Some advice and encouragement for Candidates for the Methodist ministry (Presbyters and Ordinands)

It is that time of the year again! I know that the screening of Candidates for the Methodist Ministry is coming closer because I start getting lots of phone calls from Methodist colleagues, and their candidates, asking for advice and insight to help them prepare for their screening.

I thought that I would compile a few thoughts here that may be of some encouragement, and perhaps even offer some insight, for those who are preparing to be screened as Candidates for the Ordained Ministries of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (that is both Deacons and Presbyters). Let me say, however, that I no longer represent the Education for Ministry and Mission Unit in ANY official capacity. I no longer serve within EMMU. My advice will always be, first and foremost, to contact our dedicated staff in the Unit - they can be reached via telephone on (012) 804 3022 for official advice and information about screening.

That being said, I served as a District Supervisor of Studies for some years, and then during my years in EMMU I wrote (and rewrote, and rewrote, and REWROTE) most of the procedures and examinations and questions for Candidates for the Ordained Methodist Ministries.

Some general advice for Candidates for the Ministry.

1. First and most importantly you need to prepare yourself and your spouse for the day of your candidates screening. This process is intended to be a time of discernment on behalf of the Church. Remember that ministry is extremely taxing, and frequently a sacrificial and costly choice on behalf of both the Church (who will spend many thousands of Rands offering you an exceptional world class training), and on the part of you and your family who will face many challenges and difficulties during your training and the ministry that follows that. So, please do approach the the screening process great respect, very deep and committed prayer, and with absolute honesty and openness. I would encourage you to prepare yourself and your spouse in a few ways:
• Pray together as a couple, and spend time praying on your own. Be absolutely certain of the fact that Almighty God has called you to the ordained ministry! I shall say more about the emphasis on 'ordination' a little later.
• Encourage some members of your family and congregation to pray for you and your family on the day of your candidates screening.
• Be certain to prepare a clear and reasonable account of your conversion to Christianity that you will need to share with the committee. I shall say a little more about this very important part below. However, I would suggest that you take some time to share your account of your conversion with a few trusted friends and colleagues (such as members of the Church in which you worship, your minister, some family members etc.)
• Please take some time to carefully and clearly write out your understanding of why you believe God has called you to train towards ordination as a Deacon or a Presbyter (the word for an Ordained 'minister') in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Remember that the committee is likely to hear 15 or more such accounts during the screening process - so keep your testimony and call as clear and structured as you can (I'll say more about that below) and KEEP IT AS SHORT as possible! My suggestion is that you try to fit each of these (the testimony and account of call) to no longer than 3 minutes each.
• Discuss as many of the implications, challenges, opportunities, an possible scenarios with your spouse and children. The screening committee is going to ask about such things as your financial situation, any unsettled debt, your health and the health of your family, how you will cope with conflict, what things scare you as a family, how you will support yourselves etc.
2. On the day of screening please be sure to know exactly where the screening will take place, and on what day you will be screened. You can confirm these details with your District Supervisor of Studies (if you don't know who that is please ask your minister to check at the start of the list of names in the Yearbook). Make sure that you arrive on time and that you have set aside the whole day for the screening. At times things runs a little longer than expected.
3. My advice is that you dress fairly smartly for the screening - by this I would mean that men should wear a tie and jacket (where appropriate) and woman a smart suit or dress. Remember, that in some senses this screening is a little like a job interview. Your clothes and body language make an impression upon the community.
4. Be patient and kind. You may have to wait for a while between the two examinations (theology and 'readiness' or screening). Remember that the committee is under a great deal of pressure and frequently spends days screening candidates. It is a taxing and very emotional process. It will be good for you to remain calm and friendly when you encounter the committee. The same goes for your spouse who will have to sit in on the 'screening' or 'readiness' committee. A humble, yet confident demeanor makes a wonderful impression. In the 15 years that I was part of screening candidates I cannot tell you how many people harmed their chances by being too nervous, tired, or irritated when they came to be screened.

The general format of the screening of Candidates for the Ministry.

