grow you to be who you are. Your destiny is of and within greatness and you need to be ready.”

The poem (altered from ‘he’ to she’ for Jeala) that I have chosen for this segment of The Daighacaer carries in it Jeala’s fiercely independent spirit on her path as the Intuerum Param. The poem is reflective and cognisant of the burden of service that she bears. The story is a fantasy it’s true. However, Jeala’s love for The Lighte is echoed in my love for my God and for Jesus my Christ.


SHE STANDS ALONE

She stands alone
Within the ornate splendour
That depicts the life
Of her blessed saviour
Jesus The Christ
Quietly contemplative
She stands
Considering all that she needs to do
To safeguard a people
From the evil afoot

She knows full well
That she’s the prey
To be used as a target to overthrow
Yet even so she stands alone
With her saviour
In fervent supplication
To save her society
From rampant ruin
In prayer for her redeemer God
To save and set the people free!

SHEPHERD'S TREE AND PSALM 23

Good morning

It’s Friday and my pleasure and honour to dedicate my Blog to God Almighty.

A friend of mine, Brian Rolfe, is truly an outstanding artist who lives in Cape Town, South Africa. This work of his is called ‘Shepherd’s Tree’. 

Shepherd's Tree by Brian Rolfe

My poem, which I wrote specifically for Brian’s magnificent painting, is called The World because we honestly are all connected through Our Lord.

THE WORLD

(World, Owl, Word and Lord – all from that one word, 'World')

As the World sits and watches
A bearing to the right
Draws attention to a bird
Caught in momentary flight

As the Owl sits and watches
A movement to the left
Leaves no shadow of a doubt
That its food is in that cleft

As the Word sits and watches
The scene from high above
There is so much satisfaction
Of what is made with Love

As the Lord sits and watches
His handiwork below
He accepts His task as Shepherd
To lead those of us who follow

As much as oil, which I reference below, has a very real agricultural use, so the Shepherd’s Tree is an actual tree which grows in arid areas in Southern Africa. 

Here’s a bit of botanical information for anyone who may be interested: Boscia albitrunca, (Shepherd's tree, Afrikaans: Witgat, Sotho: Mohlôpi, Tswana: Motlhôpi, Venda: Muvhombwe, Xhosa: Umgqomogqomo, Zulu: Umvithi) is a fascinating species which belongs to the Capparaceae family. It is well-adapted to arid environments, which explains its presence across Southern and Tropical Africa, including regions like the Bushveld and Lowveld in South Africa. It is an evergreen with an ability to thrive in hot, dry, and brackish conditions in low-lying areas, sometimes on abundant lime and occasionally found in rocky terrain.. It is a vital part of the Southern African ecosystem. The tree’s leaves are tough and leathery, helping it conserve water, and it produces small, yellowish-green flowers followed by edible, berry-like fruits. These fruits are a food source for both wildlife (like birds and antelope) and humans in some traditional communities. In 1974, one tree in central Kalahari desert that had roots extending to 68m deep, making it the plant with the deepest known roots.

Anyway, while I was researching about the Shepherd’s Tree, Psalm 23 kept coming to mind so I, of course, opened my Bible and not only read the psalm but sang the Scottish hymn as I was reading. I found this version on YouTube. It’s delightful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbGsIVeKU_E

While I was searching for choral version, I came across a post that spoke about the hidden secret of Psalm 23. This started me on my research of what David’s plea in verse 5 for God’s Holy anointing actually means. 

Psalm 23 (KJV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

In verse 5, David thanks God for anointing his head with oil. That has always seemed to me to be rather an esoteric phrase among the practicalities of the rest of the Psalm, but I put it down to cultures past about which I don’t know nearly enough. It turns out that of all the practicalities mentioned in the Psalm, this is the most practical of all. It draws on David’s life as a shepherd and links perfectly into God’s protection of his children.

As a shepherd, David knew that flies were a real danger to his sheep. They were constantly beset by them (anyone who lives on or near a farm understands the annoyance of flies but there was an even deeper danger. If flies laid eggs in the eyes, nose and ears of the sheep, their larvae would burrow their way into the sheep's body and, eventually, brain. The sheep suffered untold agony and the flies’ larvae would eventually kill it. To prevent flies from settling on his sheep, the shepherd David would pour oil on the sheep's head. 

