Devoted magazine Issue 17 by James Hendricks

Hykie Berg Passionate about spreading the Word of God

I SSN2223- 473X

Issue 17

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a change is as good as a

holiday!

God

Keeping in Schools Take my hand not my life!

The Voice of the

unborn baby www.devotedmag.co.za

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Go Further

Ed’s Letter

God

Celebrating

Trusting

through every season of your life

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As I look back over my life, I realise that change is the one constant I’ve had to live with so far. Change is the only thing in life that one can be certain WILL happen! The trick is to embrace change, to adapt to it and to celebrate all the changes in our lives.

here are seasons in everything, and while we are blessed with four distinct seasons in nature, our lives have many different seasons. We are born, we are babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults; and then we start growing older, and older… quicker than we would like to. Some of us go through all these seasons in our lives, but some miss out on a few. As our lives move in seasons (cyclical rhythms) we need different responses to deal with the different seasons. As our seasons change, our lives also change. Some of these changes we like and others we don’t. We especially dislike the winter season, because we associate it with no growth, and no hope and struggles. The question that is so often asked is: “Why do we have difficult times?’’ Why do we also have to go through winter in our lives, sometimes even the harshest of all winters? I do not know the answer, but what I have figured out for myself, is that we are given the skills (or tools) to handle the winters. If you give up when it is winter, you will miss the promise (advantages) of spring, the beauty (joy) of summer and the fulfilment (responsibility) of autumn. I believe the Bible when it says in Daniel 2:21, “God controls the times and the seasons. He makes and unmakes kings.” The seasons of life are necessary and they are purposeful. God always has a purpose and nothing happens without Him knowing about it! There is no “coincidences”; there is only “God-incidences”. Life is not a series of random events that have no connection with each other and which do not have any meaning or purpose. Things happen for a reason. The challenge is to trust God through all the

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seasons of your life, so you can learn and grow from these experiences, even the hard ones. As I was preparing for a recent event where I had to speak about Devoted, I struggled to get the right starting point for my talk; and had to pray about it – long and hard! Then the question struck me: When last have I seen people being devoted to anything? When last have I experienced people who keep their promises and commitments - people who keep on keeping on – even through all the seasons of their lives? It seems that some people have the tendency to come and go whenever things become a little tough. I remember when I was searching for the right name for this magazine. It was extremely important to select the perfect name. When I decided on the name Devoted, I automatically committed – through the name - my talents, time, energy and my gifts to grow this magazine for His glory. With a name like Devoted you have no choice but to stay faithful and committed; you do not have the choice to walk away when things get a little tough. And, even though we continuously face challenges, the magazine has succeeded – slowly, but surely - to enter people’s homes and hearts. Since January 2015 the magazine is being read online by an average of 40,000 people per month, and it is continuously growing. The previous issue received more than 21,000 hits within one week, and hopefully it is read from cover to cover. The printed copies are also doing great and it is clear that our readers pass it on to others and they keep it for future reference. This enhances the shelf life of Devoted so that more souls can be reached! I even received

an enquiry recently on how it could be possible to distribute Devoted in Kenya, one of my favourite countries. I am looking forward to grow Devoted not only in Kenya, but in other countries as well. Thank you if you are one of our committed Devoted readers! Please keep supporting us and give your copy to others to read – this is how we help others to discover life through the Gospel! Psalm 1:3 reads, “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Christianity is all about knowing God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and bringing forth the “fruits of the Spirit”. Patience is probably one of the fruits of the Spirit that is the most difficult ones to bear. It is my prayer that you will be patient in your calling and your commitments. We hope you enjoy what we have put together for you! With much love,

Gerda

www.devotedmag.co.za Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/devotedmagazine Follow us on twitter @DevotedMagazine Follow us on Instagram: devoted_magazine

Hykie Berg is the ambassador for the Keeping God in Schools campaign. Support this campaign by attending Devoted’s Celebrating Life event on 7 November. For more information: www.hopeInAction.co.za

I n t h i s i s s u e

Picture: Sarel van Staden (Photowise)

COVER STORY Hykie Berg, passionate about spreading the Word of God 3

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2)

PARTNERSHIPS Credits Motsepe Foundation working with MANAGING EDITOR religious organisations 6

Gerda Potgieter E-mail: editor@devotedmag.co.za

AWARENESS Take my hand, not my life! The voice of the unborn baby

8 11

TESTIMONY Brought back to life by the grace of God

ASSISTANT EDITOR Devereaux Morkel

THEME Three seasons before your breakthrough comes Seasons of Jerusalem

14 16

CREATIVE AND DESIGN TEAM Annerine Lubbe (Square d’zign studio)

INSPIRATION A purpose-driven life What do you have in your hand?

