Thank you

Never give up. Perserverance builds character.

  Firstly, I wish to thank God, without whom, I know I would not have been able to achieve anything, let alone being here to post this blog today. Thank you to my wife for her support over the last two years; and thank you too my family for being a perfect source of inspiration. And lastly, thank you too all my lecturers for your insight and guidance and then my classmates without whom this journey would have been lonely. All of the best in your future endeavours.

Image: http://positivepsychologynews.com/ppnd_wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/thank-you-bodies.jpg

A favourite (family) past time

What could be better than nothing but nature?

  Camping is probably one of my families most treasured past times. As a child, my parents weren’t particularly keen on the outdoors life, largely due to the fact that I think my father was scared of creepy crawlies, therefore family holidays were almost always confined to hotel rooms.

As a result, I promised myself that camping would become a part of our future family holidays. I am fortunate to have a wife who is super enthusiastic about camping for us both the whole camping experience embodies the total freedom to just relax. It allows us the opportunity to interact with nature (fishing and the exploration of the world around you) and best of all not being confined to a hotel room.  Attached to the freedom, our best memories centre on the camp fire, the ability to run and walk bare feet, and shedding the pressures and pretences imposed by city life.

We’re extremely fortunate in the Western Cape to be spoilt with a variety of camping options including the bare bones solitary camping experience or the more deluxe communal experience. Let it be said, camping isn’t for everyone, but given the chance it does tend to grow on one. I am thankful for all the times that my family and I have had to go camping, and I cannot wait for the next time that we can pack the car, load up everyone and hit the road. What can I say, camping IS our primitive little break from the norm and where memories are made.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-R3sx4p8ncqDzQZhX8MADrFH1HCMDtZbz6tRvGYzWT4pYF9d-szlLKlxCCXN0N8E6XMuzdNdji6QwaRN-WzGcBEjQcwJkt5TjEBiKvrz2Oe4Wstv6GGeMDBpfnAHYU09KN448nTOV5jI/s1600/camping-water-filters2.jpg

I love my life right now!

Give thanks to the Lord!

'I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil.' - Deuteronomy 11:14

I love my life right now. I am in want of nothing. I am at my happiest. I am alive.

Knowing the circumstances that I have battled and where I stand today, I am blessed and thankful. Although I am not a captain of industry, I don’t drive a sporty super saloon, nor I don’t live in a flashy neighbourhood, I am truly content with my life. I am appreciative of that which I have because I see many people around me in South Africa who have way less than I do. They are downtrodden and have it way worse than I do. So bearing that in mind there isn’t much that I can do but too really love my life right now, and be thankful to the Lord My God, for blessing me with his abundance.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuMPcjoueZGA1ndl5yxYPovsZIN2MalnAYpSkQcQlVNfIKs7EZAIz-YKAnxhSh22y0ipi5CHd63CGyYXVKFHOjF6qW8rrigb3B-q7geLjsCGvxiPffzOtiv1NjRKPR-fQm-1khiF8WSo/s1600-r/loving+life+header+copy.jpg

The last lecture

Counting down the days!

  I didn’t think that I would have the privilege of looking forward to the last lecture when I first started my BTech in 2011. Today, way back then seemed so far, and now it’s merely a matter of days before it all comes to an end.  

My time as a BTech student has been a major learning curve, not only academically but it has also shown me that by the grace of God I am able to accomplish anything (through Him) no matter what life may throw at me. I am pleased that I only embarked on this journey at the tender age of 34, and not any time sooner. In hindsight I don’t think I was adequately prepared, and that I needed to grow up to fully appreciate and digest the lessons learnt. This experience has inspired me so much that I aim to pursue my MTech studies in 2014. To all my lecturers during my tenure as a part time student, I would like to thank you for your support and guidance.

Image: http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/june2008/fat_lady_sings.jpg

Will this day matter in five years?

Take some time to consider the question!

  In five years from now, I have no clue where I will be or what I’ll be doing, but I do know that this day will matter? Why? Simply because what I do today will have an effect on something or someone, somewhere and at sometime, and thus, how I live my life today will have an effect on my tomorrow.

To clarify what I actually mean; if I were to learn a new skill today, it may have a negligible impact on my career path today or tomorrow; but I do believe that it will inevitably have an impact on my career path over the next five years. Whether the effect is deemed positive or negative in the immediate is immaterial; the moral of the story is that whatever we do while we are alive should be done with a sense of purpose, and that whatever it is we have done (seen and unseen) we need to have the peace of mind that our actions will eventually have a positive impact on the world (even IF it is in five years time). So, will this day matter in five years? Yes. We may not remember today then, but it’s safe to say that today will have an impact in some way on our lives then.

Image: http://www.beyond-karma.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ThinkingMan_Rodin_328x284.jpg

The excitement of house hunting – Part 5

Always be prepared to get your hands dirty!

  Picture this, you now have your dream home, but the honeymoon phase wears off, and one starts to notice those glaring areas of the home that needs some TLC. As mentioned previously these jobs should ideally be done soon, because failure to do so will in all likelihood result in the job never getting done. To successfully complete these little jobs mastering the art of DIY (quickly) becomes critical.

DIY no matter what anyone says is not easy, and it comes with practice. To ensure some measure of success, always ensure that you equip yourself with the proper quality tools. Here are 10 of the most important to have in a growing DIY toolbox:

1.       Claw hammer

2.       Flathead screwdriver

3.       Phillips (star) screwdriver

4.       Tape measure, and

5.       Adjustable wrench

6.       Pliers

7.       Saw

8.       Drill (preferably a cordless)

9.       Spirit level

10.   Utility knife (preferably a Leatherman)

A word of advice, spend a little bite extra buying quality tools, they last so much longer, giving you less stress than cheapie gear.

Image: http://www.thelittleguesthouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/tool-belts.jpg

Will we ever be satisfied with what we have?

Life is not made up of what we possess!

  What is the human race’s incessant desire for more possessions? What is it that we still need to acquire to be truly satisfied? Has money and possessions ever been found to be the missing link between us and true happiness?

Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything morally wrong living a comfortable lifestyle and spoiling oneself, but somewhere one surely needs to draw the line between excessive and unnecessary spending to fill a void in one’s life in pursuit of happiness. How much stuff must be accrued in a lifetime to attain la dolce vita? Surely there are simpler things in life far more precious than the acquisition and accrual of possessions. The question begs to be answered, has the world in its madness to acquire stuff and the need to fill a void eclipsed the ability to appreciate the simple things in life?

Image: http://www.beebosnak.com/uploads/3/4/2/7/3427474/5803680.jpg?357