The screening process is actually comprised of two committees. The intention, as stated above, is for these committees to discern two very important things. First, they shall need to discern whether you are called to be trained for the Ordained ministry in the MCSA. In order to do this they shall need to be convinced that you have an active, real, and significant relationship with Jesus (that is normally heard in your testimony of your conversion), and that you have a clear and confirmed call to the Ordained ministry in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (that is normally understood from your account of your call to ministry). As part of this process the committee will also need to be sure that you have no encumbrances that could hinder your ministry (e.g., moral, doctrinal, or social problems - I shall say some more about this under the heading of the 'Readiness' committee below). Secondly, the committee has the responsibility of ascertaining that you hold basic views on Methodist and Wesleyan theology and that you are trainable. In short, they shall ask some questions and engage in some discussion to see whether you hold any views that are contrary to those of our denominational tradition (this means that you shall need to be sure to understand what Methodists in Southern Africa believe!), and whether you are flexible and open enough to engage with different positions and theological viewpoints from your own without simply rejecting, or uncritically accepting, them. So, you will need to have some basic theological insights, and you will need to be able to engage with other points of view while maintaining your own views or being willing to consider that other points of view may be equally valid.

Each of the two committees are appointed by the District Bishop and have at least one Connexional representative from EMMU present (to ensure that there is a similar standard across all of the districts in the Connexion). The 'readiness' committee (see Laws and Discipline 11th Edition 4.14 forward) is comprised of both laity and clergy. These persons will normally include a minister, a district supervisor of studies, someone with psychological skills, a person with some personnel or Human resources experience, and then the spouse of a minister and some leaders from lay ministries in the Church. The Theological committee is normally comprised of ministers and lay persons who have some theological training and can engage you in a significant level of theological dialogue in order to assess your theology.

It is important to note that if you fail either the 'readiness' committee or the theological committee you will not be able to continue with your candidature for the Ordained ministries of the MCSA. Officially the screening process is a process of your District (appointed by your Bishop and moderated by EMMU). So the report from the screening will go both to your district SYNOD and to EMMU.

Let's move on to consider each of the committees in a little more detail.

The 'readiness' committee.

The purpose of this committee is to discern your call to ministry and your readiness to begin training for the ordained ministry of the MCSA. Let me make two brief points right at the start:

• The committee needs to be CONVINCED that you are called to the ORDAINED ministry of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. Many candidates have come to the screening committee convinced that they should be in some form of ministry - but do remember that you are appearing before the committee to convince them that you should be trained towards ordination as either a Deacon of a Presbyter in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa! Ordination is a very specific thing (it has to do with being set aside and commission either to the ministry of 'word and service' (if you're called to be a Deacon) or 'word and sacraments (Baptism and Holy Communion)' (if you're called as a Presbyter (Reverend) in the MCSA). So please, be sure to convince the committee that you are called to be Ordained! If you want to understand a little more about ordination and the different forms of ministry please read the following paper that I wrote for the Doctrine, Ethics and Worship Commission (DEWCOM). You can download the paper here: http://tinyurl.com/a8sb8f - so please remember that you must convince the committee that you're called to be Ordained! That is different from the common expression 'full time ministry'! All Christians are in full time ministry! Some of us are doing full time ministry in our regular work, others do it expressly through the life of the Church (the latter are called and set aside to the Ordained ministry, and the sacraments and preaching are an important part of that ministry).
• Second, and equally important, you need to convince the committee that you should be trained towards ordination in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa! It is important to show the committee that God has called you to serve within the MCSA - the Church will entrust you with precious members (and properties!), and they will invest a large sum of money to train you, so they need to be sure that you're called to serve in this denomination. Remember this committee has a responsibility to serve as the Church's steward in this regard.

Another vitally important part of this committee's task is to make sure that even if you are called to the ministry, you are READY to be trained towards ordination. Sometimes even when a person is called to enter the ordained ministry the timing may not be quite right. There are many things to consider. Some of them relate to you personally - perhaps you need to grow in some area, or need help to overcome some struggle or encumbrance. At other times it may be something in your surroundings or community that may not be ready for you to enter the ministry - for example you may have a child that requires schooling in a particular area, or a wife that is not supportive of your entry into ministry. Timing is very important!