18 20

TRAVEL Change is as good as a holiday

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR Using international forums to advance the Kingdom 24

LANGUAGE EDITOR Mignionette Fair

CONTRIBUTORS Dr Hanlie Meyer • Elizabeth Becker Fergus Ferguson • Janet Potgieter Keith Cousins • Lele Khumalo Mignionette Fair • Nico van der Merwe Sonja Smith • Suzette van Huyssteen Vicki Fourie • Willem de Beer PRINTERS SA Print Group (Bloemfontein)

SPORT Not yet done!

WELLNESS Integrating spiritual truths

SALES AND MARKETING Alicia Potgieter • Cell: 074 460 4123 E-mail: aliciajorge26@gmail.com sales@devotedmag.co.za

BACK TO BASICS Church and home cell attendance

WEBSITE DEVELOPER Tony Hendricks

VICTORIUS WITH VICKI The miracle in the house

Contact Details Editor: Email: editor@devotedmag.co.za

BUSINESS Make your business known

FAIR FLAIR The fruits of the Spirit … Patience

Sales:

Content disclaimer: Devoted is published by DeVine Publishers. All rights reserved. While every precaution has been taken to ensure accuracy of information, the managing editor, Devoted and the publisher cannot accept liability of whatever nature arising out or in connection with the contents of this magazine. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of any of the Devoted team and remains the sole responsibility of the writers. Plagiarism disclaimer: It was confirmed by our writers and contributors that no part of the written submissions has been copied from either a book or any other source, including the Internet, except where such sections are clearly shown as quotations and the sources have been correctly identified within the text or in the list of references.

Book your advertising space for the next issue, contact Alicia Email: aliciajorge26@gmail.com 074 460 4123

Cover Story

Hykie Berg Passionate about spreading the Word of God Ambassador for Keeping God in Schools campaign

Hykie Berg is one of those people who have a special impact on his world. He is making a difference in the communities he serves in, and he is also passionate about advancing God’s kingdom by spreading His word. He uses every platform that is available to him to do that; and he feels that it is the duty of Christians to oppose attempts that will inhibit their Christian beliefs. Therefore, he did not hesitate to become involved in the Keeping God in School campaign

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ykie is a well-known South African actor, widely soughtafter motivational speaker and he is very clear on the role Jesus plays in his life. After his life was derailed as a result of his own wrong decisions, he accepted Jesus into his life and has not looked back since. He made a conscience decision to start living an abundant life. He also started to make a bigger contribution to better the lives of the people around him, and to actively lead people to the Lord. Hykie believes that in order to change your life, you have to let go… and let God! He is quick to tell you that the road to heaven is paved with good intentions and that good intentions mean nothing if they are not put into action. He, however, knows how to turn intentions into action and has established a number of great strategic alliances with equally passionate people to make an impact wherever he goes. Hykie recently founded the successful HopeInACTion interactive website. It was created solely to make a difference in people’s lives by helping them to overcome the challenges they face. It provides people in need with the correct information and networks. HopeInACTion is also running the Keeping God in Schools campaign in collaboration with AfriForum, and Hykie

is the ambassador for this campaign. Keeping God in Schools is resisting the Organisasie vir Godsdienste Onderrig en Demokrasie (OGOD) or loosely translated, Organisation for Religious Education and Democracy. The organisation is taking schools to court for having a Christian ethos. AfriForum represents the targeted schools. Hykie says that the legal action of OGOD is in conflict with the essence of democracy in our country, and should not be ignored as it may lead to serious incidents. The legal framework of the opposition against the court case is, among others, the fact that the right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa. Chapter two of the Constitution of South Africa (which contains the Bill of Rights) states that everyone has the right to freedom of religion, belief and opinion. Section nine, the equality clause, prohibits unfair discrimination on various grounds including religion.

Intolerance, exclusion, marginalisation, denial and discrimination against the Christian faith is not in line with the Constitution and therefore resistance to such actions is necessary.

