Eden Myrrh Toohey, Author at 1Africa

Hurry up and wait

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April 8, 2016

I can’t explain how angry I have been at various occasions in my life when a meticulously planned course changed at the last minute. Obviously by the hand of God – because I don’t think that my OCD would have let any other “hand” get in there.

The topic of “life choices” has always been paradoxical to me. It is most certainly the thing I have yielded the most to God. I have often prayed about it, and yet it is still the thing I am most stubborn about. Ha! What a life!

I know I hear the voice of God, and I know that I’d be willing to shove anything aside to follow what He says, and that I have done that countless times. However, when people or circumstances come in the way, I’ve sometimes really battled to exude the patience a “good Christian life” required. I have often been left wondering why, if this is the route that God has set me on, he wouldn’t just let me go straight.

Listen, I’ve been a “believer” for so long, and have come so far, but I still battle every now and then. Just the other day, I was skyping with a good friend, and like we normally do, we were reading scripture that we felt that God was highlighting to us at the time, crying about how awesome the passages are, and then laughing at ourselves for crying. My friend kept dwelling on the first chapter of the book of James, and she is going through a season that could easily make any normal person depressed.

Here’s what it says:

“Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them; your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line – mature, complete and wanting nothing.

If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant you all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitments to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those who are lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.”

(James 1:2-8, The Voice)

The footnote for that verse in my Bible was even more awesome:

Wisdom, as James understands it, is the ability to live life well and make good decisions. Wisdom doesn’t come from old age or hard knocks. Wisdom begins with knowing and depending absolutely on God, who is never stingy when it comes to wisdom for those who seek it. He supplies all the wisdom we need when we ask. But when we try and go it alone – without God – trouble is around the corner.

This may sound weird, but I figure that the reason that I get so stressed out about plans changing, is because I pray and ask God for direction, deduce what I feel that He is saying from that prayer and then assume that what I see right in front of me is the “how I’m going to get there.” I think that’s what the Bible would call the “splinter of divided loyalty” that shatters one’s compass and leaves them dizzy and confused.

Over-thinking. Relying on self. Whata-whata. All of that insanely complicated jazz.

In his book Island, Aldous Huxley says:

“It’s dark because you are trying too hard.

Lightly child, lightly.

Learn to do everything lightly.

Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.

Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.

I was so preposterously serious in those days…

Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me…

to throw away your baggage and go forward.

There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet,

trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair.

That’s why you must walk lightly. Lightly my darling…”

In my opinion walking lightly is to give the yoke that we so often choose to bear, to Christ, and to take up his – which we know (because he told us in Matthew 11:30) is light!

How awesome are these two points by Charles Finney (Christ’s Yoke Is Easy):

Christ’s yoke is easy because it is love’s yoke. It is good will universally to us. Every requirement is imposed upon us for our own good, and the highest good of the great family of which we are members (oh! Rid us of our selfishness!). Christ’s will is never arbitrary, never capricious, never selfish, requires nothing of us at any time without the strictest reference to our own higher good!
His yoke is easy because he never prohibits anything, and never imposes upon us any restraint except for our own good, or for the good of the race to which we belong (oh my gosh, please read through Philippians 2:1-13). If at any time he restrains us, or deprives us of anything that we would like, it is love’s restraint. He sees that it would be injurious to the world, and consequently dishonourable to him; therefore enlightened love compels him to restrain us (or sometimes make the journey bumpy and include detours!).

Patience.

Endurance.

Righteousness.

Dosed with a whole lot of love!

“But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of the Anointed One. And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside – it’s nothing but a pile of waste – so that I may gain Him. When it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness based on the law, but actively relying on the faithfulness of the Anointed One. This is true righteousness, supplied by God, acquired by faith. I want to know Him inside and out! I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by his death, so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead! I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; but I am changing on to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus has in store for me – and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let go…”

(Philippians 3:7-11, The Voice)

I guess once you wrap your head around that being the reason for everything that we go through in life, you almost want to ask God to get on with it, quickly!

If you feel like you identify with what I’m saying, but find yourself at odds with this “God” that I’ve been talking about, I’d like to encourage you to please click on the banner below or the popup for more information!

What shepherd are you following?