The committee will ask you questions under the following headings:

1. Personal spirituality (conversion and call, current relationship with Jesus, current devotional life and participation in the life of the Church).
2. Methodist Ministry (the challenges of being in ministry, call to Ordained ministry, gifts and strengths you bring to the MCSA, why the MCSA?)
3. Personal history (any history of abuse, family relationships, your personality, your fears etc.) / Employment history / Personal relationships in general (how do you deal with conflict etc.) / personal relationships at home / personal relationships at work and Church / Academic history / Practicalities (e.g., how you will cope financially while you're at College, ages of your children, schooling, medical needs etc.) In this section the committee will ask your spouse some questions about him or herself, their support of your entry into ministry etc.
4. Non Itinerant and Part Time candidates. This is a VERY, VERY important section of the screening! Being part time or non itinerant must NOT just be a matter of convenience (e.g., 'I have a job that pays well and I don't want to loose the income', or 'I like the area in which I live and so am not willing to move out of my town') You will need to convince the committee that you're CALLED to do ministry while you have another vocation, or that you're CALLED to serve in a particular Church or Circuit! Please note this as it is very important! Please also note the new regulations (since 2007) that require you to have a letter from your employer acknowledging their 'awareness' of your intention to candidate for the Methodist Ministry (they don't need to give permission, but they do need to know that you will be spending some of your time).

I want to set your mind at ease by saying that none of us has it 'all together' - we all have some areas with which we struggle and some fears. So be prepared to be honest and pray that God will guide the committee in their deliberations.

The theological committee.

The purpose of this committee is to engage you in theological conversation in order to get some idea of your theology, your understanding of Methodist theology, and your ability to engage with the ideas and thoughts of others.

I would suggest that you read a couple of books to prepare yourself for this important committee:

• Hulley, LD. 1987 Wesley - A plain man for plain people. Westville. Methodist Church of Southern Africa. (available directly from EMMU)
• Malinga, P & Richardson, N (eds). 2005 Rediscovering Wesley for Africa. Pretoria. Education for Ministry and Mission Unit (pp. 1-28, 51-72, 97-104, 115-146, 153-172). (available directly from EMMU and Connexion bookshops)
• Storey, P 2004 And are we yet alive? Re-visioning our Wesleyan heritage in the new South Africa. Cape Town. Methodist Publishing House (see chs. 3, 4, 5 which is very important, 6, and 7). (available from Upper Room Africa and Connexion bookshops).

Then there are two newer books that can give you some good insights into our Southern African Methodist heritage:

• Bentley, W & Forster, DA. 2008 Methodism in Southern Africa: A celebration of Wesleyan Mission. Kempton Park. AcadSA Publishers. (this book contains some superb chapters with historical and theological reflections on how Methodism came to South Africa, and how it developed and what challenges the Church currently faces). (available from Upper Room Africa and Connexion bookshops).
• Bentley, W & Forster, DA. 2009 What are we thinking? Reflections on Church and Society by Southern African Methodists. Cape Town. Methodist Publishing House. (this book has some wonderful chapters and essays discussing some of the most contentious ethical and theological issues in Southern African society (these include same sex relationships, postmodernism, Africanization of Christianity, liturgy and worship, ecology and the environment, gender issues etc.) (available from Connexion bookshops).

I have included some of the notes that we prepared for the examining committee in years past - these will give you some insight into the nature and process of the theological examination committee.

General notes to the examining committee:

A. The purpose of the examination is to assesses the candidate's ability to grapple with theological, practical, and ethical issues related to the ordained ministry.

B. Please remember that it is unlikely that the Candidate will already have a strongly articulated theology, however, some basic theological skill should be evident. Furthermore, the candidate should display an ability to interact with the views of others (e.g., those of members of the examining committee). The candidate be considered trainable towards achieving the exit outcomes required for an ordained minister of the MCSA, and should not hold views that are radically different from those of our denomination.

C. Remember it is essential that you make the information about the examination available to the members of the examining committee some weeks in advance of the examination (including copied pages from the books). It is essential that all of the committee members have read the prescribed and suggested books (or the above-mentioned sections thereof).

The required outcomes of the examination:

A. It is essential that the committee establishes the following outcomes in order to recommend the candidate to train for the Methodist ministry:

1. The candidate is able to articulate his or her theology clearly.

2. The candidate does not hold a theological stance that is contrary to Methodist doctrine and policy on pertinent issues (e.g., the doctrine of salvation, the structure of the Church and issues of discipline and polity such as the ordination of women, the submission to authority), practical issues such as the mission mandate of the Church, and the sacraments (for example the MCSA's stance on rebaptism and infant baptism).

3. The candidate shows a willingness to listen to, and interact with, the views of others.

4. The candidate has an understanding of the vision and mission of the MCSA and can offer some practical suggestions on how he or she will participate in and further these objectives.

5. The candidate would be teachable and trainable towards achieving the exit outcomes required for an ordained minister of the MCSA.