If one reads Psalm 23 as the spiritual exhortation that it is, just as a shepherd pours oil on his sheep’s head to keep flies off it and protect it, so God’s anointing which David requests, keeps Beelzebub (the name "Beelzebub" comes from the Hebrew "Baʿal zĕbhūbh," which literally means "lord of the flies") out of our lives. 

As interesting as that is, it's not the most interesting part of my story. 

Two women came to the gate while I was doing my reading about Psalm 23 and my Bible was open at the page. I took my Bible out with me, asked if they were Jehovah’s Witnesses and when they said that they were, I asked them if they had a few minutes to share what I had just been reading. The 'senior' of the two women told me they only had two minutes to listen to me. I told them that I wouldn’t even take that long and then gave them the life lesson which I had just learned from Psalm 23. 

They didn’t say a word. I told them that I appreciated their dedication but that I am an Apostolic Christian; thanked them and said goodbye.  They didn't know what to say. People are generally not polite to them.

Full disclosure – I always go to the gate when Jehovah’s Witnesses arrive. They believe that they are doing God’s work so who am I to be rude to them? I also always share a few pleasantries and wish them a good day. Today was the first time that they arrived during my morning’s devotions when I was engrossed in my discovery about the importance of using oil to prevent attacks by flies. 

My sharing about God’s anointing oil was from Him alone and I wonder if what I shared will have an impact on their spiritual lives. God works in mysterious ways.

WE STAND - BLOODY BUT UNBOWED

Good evening

It's Thursday and that means an update in respect of our Portuguese emigration. Sadly, there has been no progress that I can document. I am hoping that things are progressing behind the scenes.

On a positive note, I’m using my time to get into the habit of posting every weekday with some weekend bonuses. I’ve managed this for more than two months now. Yay!

My rant for the day is about the terror tactics in the US currently which are overwhelming in their intensity.

It’s amazing that the same terror tactics which were used in the London bombings of 2005 are being used twenty years later against Tesla but to a greater and more coordinated extent. At the same time, conservative online influencers have suffered a spate of swatting, which is extremely dangerous and could get someone killed. I honestly believe that that is the intent. These lunatics want civil war. Terror threats are used to keep a population unsettled. It's past time that whoever is perpetrating these atrocities are removed from society.

I asked Grok AI to give me a description of ‘Swatting’. I cannot improve on the explanation and include the full text here:

“Swatting is a dangerous and illegal prank where someone makes a false emergency call to law enforcement, typically reporting a serious crime like a shooting or hostage situation at a specific address. The goal is to provoke a large, armed police response—often a SWAT team—to that location. In the context of conservative online influencers, swatting has been used as a form of harassment or retaliation against individuals with prominent or controversial online presences.

From a policework perspective, swatting exploits the protocols designed to handle critical incidents. When a 911 call comes in with credible-sounding details (e.g., "I just shot someone" or "There's a bomb"), dispatchers have to treat it as real until proven otherwise. They’ll deploy officers, sometimes specialized units like SWAT, to the reported address with weapons drawn, expecting a high-risk situation. This response is fast and forceful because delays in genuine emergencies can cost lives.

For conservative influencers—or any targeted individual—it usually unfolds like this: An anonymous caller, often using voice spoofing or a burner phone, pinpoints the victim’s home (info sometimes gleaned from doxxing). The police arrive, unaware it’s a hoax, and the influencer might suddenly face armed officers at their door, risking confusion, injury, or even death if things escalate. High-profile cases, like those involving streamers or political commentators, show how swatters weaponize the system’s urgency against their targets.

Law enforcement hates swatting. It wastes resources, diverts them from real emergencies, and endangers everyone involved—cops, victims, and bystanders. Some departments have started anti-swatting registries where public figures can flag their addresses to verify calls, but it’s not foolproof. Legally, swatters can face felony charges like making false reports or terrorism-related offenses if caught, especially if someone gets hurt. The problem is tracking them down—many use tech to cover their tracks.

It’s a nasty tactic, blending cyber harassment with real-world consequences, and it’s particularly messy when aimed at outspoken figures who already draw polarized reactions online.”