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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April 4, 2016

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“You’re a sheep. They don’t ever say “lone sheep”. A lone sheep is a dead sheep.” – Kenneth Hart

When I saw that quote, I though of how true it rang for me, and then went on to remember the countless times when I’ve made an effort to exercise good community in my life. Whether it was in church or amongst friends, I’ve always wanted to make sure that I was never a lone island. I decided all of this mostly because I wanted to protect the special gift that is my salvation – I never wanted to stray!

The Bible describes all men as “sheep” – some are already following the ultimate shepherd, Jesus, whilst others are trying to find their way alone, and are described as “lost”. In the Bible, Jesus illustrated how much he cares for the “lost” through a parable, by saying that he would leave 99 sheep just to find one that was lost, because the one is that important.

Other than being led by the ultimate shepherd, we are also led by different shepherds throughout our lives, because of the nature of life itself. There are men and women who are given authority, or the responsibility, to lead the people. Unfortunately, unlike Jesus, these men and women are a far cry from perfect.

About 10 000 people gathered at Melmoth Sports grounds in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province this weekend for a drought relief imbizo. “As your shepherd, let me lead you,” rang the voice of the current president, in isiZulu. Jacob Zuma not only pleaded for calm, but also asked for respect following calls from opposition parties and other influential people for his resignation over the Nkandla debacle. It was just last week that the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma’s failure to comply with the public protector’s remedial action on the upgrades to his Nkandla homestead was a contravention of the law.

It was also last week that the nation’s shepherd attempted to apologise in a televised address for the way that the matter was handled. He also disappointed many in what appeared to be a great leadership opportunity (the opportunity to step down before something worse happens – you know, step down with your self-esteem intact).

“A nation is a nation because of its people,” said Zuma at the imbizo, to loud cheers. He carried on to say: “While I still have this responsibility to lead the nation, it does not matter whether you are a Zuma [supporter] or not, at this moment I have been given a task to lead you, let me lead you. I am not going to be in power for long because the years have gone by – don’t be fooled by my good looks. I want peace in the country. There is no president that does not want peace in his country. I also want there to be respect for all. This is not only my wish as president; it is everyone’s wish. Every leader, priest, amakhosi and every elder person who is a parent wishes for respect. If an elderly [person] does not want respect, there is a problem,” he said after encouraging the crowd to also go out and vote in the 2016 local government elections.

Zuma was right: “A nation is a nation because of its people.” For me that means that there is no nation without the people, or, there is no shepherd without first having sheep.

But what do we do next, especially in South Africa? Yes, Zuma’s rule has been characterised by bad decisions and in many cases, a lack of integrity – but do the sheep just unanimously decide that they don’t want this shepherd and chase the shepherd away?

No. Maybe it is because we have been lone voices crying out, or lone groups, never letting out a unanimous cry – not to Zuma, but to God – that we have not seen the success that we desire. Or maybe the leadership that God has given us right now is a lesson that needs to be learnt?

Whatever it is, I pray that we would learn it quickly.

If you are reading this, and understand the benefit of having a good shepherd in your life, I suggest that you click on the banner below to learn more!

How to ‘follow the peace’

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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April 1, 2016

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I remember being young and very impressionable, sitting in the lounge of a close family member’s house, talking about the things (and the people) that I had to get through in order to move on to the next step of my life.

It felt like everything hinged on their acceptance – not only of me, but what I could do. My family member was quite frustrated that I kept saying I was going to pray that God would have his way. It’s not something that I fully understood, but I just knew that if God wanted me there, He was going to get me there, and no one – no matter how powerful – could stop that.

“It’s terrible sometimes, how our lives hinge on what people decide for us. It’s horrible because sometimes there is nothing that we can do about it,” she said.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt such anger.

That statement could have determined a lot of my believing for the rest of my life, but I turned around and said: “No, that is not true. The Bible says that God holds the heart of the King in his hand like water.”

I got the position, and stood up to the “king” in place at the time. I didn’t have to be enough. I could have easily been “less than” – in fact, I was – but I got through, and I fully give all of that credit to Jesus.

Total dependence on God.

What does it mean?

What does it look like?

“…I needed to test if my convictions of thought were also my convictions of heart.”

I grew up with a heritage of big faith. My grandparents and parents literally gave e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g to follow what they felt that God had said to them. Sometimes that meant giving – my new tracksuit, or money, or us giving our car or our house; whatever it was didn’t matter.