Some final comments:

Please do rely on the insights and expertise of others who have gone through this process in previous years (for example your minister). Second, please be sure to familiarize yourself with the expectations for the screening by contacting your District Supervisor of Studies in your district!

Finally, please pray for the screening committee, pray for the other candidates across the connexion who will be screened (particularly for those who will have to return again next year because they are not yet ready to enter the training process). Know that I, and many others, are praying for you as you offer yourself for ministry. This is truly a 'high calling'! We rejoice to have more gifted women and men entering this vocation of service of Christ and those whom Christ loves.

I hope this helps!

Rich blessing,

Dion

Darth Vader joins the Lutheran Church of Iceland! A nice secular perspective on vestments.

When I first saw this video I just thought that it was funny... Then, after thinking about it a bit more I realised that it is in fact a significant commentary on Church vestments. Why is Darth Vader any more strange than the Bishops in their elaborate robes? Both are equally mystical and strange in secular Western society!

What do you think (about Darth Vader in the parade... Looks photoshopped to me!) about Vestments and how secular society views them? Are they strange in contemporary society, something to be mocked, or do they retain any of the deep meaning (and intended anonymity) of their original intention?

I have a wonderful paper on Vestments that was written by a friend, Rev Tim Attwell, if I can find it I'll post it here.

A comeback of note! Watch Al Franken put Ann Coulter in her place!

Ann Coulter is a conservative of the worst kind... I once heard someone comment that she is so narrow minded that she can see through a keyhole with both eyes! What makes her so popular is that she is 'all American', she's well spoken, intelligent, and well presented. But, her approach to society, politics and religion are less than admirable.

Senator Al Franken is not exactly my cup of tea, but in this video he puts Ann Coulter in her place in a wonderful way!

This is perhaps the funniest 1.22 video of the year (thus far!)

FREE, LEGAL downloads of EVERY Beatles song!

Could it be true!? Here's the post!

Oyvind sez, "Some weeks ago, NRK - Norwegian Broadcasting - signed a deal with music rights holder organisation TONO in Norway. The new deal gives NRK right to publish podcasts of all previously broadcasted radio- and tv-programs that contains less then 70% music. Podcast containing music may be up for four weeks, while our podcast without music stay up on our server forever. One result of this deal, is that we now can publish 'Vår daglige Beatles' - 'Our Daily Beatles' in English - as a podcast. In this series from 2001, journalists Finn Tokvam og Bård Ose tells the story of every single Beatles tracks ever made, chronologically. Each episode contains a 3 minute story about each track (sadly for our international visitors - in Norwegian) and the actual Beatles tune. This is - as far as we know - the first time you can download the Beatles’ music legally. Neither iTunes nor Amazon have The Beatles in their music stores." Last ned alt av “The Beatles” - og historien om hver enkelt låt (Thanks, Oyvind!)

posted in: Copyfight , music

Count your blessings - a spiritual discipline that empowers you to choose!

I am blessed to still have a few days of leave left before I return to work on the 12th of January (well, actually I start over the weekend on the 10th, but I'll only be in the office from the 12th).

I always experience this 'liminal' time as quite strange - I want to enjoy each and every moment of every day of my leave, yet at the same time I am starting to get a little restless, wanting to get back to my ministry! I am full of energy, I've got some new ideas, and I'm eager to tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead this year. Yet, I still count the hours that I have left. Strange isn't it? It's an 'in between time'...

Counting the hours is quite helpful, it allows me to enjoy each of them, to know that each one is precious and that I must take care not to waste them in unnecessary things. I am making the most of chance to sleep, chances to spend time with my family, time to read, and the freedom to exercise.

There is a sense in which counting the hours empowers me to choose how I shall use them! Does that sound strange? Well, it is quite simple - knowing what I have makes it possible for me to make choices about how to spend the hours.

I have come to realise that the discipline of counting my blessings is a very necessary part of my spiritual discipline. I can easily loose perspective on my life, forgetting that all that I have and all that I am is a gift from God. Sometimes I can allow the pressures and challenges around me rob me of the joy of living... I recently heard that some Methodist colleagues were discussing me and that one of them commented that I had 'sold out' the Church by taking on my current position outside of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.