In this vein, my poem for today is quite topical, even though it was written during the London attacks in 2005.

London Terror Attacks 2005

WE STAND

In the shadow of the blasts
We stand
Bloody
But
Unbowed

Against the tide of terror
We stand
Bloody
But
Unbowed

To smother base and evil
We stand
Bloody
But
Unbowed

Until history turns once more
We stand
Bloody
But
Unbowed

Sadly, history has turned and it's no better.

A RANT - BE HONEST OR SHUT UP

Good afternoon

I wasn't expecting to get involved in the whole terrorism debacle which is now playing out with regard to Elon Musk but here I am. 

I posted the following on Facebook because I’m sick and tired of people manipulating stories and posts to further their own agendas. Those who cannot be honest, or who cannot honestly justify their stances are thieves of other people’s ‘mind-time’.

*

“When the government needed Elon to rescue astronauts, he answered the call. They're back on earth.

When people in hurricane ravaged areas needed internet, Elon answered the call. With Starlink

Now they try to punish him because he doesn’t subscribe to their flawed ideology.

Their hypocrisy knows no bounds.” (apologies, I didn’t copy your name to credit you).

*

To be clear. This is not about Elon Musk or any of his companies. This is about sending a message to anyone who does not agree with the policies that they are pushing. It's not even about politics because in normal discourse, people from different political spectra can discuss and communicate. This is about a terrorist agenda - damaging and setting fire to others' property (and no, once someone has bought a Tesla, the company and Elon Musk are out of the picture). Such levels of violence cannot be tolerated in civilised society. It appears that the aim is to instigate civil war. This cannot stand.

*

Xill

@Xil_llix

Before these terrorist attacks against Tesla Industries I didn’t really see the danger of the woke-mind-virus @elonmusk was warning us about.

Now it couldn’t be clearer. These people live in cognitive dissonance, they have a corrupted sense of right and wrong, and they will seek to attack violently innocent people, without provocation, because they perceive a danger.

They disregard basic human rights, laws and moral, on the pure basis of their feelings of vulnerability. All their actions are based on emotion, since logic cannot justify or sustain them. They destroy peace and resist democratic change by labeling it non-democratic.

Now I get it.

Imagine this madness spread to 5, 50, 500, 1000 companies, people starting to defend themselves. You would have a civil war and the world would fall into chaos.

These people represent the rise of western extremism. This is a danger unlike anything we’ve seen.

*

I've stayed out of the emotive scenario which is Elon Musk and DOGE being tasked to report on government waste and fraud because it is so emotive. However, when people like Ingrid McCarthy post a one line segment from a post by Elon Musk and then, when called out about being disingenuous, deletes the post which calls her out, it is enough. At least have the courage of your convictions to copy the entire post and not only a portion which you believe enhances your agenda.

To be clear, DOGE has no authority to stop or reverse payments; neither does it have any authority to hire or fire anyone - it is a reporting function to the government of the United States. The President and the government departments involved in the discrepancies are notified and it is they who take the action. Also of note is that Elon Musk, like President Trump, does not take a salary. Well, President Trump is required to take a salary and, during his first term, each quarter, his 'salary' was donated to a different charity, such as assisting people to overcome drug addiction. For this, these men are vilified and have death threats (and actual attempts) against them. It's time people hated on those who have been caught committing crimes and not on the messengers who are reporting on them.

I don't care what your politics are. Honestly, who cares? Who should care what someone else believes? What I do care about is being honest about what is written and disseminated.

 

 

A BREATH IN TIME

Good morning

Poetry day today and it's a short and sweet post. I'm currently in the throes of a final collaboration of a book and am happily engrossed in the process. This is one of the poems which lightly touches on requited love.

What I’ve tried to do is to capture the essence of requited love with its intimacy and interplay of affection; that deep, mutual connection which feels both eternal and fragile. The tone is soft, romantic and wistfully reflective. It’s the unassuming joy of knowing a heart is mirrored in another’s, that each touch and glance is a promise returned, all lingering in moments that time holds close yet stretches slowly into life itself.