The Keeping God in Schools campaign intends to show opposition to the actions of OGOD; and create unity in supporting the schools involved. Various individuals and other organisations have already united in showing support for the campaign, such as Real Women for God and Random Moments of Faith. More support is, however, always needed. Hykie believes that schools cannot inhibit or deride Christianity and God is everywhere, also in our schools. Public schools are not religion-free zones and will remain places where children of all faiths come together. Parents have the right to have their children educated according to their moral values, also in public schools. Children of all faith should be treated with respect and fairness. However, manifestations of discrimination and intolerance against the Christian faith threaten individuals and the existence of Christian communities is at risk. It merits the full attention of all Christians who stand strong and united in their love for Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hykie is truly an inspiration to us all. His life is a testimony of how Jesus Christ, our Saviour, can completely change someone’s life! He shows us that with God on our side, we can achieve anything we set our mind to and make a difference in people’s lives around us. Whatever your background, your mistakes, your flaws… God can, and will, use you to impact your world. As Christians we have the obligation, and right, to stand tall in what we believe in and speak up for our beliefs!

Note from the editor: Devoted believes that it is important to create awareness about this issue and has partnered with Hykie and HopeInACTion to educate and provide information on the Keeping God in Schools campaign. Devoted plans, in collaboration with Hykie and strategic partners to create awareness for this worthy cause on the 7th of November at an event at the Eduplex school (read more about the event on the website www.devotedmag. co.za). If you would like to support the Keeping God in Schools campaign, SMS “BERG” and your NAME to 38313. This way you are contributing R10 to a cause that needs millions to advance the kingdom and you can show unity in our intention to keep God in our schools.

God

Keeping in Schools

Random Moments of Faith( RMOF) makes it easy for everyone to start telling people about God. It provides a platform for believers to share personal testimonies; and what God has done in their lives to change them for the better. Such testimonies are an inspiration to others. RMOF recently launched a website containing clips from pastors, reverends, worship leaders, celebrities and followers who have a real story to tell in a visually creative way. They are not denomination specific and want to enhance unity through the real-life stories. Visit their website at www.rmof.org.za. RealWomenForGod was founded to touch the hearts of all women around the world through personal life experiences. The ministry aims to inspire, guide and teach women how to be healed through the healing power of Jesus Christ. The website contains inspirational articles and actionable information on various subjects and topics in order to equip women with all the knowledge, skills and mind-sets needed on their own personal journey towards inner healing. Visit www. RealWomenForGod.com. Hou God in skole word deur AfriForum gedryf. Ses Afrikaanse skole word tans voor die hof gedaag in ‘n poging om skole te verbied om godsdiens te beoefen. Sou die hofaansoek slaag, sal dit negatiewe gevolge vir alle skole se godsdiensbeleid inhou. AfriForum help die skole om te veg vir die behoud van godsdiens en het reeds meer as R2 miljoen aan regskostes bygedra. Die stryd is nog nie verby nie; en ons moet soveel moontlik doen om te wys hoe belangrik die behoud van godsdiens in skole vir ons is. Besoek www.afriforum.co.za vir meer inligting. Visit www.HopeInACTion.co.za and register for a free gift.

Hot news

MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

The Motsepe Foundation and religious organisations Motsepe Foundation images

The Motsepe Foundation initiated a workshop on 17 September 2015 at the Gallagher Convention Centre to unite some of South Africa’s most prominent religious and faith-based organisations. The Foundation hosted this important workshop aimed at deepening and broadening partnerships and to establish working relationships between the Motsepe Foundation and religious and faith-based organisations to make a difference in society

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outh Africa has many challenges and it seems that collective efforts to deal with social ills and challenges are sadly lacking. This is alarming, because if we really want to make a difference in our societies, we will have to take the hands of others and start working together for the sake of a better life for all and a better future for our children; and their children. Mr. Patrice Motsepe and his wife Dr. Precious, founders of the Motsepe Foundation, are visionaries who understand the power of unity to make a difference in society. Subsequently they hosted the event that was aimed to unite religious organisations in this way. Dr. Motsepe mentioned his concerns in his opening remarks that “sometimes the loudest voice we hear is the voice that divides us”. Taking the lead from the workshop’s stated purpose, as well as being inspired by the visionary’s remarks, various panels were put together in order to debate and consider a number of topics - each of which will hopefully lead to future discussion points - which in turn will lead towards purposedriven actions that will result in specific objectives being achieved at every level of the South African society. The topics that were discussed are: • How can we increase the awareness and recognition of the crucial and pre-eminent role of our religious and faith-based organisations in the lives of all South Africans? • How can we partner and cooperate to continue uniting all South Africans across racial, ethnic, language, cultural, gender, religious and faith-based lines? • How can we partner and cooperate to help the poor, unemployed and marginalised members in our communities and country? • How can we promote universally accepted

