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Conflicting Signals by Petra Pierre-Robertson

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Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. It was a demonstration for a class. It was set up in the library. It looked so cute I stopped to take pictures. I had no idea what the objectives for the lesson were, but as I took the pictures my own lessons, encapsulated in the title of the blog, came to mind So many voices! Have you ever been inundated with voices? All legitimate? Yet all giving conflicting signals? Or different instruction? And were you ever at your wits end wondering just who should you listen to? There are just so many voices, sometimes. And oftentimes what causes even more confusion is that these voices come from legitimate sources at home, church, school and society! There are just so many voices, sometimes! The still small voice I think of Elijah. He heard several diverse voices in the wind, in the earthquake, and in the fire. Yet, at that point of his experience, even though in other situations G...

TRAPPED: One man's joy... By Petra Pierre-Robertson Robertson

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Proverbs 14:10 Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. The grate was meant to prevent accident or injury for us. In an unguarded moment we could misstep, or fall, spraining an ankle or sustaining other injury in the process. It was necessary. It also added to the aesthetics. I should also mention that birds share our habitat. We love having them around. The sight of them. The sound of them. We love the sight and sound of them On day one of the job, a bird was trapped. It found its way under the grate, probably lured by a bite, or out of curiosity. We saw it in time. It kept going further into danger, going up trying to escape, when it should be going down. We pointed it in the correct direction coaxed it and led it out of the trap. Trapped On day two another bird was not as fortunate. We saw it too late. We surmised that something caught its attention, probably a morsel and it poked its head through the grate and was trapped. The sight of it t...

The Slippers: Walk Circumspectly by Petra Pierre-Robertson

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...walk circumspectly... (Ephesians 5:15) I was clearing the car to properly vacuum it when I found a pair of slippers under the seat. It was a timely find since one of my slippers was damaged. I realised that one side of the slipper I found was also damaged so I decided to make a temporary pair with the good sides from both pairs of slippers. It was then I realised that the same sides were damaged; the right sides. And in the same way; the heel. Right heels damaged This could not be a coincidence. My brain immediately went into overdrive. I pondered on why this was so. It must be the way I walked. So I walked circumspectly. I paid careful attention to the way I walked. Realization dawned. I was favoring my left foot, by putting additional pressure on my right foot. Torn ligament It was because of an injury in my left knee. A torn ligament. I alternated between calling it my 'albatross' and my 'thorn in the flesh'. I sustained that injury decades ago while playing bask...

Faith: Scribbles

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The just shall live by faith (Hab 2:4 Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38 KJV) As a youth I wanted to know Christ in a personal way. I had heard and read of so many testimonies of persons who lived a life of faith (Hab 2:4 Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38 KJV). I wanted faith. But how could I 'get' it? Reading 'How To Make Christianity Real' by Morris Venden was a turning point in my faith experience. I always take notes when I read. Notes help me to reflect. This morning, as I reflected, I stumbled upon these notes on faith that I scribbled as I read Venden's 'How To Make Christianity Real' 26 years ago... Maybe someone is also trying to 'get' faith. I pray these scribbles also serve as a turning point for you... Don't depend on your feelings to initiate faith. Spend time with God now. Make the time... Be blessed.

Nuggets to Survive in the Workplace

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Whatever you do, do your work heartily as unto God, rather than for men. (Colossians 3:23). Today is Administrative Professionals Day. I was invited to speak to a group of admin. professionals. After my presentation, they requested that I share the quotes to which I referred with them. That request is the source of this very short blog which I am writing as I have a quick lunch. I surmise that it will benefit not just the admin. professionals, but also people who have to face their unique work environment on a daily basis. At least 8 hours per day  I mused on the fact that most of our daylight/waking moments are spent in work. We sleep for about 8 hours (at least we are supposed to). We work for 8 hours, and the final 8 hours in the day are spent between preparation for work, house matters, family matters, study, children, recreation, exercise, our hobbies etc.  The last thing we want to do is to go to work I read somewhere that the last thing we want to do most days is go to work. Bu...

Keep your eyes on the road by Petra Pierre - Robertson

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Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. (Proverbs 4:25) This blog came to mind as I was driving to work  yesterday morning. I scribbled it quickly in the car when I parked before going into the office. In my early days of driving as a young learner, I focussed my eyes on the bonnet of the car as I tightly gripped the steering wheel. I was so scared. I didn't want to damage the car. I didn't want to crash into anything so I watched the front of the car.    "Wait. What you looking at? The car?" The instructor blurted in consternation as he  reached over, yet again, to steer the car back to the road.  "Yes," I responded. I wondered why he asked. To me it was obvious that I needed to focus on the car in order to protect it. To this day I hear his wise response.     "Don't let the car drive you, you are driving the car. Always keep your eyes on the road. Look where you are going. Don't look at the car. Look up ahead...

"Listen You Rebels..." They Made Me Do It!

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"Listen, you rebels, must we...?' (Numbers 20:10) Just like that he came to mind.  The man who gave up prestige, wealth, power, popularity and fame to suffer with God's people. He was not the best speaker, but because God chose him, God empowered him to speak, lead and mentor. To the disbelief, reproach and scoff of many, he turned his back on a lucrative career and chose the thus saith the Lord. An easy path You would think that, because he had chosen well, things would be easy; that he wouldn't have encountered problems. Think again, it was anything but easy. The people for whom he gave up pleasure, power and popularity, turned on him, even after what he had sacrificed in order to liberate them. They made me do it! They accused him instead of restricting them; of restricting their diet, dress and entertainment choices. They rebelled, complained, undermined, whispered, backbited, accused, and slandered his name and reputation. His was a lonely position and existenc...