 

A BREATH IN TIME

I’m so blessed to be with you
As we live our lives together
To know that I am yours
To know that you are mine
Separated only by a breath in time

May we ever be together
May we ever be complete
For how long
Only time knows
And how slowly time goes

I’m so blessed to know your touch
My lips on yours
Yours on mine
Suspended longing
Moments in time

May we ever be together
May we ever be complete
For how long
Only time knows
And how slowly time goes

CALL CENTRE OVERLOAD - A CAUTIONARY TALE

Good morning

In my previous corporate life, I was responsible for strategic customer-centric business service quality. One of these was putting in place strategic business plans for testing services which included making use of or the development of technologies to enhance service quality. Although my focus was on mobile communications, I also tackled other service orientations such as call centres. I've found lately that customer service is anything but and that trying to get any help from a call centre is often an exercise in futility. For the next three or four Tuesdays, I'll break down simple, yet too often overlooked, procedures to escalate organisations' customer focus to a much higher level.

Intelligent Use of Service Quality Information Prevents Call Centre Overload

A Cautionary Tale

Customer care is an expression which, in many industries, has become synonymous with complaints being dealt with by AI or entry-level staff and little to no commitment from management. It appears to have, in a sense, become the Cinderella of service provision where it should be receiving, if not the bulk, certainly a large proportion of an organisation’s time and effort. It is, in a very real sense, the front-facing service of the organisation and may well define how the organisation as a whole is viewed by its customers and even whether or not customers will want to do business with the organisation. Well-trained as well as timeously and  -informed customer-facing staff are critical to the health of an organisation.

Organisations which recognise the importance of a properly trained, knowledgeable and informed staff complement, across the board, are those which prosper. John Cleese famously asked, "Who killed the sale?" He posited that anyone in an organisation is a salesperson and should be trained and incentivised sufficiently to be a proud representative of the organisation. This is especially true of call centre staff. 

There is no industry or organisation in the world where there are no alternatives available if service is bad. This even extends to government monopoly industries. The truth is that people will always find an alternative if they are annoyed or disillusioned enough.

In the next two or three posts, I'll give some views on how to refocus a company to promote the call centre facility as a customer-focused entity rather than an afterthought which is, often, ill- and under-informed about issues which may impact customers.

THE DAIGHACAER, CHAPTER 10

Good Monday morning

After the emotional intensity of Chapter 9, Chapter 10 provides a welcome pause and a degree of normalcy as the companions ready themselves for their extraordinary mission. To me it is important to have a breathing space within a story to catch my breath. The other alternative is to put the book down and if I’m engrossed in the story, I find that particularly irritating. I’d much rather the story itself provided a break.

Dawn

Chapter 10 opens with Eryen greeting The Lady Dawne and their bond, now strengthened by the previous day’s terrors, make it difficult for them to separate. A poignant moment of reflection. 

“Eryen was about to walk away when that beloved voice stopped him.

“Love hath many forms, Eryen,” chimed The Lady Dawne’s melodious voice. “The love which thou hath always shown to those of The Lighte goes not unnoticed. Our time together this day was, indeed, an embrace. An embrace of a most perfect and profound reciprocal love between mortals and their deities. I too felt bereft when our bond was severed.”

As The Lady Dawne was speaking to him, Eryen thought back on the intimate joining that the deities, Ryallor and he experienced on Ryallor’s Naming Day. Yes. There was no doubt that the bond which was established that day was one that would transcend and persist throughout time and times and in all situations.”

The chapter pivots to the little time which the companions thought that they would have to get affairs in order before they left on their mission. This was cut short by The Lord Dayl awakening them at midnight with their preparation instructions. It was at that moment that they realised that ‘urgent’ meant exactly that and that they would be leaving their homes the next morning. They were also aware that they may only return at a much later date, if they returned at all. Anyone who has ever prepared for a long journey will understand the controlled panic that everyone experienced given the tight timeline. 

“Although Eryen was completely committed to the task ahead of him and ready to leave immediately, an infinite sadness welled up within him. He was not sure why the sudden sadness overwhelmed him, but somehow he knew that he was embarking on a mission which would alter forever his course in life. He also intuitively knew that he would never experience life in Raeldysce in the same way. “If, in fact, I am ever in a position to return to Raeldysce again,” he thought dejectedly.”