I was brought up to believe that what God says is the ultimate, and everything else – possessions and people – bow to him. That may be what I was taught, but each person has to take their own journey and make their own decisions and so there came a time where I needed to test if my convictions of thought were also convictions of heart. There were many heart conviction moments in my life before then, but I’ll always remember that moment with my family member as one of the key moments in my life, because I spoke on my conviction.

It’s been quite a few years since then and a whole lot of stuff has changed in my life. I’ve been on insane journeys with Jesus, and have walked out (many times) in blind faith and courage – even when the odds looked like they were against me.

I’ve also made some pretty bad mistakes, but through it all the biggest lesson of them all has been to “follow the peace”.

Follow the peace

When God asks us to do something, or gives us a plan and a vision for our lives, it is always outside of our regular line of thinking. The more often we are able to surrender our will to that of the Father, the easier it becomes to not only discern when it is in fact his will versus our own, but also to move beyond our tingly nervousness and follow the peace that only he can give.

Admittedly, there have been times when I’ve followed what I’ve wanted for some years at a time, and at the end, when it all goes up in smoke, I stand looking at the ashes going, “Oh, Lord… if I only listened when I felt that this was wrong…”

Peace: A treaty to cease hostilities; a state prevailing during the absence of war; the general security of public places. (Wordset).

How profound are those definitions? In the Bible, in Psalm 18:19, it says, “He brought me into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me”. Another translation of the same passage says, “He brought me out into a wide open place; he delivered me because he was pleased with me.”

If space doesn’t speak of freedom and peace to you then I don’t know what will. We are so often caught up in the confines of our emotions, our fear, our feelings, and our lack of hope because of a lack of obedience!

“But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

If faith is the only way to please God, as the Bible says, and obedience is an act of faith, then why not decide to walk in constant obedience? Obedience is crazy because most times, the instructions come when we cannot see what the person giving instructions sees – but obedience is also what delights God and is the key to us being freed from the confines of our situation and being brought into the light and joy of his deliverance and wide open spaces = peace!

Follow the peace! Yes, there are things that seem tempting, decisions that look right, and gravy that looks more delicious – I wrote this post because in the last two months I’ve been bombarded by people telling me that the decisions that I made (following my peace) were stupid decisions. But that’s just it – a lot of stuff is stupid to us who can only see right in front of us, yet God is carving a bigger, better picture. But it requires big faith for us, the seemingly small!

God has proved himself to be true too many times for me to let go of anything he says for a cheap thrill! I want to encourage you today, my friend: If you are dying to get a hold of some peace and rewards for the decisions that you make, the best treaty that you can make to cease the hostilities in your life is to grab a hold of not only Jesus, but also everything that he says. Learn more about this first step by clicking the banner below!

What is your breaking point?

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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March 22, 2016

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Spoiler alert: If you haven’t yet watched Point Break (2015) and want to do so, this post contains potential spoilers!

Starring Luke Bracey, Edgar Ramirez, and Teresa Palmer, Point Break (2015) tells the story of Johnny Utah, a young FBI agent and former poly athlete who has to infiltrate a team of extreme sports athletes because he suspects them of masterminding a string of sophisticated corporate heists. His life is in constant danger while he works undercover to prove that these athletes are in fact guilty of these mind-boggling crimes that are shattering the world’s financial markets.

The 1991 film of the same name featured Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, and differed quite a bit in terms of plot. The original film’s title referred to the surfing term used to describe where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline. However, the title of the new version seems to be intended in a more figurative sense as a reference to the point just before the climax of an ordeal where you can either soar, or give in to fear and break (the breaking point).

I don’t want to give much else away if you haven’t watched the film yet. The views are amazing, as well as the feats that the actors accomplish. Although the characters and the plot lack substantial depth, there is still a whole lot to this film – a whole lot that made me think.

In psychology the term “breaking point” refers to “the stress at which a person breaks down or where a situation becomes crucial”. It could also refer to the “degree of tension or stress at which something breaks” – in this case, ultimately allowing fear to get in the way of one setting out to achieve a goal that one has/had.

In the film, the group of criminals was “unlikely” because even though they were committing crimes, they were actually in search of spiritual enlightenment by also aiming to complete the “Ozaki 8” – a teaching according to which one should do eight extreme acts that honour the forces of nature. With this in mind, they do things that, if done wrong, would mean certain death.

