A tribute to my Dad – Paul J. Britz

With “Father’s Day” fast approaching I think of my Dad a man I thought the world of.  My Dad as far as I can remember is someone dependable and someone I could trust.  I loved listening to him when he used to call me every Sunday morning at 07h30.  Well as you know life has a strange way of dealing with all of us.  My Dad passed away 31 March 2008 at 12h00.  My sister was the first to hear of his passing and then she called me and told me.  We all drove down for the funeral which was in Port Elizabeth.  It is an 11 hour drive from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth and my mom and her husband also came along with us.  My daughter and her husband and my two sons drove down to support us in our time of grief.

As for remembering my Dad, I think that my Dad was a hardworking man; his hobby was his birds and his gardens.  I know he loved to read “Readers Digest” and bought that magazine religiously.  I also know my Dad kept a diary and wrote in it all the time.  He also sold puppy for a friend of his that lived on a Farm in the Eastern Cape.

My brother left South Africa and immigrated to Canada and just before my Dad passed away he relocated to Australia.  We tried to phone him and could not get hold of him; he was having family problems at the time.  Something happened there I do not wish to talk about but the fact remained that people stop us from getting hold of him on time to let him know.  The sad part is that he finally got the news from the same people who kept it from him the day we had the memorial service for my Dad.  I also felt hurt that he thought we would be so mean as not to try and get hold of him but it was a sad time and I suppose he felt let down by us.  So sadly we lost our brother too because I think he blames us for not letting him know the sad truth.  Well, to cap it off we don’t talk much to him as he has isolated himself from us and doesn’t want anything to do with us because of this matter.

Life sure can come and knock the wind out of you.  I also was disappointed in the eulogy for my father.  It seemed as though no one wanted to say something nice about him.  Looking at the little pamphlet that was made for my Dad, just an old and ugly photo with only a date of birth and death.  How sad, nothing telling about what he did and how he lived. 

Here is my tribute to a man that raised me, my sister Zelda and my brother Paul.  Dad if we could ever say thank you for the time you did spend with us we would.  Our DAD? Dad you where someone that thought about us all the time, you understood us and you had time for us, you were kind and we could always call on you.  You never seemed to mind when we came all the way from Jo’burg to come and visit and eat up all your food and enjoy ice-cream on the beach with you and Willemien.  You would listen to the things we talked about, give sound advice and praise when needed, ready and always willing to give us a helping hand.  We really love and miss you and may the Lord keep you safe till we meet you again.

Samson and Delilah:: Judges 16

Samson:  Judges 16: 30

Thinking about this story in the Bible and reading it again it makes me think how men react to beautiful woman.  The Bible tells us that Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek and her name was Delilah.  When I think of a beautiful woman I see someone that is well-built, beautiful long flowing black hair, blue eyes and fair skinned.  Her beauty would also be part of the favour she enjoyed with all men as they would have admired and loved her.  When I see Samson I feel that he would most probably be very handsome, strong and with flowing dark brown hair.  He probably had brown eyes and wherever he walked the woman would flock to be at his side.  He must have had a majestic stance and look about him.  

With a lot of nagging Samson gave into Delilah who was motivated by money to get the rewards the Philistine ruler’s would hand her.  It seems the Council of the Philistine rulers were giving her in return for the successful captured of Samson eleven hundred shekels of silver.  How many men were serving on the Council, it doesn’t state but the amount of money offered was enormous and most probably enough for her to live off without worrying about working again.

Delilah was relentless in finding out what was the source of Samson’s great strength.  She would keep nagging him the Bible tells us that it tired him to death and of course he broke down and told her his secret.  Delilah sent a report to the Philistine rulers that she knew the secret and that they should come back once again.  Delilah let Samson lay in her lap where he fell asleep and while he was sleeping she called for the barber to come and shave off his seven braids of hair.  Samson’s strength left him and he was as a normal man.  The saddest part in this story is the fact that the Philistine captured Samson and they gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza.  Samson then had been put to work in the prison grinding and they didn’t notice that Samson’s hair was growing back again.  

The ending is sad but sweet.  Samson asked that he be placed next to the pillars which supported the temple and he then prayed to God and destroyed the entire temple.  He killed more Philistine that day then in his live time.  In the New Testament Samson is mentioned with other great people.  Hebrews 11: 32 - 35

Prayer

 

Revelation 8 (Complete Jewish Bible (CJB))

1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for what seemed like half an hour. ² Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven shofars. ³ Another angel came and stood at the altar with a gold incense-bowl, and he was given a large quantity of incense to add to the prayers of all God’s people ⁴ on the gold altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of God’s people from the hand of the angel before God.