My first reaction to this was hurt, if only they understood that I could have taken much easier (certainly in terms of my ability, skill, and the challenges that I face in the Church) and more lucrative position (with housing provided, a good stipend, a better medical aid, schooling benefits for my children and a host of other blessings) in a Church in which I was already serving at the time I decided to move... Yet, I chose to take on my current post because I wanted to add value and make a difference in a sphere of society that the Church was not reaching. It was certainly not a financial decision! I felt hurt and upset - misunderstood and unfairly judged. But then, I remembered Hester (watch the video) and decided to take some time to count my blessings and give thanks.

I gave thanks for the friends who cared enough to talk about me even when I was not able to be present. I gave thanks for the many friends who call me, send me messages, pray for me, and speak truths to keep me on the 'straight and narrow'. I thank God for them, and in giving thanks I was given the power to choose how to react.

And so, I chose to thank God for these friends, even those who misunderstand what I do. I thanked God for the opportunity that I have in my current position to influence and change powerful systems and people all over the world. It is an incredible honour, and responsibility, the be able to subtly influence the organizations within which I operate (and that includes the denomination of which I remain a minister, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa). I chose not to be angry. I chose to do my best to understand why who I am and what I do may be misunderstood, and that I could chose to make a difference. I count that a blessing!

Well, if you want to see the Helderberg Mountains, and me with a beard, take a quick look at this video on counting your blessings....

Thanks for stopping by. I count your visit as a blessing!

Ten (11) common mistakes in preaching...

Steven posted a link to this great list of common mistakes that preachers make.

I'll start with a confession - I have perpetrated almost ALL of these at some time or another, and, as a teacher at our denominations seminary, I tried my best to help our students to avoid them.

Now, I am a simply an 'ordinary' member of a congregation - (well I tend to visit many different congregations the world over in the course of my travels). Sadly some of these mistakes are quite common regardless of the continent and context.... Perhaps we could all learn a few lessons from this list?

Here goes: (the list comes from Dr Michael Jensen's blog)

My assumption in this list is a culture that values the preaching of scripture very highly. This of course should not be assumed at all! There are actually worse crimes than these that include doing violence to the text of scripture, or ignoring it altogether, or waffling and calling it 'spirit-led'.

1. Merely 'explaining/teaching the Bible' and not preaching the living Word of God. (I think we should ban the phrase 'we are now going to hear the Bible explained'. I don't need it explained. I need it preached.)

2. Introducing us to the text and not to the issue addressed by the text.

3. Providing overelaborate explanations of the biblical-theological background to no great end.

4. Moralising from the Old Testament.

5. Reading every OT text immediately in terms of Christology without regard to its own particular context and meaning and purpose.

6. Speaking down to the congregation; assuming we are simpletons and do not read or think for ourselves. That our questions just need better information in order to answer them.

7. Getting Penal Substitution (or whatever the hot-button issue is for your church!) from every single text.

8. Illustrations that confuse more than illuminate. That's...most of 'em.

9. Never referring to self and own Christian faith in sermon. (Of course, the opposite is worse: using the pulpit for autobiographical purposes. Yuck.)

10. Making ill-informed generalisations about culture/sociology from a knee-jerk conservative standpoint.

11. (sorry) Pop-psychologising.

Check out the comments on the original post... There are many other points added by the commentators.

An auspicious week for Science (in history)

This week is quite special for the natural sciences... On the 4th of January we commemorate the birth of Sir Isaac Newton, the brains behind 'Newtonian physics'. Without it we would not be able to build bridges, dig tunnels or even drive motorcars.

In two of my books I discuss the significant role that Sir Isaac Newton played in the development of our understanding of the Universe. Some persons have challenged my positive view of Newtonian physics, questioning whether it has any relevance in the light of quantum mechanics and quantum physics.

My answer to them is quite simple - Newtonian physics is as valid and important to physical science as my childhood is to my adult life! Simply because one's knowledge and ability has complexified and increased, it does not mean that one completely rejects where one has come from, what one has gained from those early experiences, and even the manner in which one gained those experiences and insights. Value is a somewhat subjective measurement. For example is the song 'Jesus loves me this I know' less valuable than the magnificent Wesleyan hymn 'O for a thousand tongues to sing' (written by Charles Wesley in 1739)? Or, to state it differently, is the simple and sincere confession of faith by a 9 year old any less valuable than the complex and systematic confession of faith by say, John Calvin or ? No, each has unique and special value within its context, and each enriches the value of the other.