Towards the end of the chapter, the pace picks up slightly as the danger of imminent attack by The Darke is revealed and jolts Eryen. His experience of the previous day brought forcefully to the fore as Jivdreg reluctantly tells of his attack.

“I was going to speak to Eryen of it later but I had an episode yesterday. My mother and The Old Patriarch Tree saved me. I was attacked by some agent of The Darke in the woods. Right here, Eryen! Right in the middle of Raeldysce!” 

At Jeala’s gasp, Eryen asked with a sense of unease. “What is it, Jeala? You’re as white as a sheet.”

“I wondered about The Darke’s attack on you yesterday, Eryen and have been trying to work out how my protection shield may have failed you but…”

“Protection shield? What protection shield, Jeala? What are you talking about?” insisted Eryen with a voice of authority which nevertheless betrayed a very real apprehension.

Jeala looked uncomfortably at Eryen, then braced her shoulders and said quietly, “This is a strange vibration we’re experiencing in Raeldysce, Eryen, but The Lighte help us, it’s not the first time that it’s happened.” 

She continued hurriedly when she saw Eryen begin to stand up. “Eryen, wait. We haven’t the time now for me to explain everything to you, but I believe that the time has come for you to know what I’ve kept from everyone up until now.”

“You’re quite right, Jeala. The time has most certainly come! I don’t appreciate anything of what is obviously of great magnitude being kept from me!” 

Eryen was angry. 

He was confused and he was deeply troubled.”

All in all, Chapter 10 is a diverse chapter which allows the necessary break but also draws the urgency of the story forward so that there is no doubt about the forthcoming mission.

THE CORE OF THE COVENANT IS NOT THE SOIL BUT THE SOUL

Good afternoon

It’s Friday and my day is once again dedicated to God’s Word in the context of today.

My focus for today’s Blog is on the opposing views of white South Africans leaving South Africa for security and safety in other countries, particularly given President Trumps generous offer of asylum with an accelerated path to citizenship.

The post is a long one as I delve deeply into Biblical examples and principles on whether or not a covenant with God allows one to leave the land of the covenant. My conclusions are Bible based but, as with everything including the spiritual, you are encouraged to further your own research and reach your own conclusions.

Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria, South Africa (Source: SA Game Lodges)

Centuries ago, our ancestors prayed for God's grace as they left behind the injustices in their European homelands to forge new lives in a strange land. Today, we too face injustices, threats and endangerment. The recent question of whether we should stay or go is what is on my mind.

White South African farmers, particularly Afrikaners, have a deeply historical and spiritual connection to the land. Some link themselves historically to the covenant with God This covenant, The Day of the Vow has been consecrated to God since December 16, 1838, when Voortrekkers promised God that they would honour Him if He granted victory at the Battle of Blood River.

This has fostered a belief among some that their presence in South Africa is divinely ordained, a “sacrosanct” calling to stay, If I may. As we face 140 plus race-based laws and land expropriation without compensation, there seems to be no one to turn to and nowhere to go. President Trump’s asylum offer can be viewed as either a blessing or a curse - leave and accept refuge or stay and trust God’s plan.

One does not break a covenant with God, this is true. However, may I throw a bit of a Biblical curved ball into the mix?

God has relocated His people when their remaining in the land became untenable, whether due to famine, oppression, or even the consequences of sin. The South African situation, where government policies are threatening lives and livelihoods, could be seen as a modern parallel where staying risks not only ruin but even death.

Have there been Biblical examples where there was a covenant to stay in a land, yet the people were moved by God Himself?

Yes indeed. Here are some linked instances where a commitment to a land, whether by covenant, promise, or divine instruction, is reversed or redirected by God’s will.

Genesis 17:8 (KJV)

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

This was God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants. They were all, including Isaac and Jacob, covered by that promise.

Genesis 37

I have not included the text for Genesis 37 because the entire chapter is relevant and deals with the sale of Joseph by his brothers and his exile to Egypt. This can be viewed as a broken covenant to Joseph who should have lived his life in Canaan. There is no explicit vow that Joseph should remain in Canaan, but his belonging to the land of Canaan was tied to God’s promise to Abraham.