If one lives and dreams, one will always have the opportunity to either soar, or to give in to fear.

To some people, experiencing a near breaking point is so traumatic that they never ever venture out again to achieve their dreams, and then live their lives in the shadows. To other people, their breaking point seems almost too much to bear, and they totally give up on God along the way.

I’ve been encouraged to push beyond: Push beyond fear; beyond doubt; beyond insecurity; beyond apparent circumstances; beyond loneliness… and I know that you can too!

Unlike those men who sought to find their enlightenment through ordeals that would potentially kill them, we seek to find our way through an ultimate dependence on Jesus. In all truth, it is the most extreme thing one could ever do. While it may not always make sense on the surface, let this be an encouragement to you today to push beyond even yourself and to find your significance in God. The Bible says it this way:

“My Salvation and significance depend ultimately on God; the core of my strength, my shelter, is in the True God. Have faith in Him in all circumstances, dear people. Open up your hearts to Him; the True God shelters us in His arms.”

Psalms 62:7-8 (The Voice)

If you want to know a bit more about what I’ve just said, please click the banner below!

Can you ‘find God’?

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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March 22, 2016

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“God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can’t. If a thing is free to be good it’s also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata – of creatures that worked like machines – would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they’ve got to be free.

Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently, He thought it worth the risk. (…) If God thinks this state of war in the universe a price worth paying for free will – that is, for making a real world in which creatures can do real good or harm and something of real importance can happen, instead of a toy world which only moves when He pulls the strings – then we may take it it is worth paying.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

I couldn’t tell you how many times I have played Passion, the twelfth song on the new album by the band Young & Free, Youth Revival, this week. All I know is that I played it a lot. I think on Tuesday alone, I must have heard Karina Wykes’ sweet voice sing “I found you… I found you… I found you… I found you..” at least 15 times. As the music dies down she starts to sing: “I love you… I love you… I love you… I love you…”

It was probably during my tenth listen on Tuesday afternoon that my younger sister mentioned the theological problem that one of her teachers would have had with the song:

“He would have definitely had a problem with the fact that we’re saying that we found God. I mean, can we find God? Isn’t it God who finds us?”

Look, I’m no theological guru. I’m just a girl who longs to live in a deeper relationship with her Creator. Like a lot of other people I’ve asked questions like, “Why would God give us the choice to love Him? He’s so powerful, why wouldn’t He just make us love Him?”

In my eyes, it is a simple matter: Love is not love if it is not a choice and a process. Lost is not lost without the ability to be found.

It is for that reason that I find something so deeply intimate about those words: I found you, I love you.

In a particular version of Misty Edwards’ Render she sings, “I know you God…” and goes on to sing about what she has experienced God to be like. I felt true shivers all down my spine the first time I heard her sing that. She wasn’t being rude or pointing a finger towards God, and she definitely wasn’t talking about knowing of God. She could sing of her love for God because she had taken the time to learn and experience God.

In a recent article on the topic of arranged marriages, relationship coach Kira Asatryan had the following to say about how relationships typically work: “Couples create closeness through mutual acts of knowing (understanding another person from their own perspective) and caring (investing emotionally into another person), but knowing needs to come first…”

In a similar way, closeness with God comes from getting to know him.

In conclusion: God is intimately interested in loving us! We are what makes him happy – this is why we were created! He also knows that we can never truly love him without having taken the time to first find him, choose him, and then know him! Our natural response after that is closeness. It’s quite a mind shift from what some of us have been taught: We feel we need to try and impress God. We believe that God is angry with us and so we have to appease him with our prayers and sacrifices. We believe we can’t have a real relationship with him because there is no way that man can walk with God.

I’ve made a point in my life to seek out God. I need his closeness, and I can hear when there are others who have done so as well. Things like knowing and closeness can’t be put on, or feigned.

Today, friend, I encourage you to take the time out to seek God. If you have not pursued anything deeper and more meaningful, he is waiting for you. If you have not accepted a relationship with Jesus, please click on the banner below to understand more about how you can do so!

From ‘little’ to ‘more than enough’

Culture

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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March 14, 2016

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I can’t imagine being dubbed “first in the world” for anything. Look, throughout school it was just a battle to get to first in class. This weekend, however, we saw two South Africans rise to take that title: Candice Abrahams and Wayde Van Niekerk!