I discuss this notion of integrative, holarchic, interdependent value in my book 'Christ at the centre' - you're welcome to download a copy here, simply read from approximately pages 45 to 53. In short, one could ask whether a letter of the alphabet is more valuable than a page of a book? Well the answer is that neither is more valuable than the other in the context of a story - letters make up words, words make up sentences, sentences make up paragraphs, and paragraphs make up the narrative of a story on a page. Without individual letters of the alphabet one would not have any words, and without words (into which the letters are arranged) the letters themselves are not all that informative. So, one can see that each component is related to the others, both giving and receiving value through that relationship.

So, quantum physics is essential but it does not exclude the value of Newtonian physics. Try to build a bridge using only quantum physics and you may just find that it is not possible!

So, happy birthday Sir Isaac Newton!

Then, this week commemorates the death of the African American scientist George Washington Carver (5 January 1943). He did a great deal to improve our understanding of argriculture and alternative crops. What is particularly significant about his contribtion to science and the academy is that he was a significantly positive role model to counteract the stereotype of African Americans in the late 1800's in America. He did so much to show that any person, regardless of race or background, can make a significant contribution to scientific endeavour.

Well, it sure is a scientific week!

Making resolutions that last! Make 2009 your best year yet!

So, Christmas is Over, huh? A new year has begun!

I found a lovely little poem a few weeks ago, it's called "The Week After Christmas."

'Twas the week after Christmas, and all through the house, nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. The cookies I’d nibbled, the fudge I did taste, all the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber). I remembered the marvellous meals I'd prepared, the gravies and sauces and beef nicely rare. The pies and the cakes, the bread and the cheese, and the way I never said, "No thank you please." As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt, and prepared once again to do battle with dirt--- I said to myself, as I only can "You can't spend the summer disguised as a man!" So away with the last of the sour cream dip, get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker
and chip. Every last bit of food that I like must be banished, 'till all the additional ounces have vanished. I won’t have a cookie, not even a lick, I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick. I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore --- But isn't that what January is for? Unable to giggle, no longer a riot ... Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Well, the good news is you did it, you survived the Christmas and New year festivities! You made it through another year. But, here we are back to reality again, a new year before us. It is a year full of possibility and opportunity. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8760 hours. 525, 600 minutes and 31,536,000 seconds. What will you do with all this time?

This is typically the time of year where the resolutions that we made are beginning to fall by the way side. I often say at lent 'For lent this year I am going to give up my new year’s resolutions'. Sadly, they have often already been long forgotten by then! In the dictionary a resolution is defined as 'a course of action decided upon; a fixed purpose.'

We resolve to do things differently. To lose weight, to exercise more. To be a better person. To dispense with old bad habits and begin some new good ones.

Illus.: A newspaper in Boston has been allowing people to post new year's resolutions on their website. Here are a few interesting ones:

- I resolve to stop feeding the office plant leftover coffee. I will use water instead.
- My new year's resolution is to really start collecting Muppet and Peanuts stuff in the coming year!
- As much as I hate government intervention, I resolve to try and get a law passed that requires every person on the face of this earth to have to use their common sense at least once a day!!!!
- As a Theatre Major, I seldom have much time to eat real food...never mind eating with my family. This year, I resolve to try REAL hard to stop eating McDonalds and Wendy’s for 2 out of 3 meals a day. If that isn't possible, I promise to at least clean the remains from my car.
- I wish to become the old crone that my body already says that I am and stop trying to look like Barbie due to our culture.
- I hereby resolve to accept the changes occurring at work. I will try to remember that the decision-makers have a brain and will use it if necessary. Finally, I will cheer for them if it works and I will not laugh if it doesn’t!
- To refuse to take responsibility for my decisions, to never take the blame, not stand by my promises, and to ignore the needs of the poor. In short, my resolution is to become a politician!
- To become as wonderful a person as my dog thinks I am.

If we are interested in keeping any of our resolutions this year, we should adhere to the methods employed by Paul in Philippians 3:13. Let's have a look at these methods.

The good news is that God gives us this year as a gift, filled with opportunity and possibility! What will you do with it? How will you use your talents, your time, your influence, and your WHOLE life for ministry and change?

Here are a few ideas that I shared with the listeners of my radio show 'The Ministry and Me' from Radio Pulpit.

Here's the MP3 if you're interested in listening 'Making resolutions that last' (6MB MP3).

Rich blessing to all!

Free high resolution images of the earth

If you're looking for free high resolution images of the earth (these are not maps, rather they're satellite images of the whole earth that are stitched and free) then check out the post below.