Genesis 45:5-8 (KJV)

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

If there was any doubt that God moves His people for His reason, this is a good example of prior planning in which God, by relocating Joseph, moved someone central to the covenant elsewhere, to position him to later save his family during famine. God’s planning is always in the best interest of His people for His greater purpose.

Jacob’s family was well settled in Canaan, living as stewards of God’s covenant land. Yet, during a severe famine, God spoke to Jacob in a vision at Beersheba.

Genesis 46:1- 4 (KJV)

1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Here’s an important context to bear in mind. Despite the covenant of Canaan being the land of their father, Abraham, God led Jacob and his family to relocate to Egypt for their very survival. He also promised them growth as a nation. Exodus shows us God’s permanence and how God’s plans are generational. He knew that His people needed to move out of the land of their covenant but, although they did not know this at the time, the move to Egypt was only temporary (a long temporary to be sure but, temporary nevertheless) and, in God’s eyes, it was not abandonment of the land covenant but a relocation for spiritual and physical health and wellbeing.

God moved His people away from the promised land temporarily for their good and to further His larger plan. The covenant was linked to Canaan as the promised land, but God’s love and purpose superseded and still supersedes geography, relocating His people when remaining in Canaan would have meant deprivation, starvation and certain death.

These examples show God redirected His people despite their being established in a certain location. The covenant’s essence, that of a relationship with God, remained intact, even when the land shifted beneath their feet and God needed them to relocate.

I urge my fellow South Africans to once more earnestly seek God's voice and be led by it.

God guides His people to where He desires them to be. I believe that we are living in God's time for our people again. I believe that God has drawn His line in the sand and said, “So far and no further!”

For those of us who trust God implicitly and believe in His absolute sovereignty, He controls our world and the people in it.

Proverbs 3:5-6

1 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
2 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 24

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it

The Bible gives us many instances of God moving people from one place to another to accomplish His purposes. In Genesis 11, God moves Abraham and his family. In Genesis 37, God moves Joseph to Egypt and then in Genesis 46, moves Jacob’s whole family to Egypt. In Joshua 1, God moves His people into the Promised Land. At the end of 2 Kings we see God moving Judah to Babylon. In Nehemiah, God begins to move the people back to their land.

I honestly believe that when one enters into a covenant with God, it is more of a spiritual covenant than merely a covenant over a specific section of physical land. The Bible consistently prioritises the heart of the covenant (faithfulness to God) over geography.

Hebrews 11:13-16 (KJV)

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

These verses describe Abraham’s covenant as a heavenly homeland, not just Canaan. If we have to be honest with ourselves, the Afrikaners’ covenant is with God Himself. As God is universal and not geographically limited, the covenant can travel with them, whether to the US or elsewhere.

In each Biblical case, relocation was an act of preservation or redemption. President Trump’s offer could be viewed as a practical deliverance, akin to Joseph’s role in Egypt, not a betrayal of faith.

A counterpoint and reflection on everything that I’ve considered above is that those insisting on staying may possibly argue that enduring hardship is part of covenant faithfulness, like Israel’s persistence under Egyptian slavery before the Exodus. They could see leaving the land as abandoning God’s call, especially if they equate South Africa with their “Promised Land.” I understand this viewpoint. Yet, the Biblical record suggests God does not always require that His people live in suffering. He often provides a way out and uses relocation to fulfil His purposes.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God understands and may even orchestrate relocation as this aligns with His character as a loving shepherd who guides His flock (Psalm 23).

The core of the covenant is not the soil but the soul.

If the farmers’ situation mirrors exile or famine-like conditions, history shows God isn’t bound by their vow to stay if He deems change of location is the better option.

God’s love and provision is perfectly encapsulated in the following verses.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (KJV)

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

My family, as with many Afrikaans families, has been a part of South Africa for centuries. Some were even Voortrekker leaders. They, together with other strong, God-fearing Christians arrived in the Cape and Natal, often with nothing. They forged paths through wilderness and over mountains and, in the process, created a country from an untamed and often hostile terrain.

I am now in the process of emigrating so my view is slanted towards living in safety within an infrastructure which is functional. I do, however, understand why other people are loath to leave Die Vaderland. God Bless us all.

Credit: Contextual research by Grok AI