and commonly-held ethical, moral and governance principles in our country? A coordinating committee was established to take the points debated and the related points raised from the floor, and effectively work through these and then report back on specific actions we as South Africans could all play an active role in. Thus, by our actions, we can show that we have resolved to become living examples of actually being the solutions to each of the topics initially raised, not just being messengers of hope. The Motsepe Foundation has been working with various religious and faithbased organisations in South Africa and internationally for many years. Religious and faith-based organisations have, over many years, made a unique and extensive contribution to the religious, spiritual and socio-economic upliftment of the people in South Africa. Devoted shares the belief that religious leaders form an integral part of the leadership of South Africans. We also believe that by creating strategic partnerships, such as the ones founded by the Motsepe Foundation, can really make a difference in identifying and implementing projects and programmes that will take our beloved country forward. One is too small a number to make a difference, and together we can do so much more and make an impact so much faster. Devoted fully supports the aims and objectives of this workshop that is uniting religious leaders in our country for the benefit of our communities; and we will be playing an active role in these workshops in future. Watch this space for more information on how you can become part of the initiative to take South Africa forward… (For more information, visit www.themotsepefoundation.org)

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Awareness

Take my hand not my life! October is abortion awareness month. One could, rightfully, ask why it is necessary to have a month that creates awareness for such a personal and painful experience. One reason is that it opens the door for honest and caring discussions about the subject. Devoted wants to bring another dimension to the conversation, namely to bring across to our readers that the decision not to terminate a problem pregnancy can lead to unexpected joy and fulfilment

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want to introduce you to Oliver van Vuuren, a lively three-and-a-halfyear old boy. I met him recently and I immediately fell in love with him. Like any other boy his age, he adores his father and cannot wait for him to come home so that he can get the attention he requires. He is also very close to his mother and loves to affectionately hug and kiss his two-year-old, adorable sister, Milan. He has his own language and does not shy away from getting into a hot conversation with you – even though you do not understand a single word he says. He always gets the last word in! Oliver laughs easily and it is contagious. But, he gets a little frustrated when he cannot express himself well enough for others to immediately help him with his needs or when they do not understand what he is trying to communicate. He also, from time to time, shows frustration through tantrums. His tantrums come when you least need it – like many children his age. He likes to dance with the music on the television and he has his favourite characters that immediately get his attention when the television is switched on. His parents recently discovered that he also has hearing challenges and are now taking care of the problem. He is a bit behind most other boys his age and one can expect that it will be the situation for the rest of his life… because that is the label society has already placed on him!

You see… little Oliver was born with Down syndrome, a handicap in the eyes of many people… And, if Oliver’s parents gave in to the expectations and advice of people, they would never have experienced the unconditional love that a child like Oliver dishes out! They would never have had the immense pleasure and joy that he brought into their lives – and the lives of others. Because, when prenatal tests show that you are expecting a child who is less than perfect, you are usually given the choice, and are many times encouraged, to terminate the pregnancy! Statistics show that 98% of Down syndrome pregnancies are terminated, 60% ends in miscarriages within the first 6 weeks, 20% are stillborn and only 20% are born.

“I have amazing eyes and infectious laugh; And I always know when you need a hug; I also have Down syndrome; it is a part of me; Not a definition of who I am.” But let me begin at the beginning… Oliver’s parents, Lynn and Rayno, were happily married, but struggling to conceive for a long time. They went through the emotional turmoil, physical discomfort and financial expenses of medical procedures to help them fall

Awareness pregnant. After a long time, without any success, they decided to take a break from the procedures and to their surprise, they fell pregnant soon afterwards. One can only imagine the joy they felt with the great news, but the blissful happiness did not last for too long. They soon discovered that something was wrong when they were advised to go for tests related to chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosomal abnormalities are identified with either a CVS (chorionic villussampling) or an amniocentesis, and in this case they decided to go for a CVS. Today there are new, non-invasive blood tests which can locate foetal blood cells in a pregnant woman’s bloodstream much earlier, with a lower risk of false positives. Rayno became involved in raising awareness for special needs children long before they decided to start with a family. His involvement helped him to gain much needed knowledge and prepared him, he now believes, for what laid in the future for him. However, no one can predict how you will react when hearing that the baby you have been looking forward to for so long is less than perfect.