The current Mrs. South Africa, Candice Abrahams, was crowned Mrs. World in Dongguan, China. It was the 27^th Mrs. World pageant that had Mrs. SA going up against 45 other married women from different countries. Abrahams found herself in the top two with Mrs. Poland before taking the crown. Abrahams is also a businesswoman and is married to Metro FM DJ Ismail Abrahams.

Wayde Van Niekerk has become the first man in history to run the 100m in under 10 seconds, the 200m in under 20 seconds, and the 400m in under 44 seconds. That means that he is the fifth fastest man in the world right now. The 23-year-old Van Niekerk shocked both himself and the crowd with his performance at the Free State Championships in Bloemfontein on Saturday, as he has not competed in a 100m race since his junior days.

Both these people are amazing and have amazing gifts, but what happens to the rest of us, who might feel like what we have is “incredibly” normal and have no idea of how to use what we have to impact people?

Well, look at what the Bible says in John 6 (The Voice):

“Once this had transpired, Jesus made His way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (which some these days call the Sea of Tiberias). As Jesus walked, a large crowd pursued Him hoping to see new signs and miracles; His healings of the sick and lame were garnering great attention. Jesus went up a mountain and found a place to sit down and teach. His disciples gathered around. The celebration of the Passover, one of the principal Jewish feasts, would take place soon. But when Jesus looked up, He could see an immense crowd coming toward Him. Jesus approached Philip. Jesus (to Philip): Where is a place to buy bread so these people may eat? ⁶Jesus knew what He was planning to do, but He asked Philip nonetheless. He had something to teach, and it started with a test.

Philip:I could work for more than half of a year and still not have the money to buy enough bread to give each person a very small piece.Andrew, the disciple who was Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. Andrew:I met a young boy in the crowd carrying five barley loaves and two fish, but that is practically useless in feeding a crowd this large… Jesus:Tell the people to sit down.

They all sat together on a large grassy area. Those counting the people reported approximately 5,000 men—not including the women and children—sitting in the crowd. Jesus picked up the bread, gave thanks to God, and passed it to everyone. He repeated this ritual with the fish. Men, women, and children all ate until their hearts were content.When the people had all they could eat, He told the disciples to gather the leftovers.”

Phillip and everyone else knew that their “works” weren’t going to get them anywhere, because even their personal, year-long efforts weren’t going to be enough to touch (feed) anyone – it needed to be supernatural. Afterwards Andrew mentioned a boy who had something small and that that small offering was practically “useless” if they wanted to feed everyone. Obviously, that is exactly what Jesus wanted to use: the mundane, ordinary thing. The thing that you have in your hand that you expect only to feed you. I love so much that there were leftovers and that they had to gather them up so that there was no waste.

It’s very easy for us to compete for titles, but I feel that the most significant ones are won when we take our small offering and give it to Jesus to not only edify and inspire ourselves, but people all over – a larger sphere than we could ever imagine. The boy could have tried to help in his own power and fed only the people next to him, but he gave what he had to Jesus, and it was multiplied to more than enough.

If you need help multiplying your gift, I encourage you to take what you have and put it into the hands of Jesus today so that he can touch many more people than you could ever imagine; so that you can feed more people than only yourself and the ones with a direct connection to you.

If you don’t know how to do that, I encourage you to click on the banner below!

The power of true friendship

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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March 11, 2016

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“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armour, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.”

1 Samuel 18:1-5 (The Voice)

You may have heard of the story of Jonathan and Saul in the Bible. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was deeply affected when he saw David’s courageous act of bravely killing Goliath. They found that they had many things in common, such as bravery, strength, loyalty, trust, courage, and faith in God. They became best friends and Jonathan ended up giving David many of his most treasured possessions as an act of love (his robe, sword, bow, belt, and even his armour).

The only problem was that Saul, Jonathan’s father, started hating David after hearing the praise the people were throwing on him – “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands.” He sought to kill David from that day forward.

Jonathan often went so far as to put his own life in danger whilst trying to intervene on behalf of David, travelling to see him when he was in hiding from Saul, warning him when Saul was after him – even though he knew that David would be king instead of him.

David was also very loyal to Jonathan, protecting him when he could have seen Jonathan as a rival, and showing Jonathan great respect. In fact, the depth of his love was so great that when he found out that Saul and Jonathan had been killed, he composed a song called the “Song of the Bow” and ordered that all of the children of Judah be taught it.