If you desire high-resolution images of the Earth, the good folks at Unearthed Outdoors have made available the 250m True Marble image set for a free download with a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. It's a map of the Earth made up of 32 tiles, where each tile is a 21,000 pixel square, available in png and tif formats. There's also a series of smaller files that may be more useful -- in case you don't need a map of the Earth that ends up being 84,000 pixels tall and 168,000 pixels across. Printed at 600 dpi, that's about 12 feet by 24 feet!

Happy New Year! (Thanks, Mikael!)

Unearthed Outdoors True Marble Imagery

(Shawn Connally and Bruce Stewart are guest bloggers)

Google Earth Image of today's cycle

This morning I went for another great ride! It is the route that I've been doing for the past two weeks (about 40 km's with some nice gradient). The start is at 4 Reiger road (home!) and then from there out of Somerset West towards Macassar. Just before Macassar I turn right up Winery road (a few nice hills there!) and make my way to the R44 where I turned left to Stellenbosch. The ride into Stellenbosch must be one of the most incredible places in the world to ride - great
mountain views, the vineyards, and a few lovely hills - oh, and the road has a nice wide shoulder. Then I rode into Stellenbosch, did the turn around, and headed back to Somerset West up a few of the steepest hills in the area! Once back at Steynsrust I turned into Somerset West and did the final little climb over Irene Ave and the nice easy ride home.

Here's the Google Earth link.

A match made in heaven... Polar S625X and Garmin Forerunner 305!

I love riding my bike! This year (2009) I'll be doing my 9th Argus cycle tour. I am yet to ride a GOOD Argus... My best time over the 100km ride is 3h58. However, I am sincerely hoping that I'll be able to ride a better time this year!

So, I've been taking my training a little more seriously than in years gone by. I need to spend as much time as I can in the saddle, particularly since I have to strengthen my left leg that I broke in February last year (see here for the early news of the break, here for a pic from hospital and here for a picture of the pins and screws in my leg).

I've been trying to do about 30-50 km's each time I ride (at this point it is every day, or every second day). It is going great!

I am blessed with some great equipment, for a few years now I've owned a Polar S625X heart rate monitor. It is my standard watch and an exceptional training tool. Three years ago Megie bought me the bike mount and sensor so the watch not only gathers information about my heart rate, it also gathers information about the speed I'm cycling, the distance I'm covering and the altitude that I'm climbing. That information is incredibly useful! Not only does it help me to chart my fitness and how I'm growing stronger, it also offers some great encouragement. Every time I look over the graphs and see my speed and strength growing I get an extra little boost! I'll say a little more about how I get the data off the watch in a moment...

My friend Paul has now given me a Garmin Forerunner 305 to use. It is a fantastic GPS watch that can also function as a bike computer and heartrate monitor. But, I don't have use of either the heartrate strap or the bike sensor. Still, it is a remarkable little machine! It captures the track that you ride and then exports that to your computer so that you can view the track map on Google Maps and also get information about your speed and altitude.

When one combines these two pieces of data from the watches you get a pretty great idea of how you're doing!

However, there is a huge challenge! These two watches don't share a common data standard, each one captures and stores its data in a proprietary format. To complicate matters even more the Polar has NO support for Apple Mac OSX whatsoever! So I have to 'hack' the heart rate and speed data into my Mac to make it useable.

So, what do I do? Well, sadly the only reliable way to get the data off the Polar is to use the Polar Precision software in a Parallels Windows XP Session on my Mac. For those who are wondering, NO you cannot use the Polar Infrared sensor with Parallels - I use a cheap USB IR bridge instead and it works like a charm!

Then to combine the information with the Garmin Forerunner watch I use a piece of software called Ascent - this works directly with the Garmin watch via USB, and it allows me to import the Polar heart rate monitor files (*.hrm) into the program. That way I can track all the data in one program. Of course the REAL solution would simple be to get a heart rate strap and bike sensor for the Garmin Forerunner! But, I don't want to spend the money on that now... So this solution should work!

Anyone have any better solutions to the two watches working together on the Mac?

Technorati tags: Garmin Forerunner, Polar S625X, training software, Mac, OSX, Argus cycle tour

Taking Mertyle the Vespa for new year's day ride

It is a lovely day in the Cape! I'm taking Mertyl for a gentle cruise from Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond along the coast! Ah, this is the life!







Here's a short video of Mertyl (back home).