The people of God pray and God receives our prayers in heave.  Reading Revelations 8 : 1 – 4 I have come to the realisation that God is waiting for our prayers.  Look the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for what seemed like half an hour.  Was that the time God used to listen to your prayer?  Does it seem you are praying and nothing is coming out of your prayers?  Sometimes I pray and I wonder does God hear me.  Today I have come to realise God hears my prayers, God hears your prayers.  I believe Jesus and the angels bring our prayers before the Lord all the time.  We have so much going for us as Christian; we are the righteousness of God in Christ.  Let us not forget what the Lord Jesus has done for us.

May the Lord speak to you today in my blog and may you enjoy God’s presence in your life though your prayers.

 

Pat’s Lemon Pudding

Pat’s Lemon Pudding

Pat's Lemon Pudding

This is one of my mum’s favourite hot puddings she used to make for us as children.  Hmm, so lekker!

Ingredients:
for approximately 4 people

125g      sugar
  50g      margarine
  15ml    (1 tblsp) boiling water
  50g      self-raising flower
    1         large lemon (squeeze the lemon juice and grate the rind)
    2         eggs, separated
225ml    milk

Method:

Cream together the sugar and margarine, adding the boiling water to make the mixture workable.  Stir in the flower, lemon juice and rind.

Whisk the egg yolks in the milk and add to the creamed mixture, a little at a time.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture.

Pour the pudding into a butted 20cm dish and stand it in a roasting pan with warm water.  Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Serving suggestions:

Server hot on its own or with ice-cream, or with custard.

Blessings for obedience

From my garden

^{Psalm 5: 12 (Amplified)} 

¹² For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favour).

Learning each day to draw closer to the Lord I have no other option but to focus my time and efforts on reading God’s Word.  My Bible is a tool I have at my hands and I study it as often as I can.  I have a lot of knowledge about this great book but I lack the revelation many times.

Reading and praying is probably something second nature to me.  I have an urgent need to draw on the word of God and it grows each day.  I am really doing everything I know to become obedient when thinking about my Lord Jesus Christ. 

I believe that my passion lay with the Lord, I don’t know that I have arrived as yet but am doing everything possible to get in line with my God.  Isaiah 50: 7 ‘. . . I have … determined to do his will …’ It is my determination to become obedient to God and do His will for my life. 

Live life to the fullest and seek God in everything you do, so that He may bless you.  Proverbs 3: 6 ‘ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.’ May you too desire to live according to God’s will for your life, asking Him to guide your every step. 

Be blessed today!  

A success Story – Ayoba – Zelda Taylor

Zelda Taylor

When the odds are against you – you are able to get up and go.  I would like to take this time and write about my sister the pioneer in our family.

Nikita Taylor

Zelda Taylor, born in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.  I think a beautiful blonde woman with two beautiful children.  Her son Duane Taylor now in the USA working.  Her daughter in Grade 12 Nikita Taylor.  Just for the record the children are being raised by a single mom.  Zelda’s husband passed away a short while after they discovered that she was pregnant with Nikita and she has been taking care of these children.  

Life happened and after relocating to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, South Africa my sister realised that it was just impossible to make any money there.  Life was difficult and she had to leave Duane behind as he was attending Grey High School and didn’t want to make a change in his schooling.  Coming to Johannesburg with a young Nikita they moved into a little town house and she worked diligently and hard.  Traveling overseas, learning and make inroads wherever she went.

Things changed and she was unfortunate in her last position and had to make a decision.  She decided to do what she knew best and started selling products from her own home, 2010.  Her first sale came in and she just kept working hard.  As the Sole owner of the company Ayoba my sister started with the help of her partner Kobus and they started a micro office in Secunda, Mpumalanga.  Employing an administrator and a driver, time moving fast they needed to employ another person.  They had to get their name out there and decided to employ a representative.  Someone who knew their products and would bring in sales, this was in August 2011.  

Still the business is picking up in October 2011 they had to find a good Technician.  Their Secunda office is still growing and they looked at employing another administrative lady and another representative.

The population of the Secunda office almost in place; Zelda needed to get her micro office in Johannesburg populated as well.   

In March 2012 a representative needed to be employed in the Johannesburg office and in April 2012; Zelda employed her stepdaughter to come and work for her and then also needed the assistance of an Internal Sales Clerk. 

The population of her two offices one in Secunda and one in Johannesburg stands at 11 people.  She is the sole owner of the company and her partner will be joining her with a 50/50 percentage between the two of them. 

I think this is wonderful that someone in the prime of her live is able to get out there and make a success of her life.  Her main products are Safety Equipment and gear, hydraulics and pumps.  So should you need to have anything sorted out in the Engineering Field let me know and I can get you into contact with a brilliant lady.