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Relocation has been the most interesting experience for me. I’ve been able to observe the developments in my life with my adult brain and form interesting opinions, amongst other things. One of the things that I’ve been flawed by is the process of “friendship”.

Friend:

A person with whom you are acquainted;
An associate who provides cooperation or assistance;
A person you know well and regard with affection and trust;
A person who backs a team…

(via Wordset)

I grew up in Pietermaritzburg (a small town in Kwa-Zulu Natal) and there, I had people who knew my history, who cheered for me, who loved me, and who would correct me in love. We danced together, we laughed together, and we cried together. Their ages ranged from two to 80 years old. I knew the people that I could call when in crisis; I knew the people who I could call just to “chill”.

It was in about my second week of living in Cape Town (whilst serving at a new church) that I looked into the crowd from the stage and totally freaked out inside. I knew these people but they, in effect, knew nothing about me. I couldn’t hug someone and feel that they “knew me,” and I felt that I was at the age that developing yet another meaningful relationship with anyone was just too tiring; too much work.

It’s over a year later and I am so amazed at the lengths that Jesus went through to connect me with amazing people (if only I had the time to tell you all of the stories), who I’ve not really had all the history in the world with but who have touched my heart and have shown me more kindness than I feel that I deserve.

In many ways, good friendship is a supernatural thing. The Bible says that a “a good friend sticks closer than a brother,” (Proverbs 18:24) and there a tons of people who walk through life without that, constantly in the company of people who want the worst for them, who are constantly rivalling them, giving them the worst advice and are never there when they need them. Without good company, it’s very hard to achieve much, even if one has good intentions. More and more, I am seeing that without the backing of good people on my team, I have to work just that much harder!

If you’re someone who needs to be thankful today, I encourage you to walk through life with eyes open wide, ready to see miracles – and good “covenant” friends are just that. If you are one of those people who are desperately needing some healthy friendships, it’s okay to ask God for that specifically… but, first, make sure that you’ve accepted His gift of friendship to you! Find more about that by clicking the banner below.

Vote where it counts

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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March 8, 2016

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At the moment, the newly re-appointed finance minister of South Africa, Pravin Gordhan, is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The South African tax commissioner, Tom Moyane, and the guy who re-appointed Gordhan, his boss and our president, mr Jacob Zuma, continue to undermine his authority, but his resigning would send our already unstable economy into free fall.

Gordhan’s re-election was key for investor perception as it instills confidence in South Africa’s fiscal management domestically and internationally. However, police minister Nkosinathi Nhleko has submitted a list of questions to Gordhan – with the obvious approval of Zuma – to find out what he knows about an alleged “rogue unit” within the tax agency that is said to have spied on political leaders, including the likes of Zuma. Nhleko says that Moyane brought the complaint to the police last year.

Daniel Silke, director of Political Futures Consultancy in Cape Town, reportedly said the following: “The pressure is on him to fight it out. If the position becomes that untenable or he is intimidated to the point where he simply wishes to throw in the towel, it’s obviously his prerogative to do so. He would then witness what could be a disastrous market reaction.”

“It is important that all of us submit to the authorities who have charge over us because God establishes all authority in heaven and on earth… Look at it this way, the ruler is a servant of God called to serve and benefit you. But he is also a servant of God executing wrath on those who practice evil. If you do what is wrong then you’d better be afraid because he wields the power of the sword and doesn’t make empty threats. So submission is not optional; it is required. But don’t just submit for the sake of avoiding punishment; submit and abide by the laws because your conscience leads you to do the right thing… And now consider this. You know well the times you are living in. It is time for you to wake up and see what is right before your eyes: for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old life and put on the armour of light.

Romans 13:1,4-5,11-13 (The Voice)

Now more than ever, I am seeing that everything that is my future (from tomorrow until kingdom come) is in the hands of someone that is greater than myself. I have chosen Jesus as the main authority in my life; as the anchor for all of my past, present, and future decisions. But what does that mean for my future here on earth and the authority that is governing over me now? Because, let’s be honest, life here on earth is not easy – and a lot of the time the people that are governing over us don’t make it any easier.

This past weekend I registered to vote and walked away from the registration centre not only thoughtful but prayerful.

A while ago, I listened to a sermon by Bethel (Redding, California) senior pastor Bill Johnson, in which he said something to the effect of (and I am paraphrasing here): A lot of people like to go into situations trying to sort everything out on their own and afterwards come out saying, “Well, all we can do now is pray…” All we can do now is pray? Are you serious! Praying is all that we can do.

In my mind, as a believer, every prayer that I sent up is a vote towards what God wills, not only for my life but for my country and community. The scripture quoted before says that the practice of evil is the cause of the execution of God’s wrath. Look, God is a loving Father, slow to anger and rich in mercy, and while his forgiveness covers us, it is up to us as a people to register our votes with him – a right that we are given when we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.

God is eagerly looking for a chance to show his mercy for his people who continually turn their back to him. The story of Nineveh in the book of Jonah is such a lovely example of that. Jonah even got fed up with God for having so much mercy because of how repentant the people were! 2 Chronicles 7:14 says the following:

^“and [if] My people (who are known by My name) humbly pray, follow My commandments, and abandon any actions or thoughts that might lead to further sinning, then I shall hear their prayers from My house in heaven, I shall forgive their sins, and I shall save their land from the disasters.”

In my mind, that is an open offer to vote for His best despite our inability to receive, comprehend or deserve any of it! Jesus doesn’t only want that for the nation, he wants to give you his best for your life as well. All you have to do is register with him to cast your vote. Why don’t you click on the banner below to hear more?

Surviving the messy middle

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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March 4, 2016

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“In the middle, can’t get above or below

In the middle, everything that’s left ain’t right

In the middle, and I have to get up to get down

In the middle, Can’t spend another minute outside of the…

… Cooking with the hottest heat – in the middle

The heart of the matter lies right – in the middle

And everything that matters resides – in the middle…

I ain’t gonna get caught – in the middle

Remember everything I forgot is – in the middle

Guess I’m gonna have to decide – in the middle

Nothing happens when you just stand right – in the middle

Balancing the two extremes – in the middle

Swinging in the in-between – in the middle

Going where there isn’t a guide – in the middle

Going where love is hiding…”

Jamie Woon (Middle)

“It’s going to take another three years,” she said.

I could feel the heat rising inside of me – so much anger.

This is what happens when you change your degree because of complications… What was supposed to be three years was going to be two (that I already had behind me) plus another three (plus, plus…).

I was angry because I was going back into an institution.

I was angry because I was going back into restricted time schedules.

I was angry because it seemed like I was going around in circles.

My friends were confused because it felt like I had been studying for ages – and I really had. There were other friends who were already doing so much else.

When I left school and started choosing to do life differently than my peers, my aunt and I had a conversation. “Just make sure that you’re okay with seeing people who chose to take the normal route of studying straight after school (dating , getting married, getting a job, house, car, kids etc.,) carry on with life and succeed all around you. Make sure that you’re okay with succeeding in your own way and in your own time…”

And since then, I’ve largely been okay, except every once in a while when I’ve found myself in the middle. You know, the middle? The middle of getting anywhere that you might want to go; where everything is bad, when it seems like you’re not going anywhere, where nothing happens but everything happens, when you can’t see the end and you’re most likely to give up and forget why you’re doing what you’re doing.

While in the middle I’ve experienced blackouts, near-panic attacks, spouts of depression, a ton of totally “faithing it” and then also seeing Jesus come through for me in the most insane ways. In the middle I learnt to kick the doubt and impatience and just to look out of my window and enjoy the ride.

Two days ago though, I found myself coming out of a meeting that finally meant that I was nearing the end of a season in my life. I was and am no longer in the middle, but near the end – even though I still have a way to go. I left there with my heart so happy. There was a small light at the end of the tunnel, and already I was making plans for the next journey (somebody stop me! haha!).

When we’re young, we’re so quick to be unhappy with where we are without being able to see the bigger picture. We will have all of our lives to reach our destinations – although, we’d hope that we don’t spend all our lives reaching our destination.

In my mind, life is a big race full of many small races – some of them long and some of them short. It would be wise to learn patience and the benefit of sowing and reaping early on in the game.

“An inheritance gained too early in life, is not a blessing it is an end… The Lord directs our steps, so why try and understand everything along the way?” Proverbs 20:21, 24

Part of finding contentment when you’re in the middle is understanding and having a grateful heart. I am sure that an attitude of gratefulness is medicine for one’s soul:

“Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:20

“In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Are you in the middle? If you are and find that you need a bit of help putting your head down and getting the work done because the end is very far to go, why don’t you join me in surrendering to the need to always understand and have control. It might be far to go, but if you walk a step in the right direction, it is closer today than it was yesterday! Then, if you do not know Jesus, the source of the hope that I am speaking about, and would like to know more, why don’t you click on the banner below.

Stuck in prison?

Culture

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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February 29, 2016

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400 days of illegal incarceration. That’s how long South African Daniel Janse Van Rensburg was held in one of the world’s most notorious prisons – Black Beach. He was finally able to leave Equatorial Guinea in September last year to be reunited with his family, after experiencing what can only be described as living hell.

In a recent exclusive on South African current affairs programme Carte Blanche, Daniel fought to hold back tears many times as he recounted his experiences of rotten food, malaria, typhoid fever, the abuse of the women and children who were held alongside the men in Black Beach, and the memories that haunt him now. He said that all he could do was hold on to his faith in God and keep himself fit, mentally and physically.

Not unlike the biblical story of Joseph, who because of his dreams asked a cupbearer and baker to remember him when they left the prison that he was in, Daniel had met a Spaniard who had promised to help him when he left Black Beach. The difference was that the Spaniard remembered and soon sent an advocate to help Daniel.

All of this helps to put the story of Joseph, the one we love so much, into perspective.

Just think about it: you’re a kid that dreams. You’re also pretty spoilt by your father, and your brothers resent that. One day, after they’ve tried to plot your death and your older brother comes to your rescue, you’re sold to merchants and taken to Egypt. You’re sold to a guy called Potiphar – one of the most powerful people in the kingdom; and because you’re an honourable guy and work real well, you’re quickly promoted. But then, your boss’ wife comes onto you. You obviously resist her “charms” but are wrongly accused and sent to jail – for a long time.

Your father already thinks that you’re dead. No family is coming to visit you; no one is crying for you. Again, because you’re a person of noble character, you become quite a big deal in jail, helping the jailer with chores and stuff, until you’re finally put in charge of the other prisoners. Two of your fellow inmates used to work for the king and are getting these weird dreams. That’s perfect, because you dream. You interpret that one of them will die in three days and the other will be freed in three days, and ask that they not forget about you when they get out of prison. You interpreted correctly, but you’re quickly forgotten about – until two years later, when you’re remembered and called. One thing leads to another and you’re made the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, saving nations from starvation.

In today’s world, we know so much about how our brains and our bodies work; we know about trauma and that nearly one in every four people walk around depressed. What messes me up is how Joseph managed to go from yearssss in prison to advising kings and becoming second in command in the nation. How did he keep his mind when all hope seemed to be lost? How can we keep our minds when we seem to be locked in a prison – of our emotions, or of our circumstances – and we know that God has gifted us and called us for greater things that we just don’t see right now? How do we keep ourselves ready to reign after going through trial after trial?

THREE THINGS TO KEEP DOING WHEN YOU’RE STUCK IN PRISON

Keep Forgiving

“Peter: Lord, when someone has sinned against me, how many times ought I forgive him? Once? As many as seven times?

Jesus: You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22, The Voice)

Keep Hoping

“I pray that God, the source of all hope, will infuse your lives with abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit…” (Romans 15:13, The Voice)

“But listen, my friends… because God is not unjust or unfair. He won’t overlook the work you have done or the love you have carried to each together in His Name while doing His work, as you are still doing. We want you all to continue working until the end so that you realise the certainty that comes with hope, and not to grow lazy. We want you to walk in the footsteps of the faithful who came before you, from whom you can learn to be steadfast in pursuing the promises of God.” (Hebrews 15:9-12, The Voice)

Keep Worshiping

“They (Paul and Silas) were severely beaten and then thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure that they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a massive earthquake, and prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!” (Acts 16:23-25, NLT)

And, the most important of all of these, the power point, would be to hand the steering wheel of your life over to Jesus! My friend, if you have not done so already, and are interested in getting to know more, I suggest you click on the banner below. There is too much greatness within you for you to never emerge victorious having kept the mind of the King!

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! Trust in the Lord always, for he is the Eternal Rock.” (Isaiah 26:3-4, NLT)

Eden Myrrh Toohey

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