THE OPTION OF ABORTION

For the parents, the reaction of people was the hardest to cope with and still is today. They said they wished that people would have been more sensitive in their remarks and stares; they wished they would have placed themselves in the parents’ shoes. For some parents who are expecting a baby with Down syndrome, abortion is the only way out of a lifetime of possible obstacles and they are not provided with the right information to make an informed decision. Abortion may seem like the right decision at the time, but nobody prepares you for the emotional turmoil that follows

such a decision. For some parents, the choice to terminate a baby with Down syndrome may reflect a fundamental lack of understanding about disability. For Oliver’s parents, abortion was not part of the equation. People react differently when they are confronted with such devastating news… Lynn had already decided to carry their child to term, no matter what, but Rayno had his doubts in the beginning. Lynn says that she would not have terminated her pregnancy because of her strong, Christian beliefs. She would never have been able to live with the decision afterwards and she feels so strongly about it that she today regrets going for tests so early in the pregnancy. The reason for this is that although you know before the birth that your baby will be disabled, you are confronted with a choice that should never have been an option. Although it helps to know beforehand - especially with the shock when you see your baby for the first time – she believes to go for prenatal tests just to make sure that your baby is perfect, brings the dimension of terminating the pregnancy; and that is against God’s plan for you, she says. Although it was Lynn’s decision not to terminate her pregnancy, she does not judge parents who choose otherwise. For Rayno it was at first a struggle to decide what the way forward should be. He recalls that, in the initial stages after he heard the news, he deliberately waited to share his opinion about the possibilities with his wife. He started to research the topic and made a few calls to the Down syndrome organisation to obtain as much information as possible to help him in his decision. He asked for names and contact numbers of parents who decided not

to terminate the pregnancies as well as the contact numbers of those who did terminate after all. While the organisation was more than willing to provide him with the details of parents who continued with the pregnancy, they refused to provide him with the names of those who did not. For Rayno this was the answer to his questions as he realised that those parents who did decide to terminate the pregnancies, would not be willing to share their stories because they may be struggling with the consequences.

BELIEFS AND LABELS

The way in which we react to such news, is highly influenced by the beliefs of the community as well as our own individual beliefs. Unfortunately, society places labels on people and the media decides what is normal and what is not; what we should look like and what not. Anything less than perfect is seen with disgrace and that influences our decisions on what a happy and successful life looks like. The Van Vuuren couple also experienced mixed reactions from loved ones and friends. While some provided unconditional support, there were those who suggested that they would be better off terminating the pregnancy. Luckily for cute little Oliver, his parents decided to take his hand and not his life. They decided to empower themselves with all the knowledge that modern society and technology could make available to them and to do their utmost best to raise their child. They decided that they could not play God and that God did not make mistakes and that He has a purpose for the little boy that He blessed them with. They decided to provide him with the best opportunities.

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Awareness “The first step toward change is awareness; the second step is acceptance.” BE EMPOWERED

Lynn and Rayno obtained as much information as possible about Down syndrome - how to deal with it and how they could help their little boy to grow up as normal as possible within a society where some would treat him differently (and less kindly) just because he was born different. Children with Down syndrome need additional healthcare, and the degree of healthcare depends on the circumstances. Some children with Down syndrome need special care because there are a few “conditions” associated with it: heart, stomach, thyroid, eyes and ears. Health problems, especially acute or chronic illnesses, can place extra demands on all members of the family, and especially on the parents. Research has shown that the practical and emotional support provided by the immediate family, extended family and friends can be a positive source of support, but then they must be positive about the child with the Down syndrome. Support groups or Down syndrome associations and meetings can be very helpful, not only with support but also with much-needed advice and guidance. Raising a child with Down syndrome – or any other disability – has extra financial costs.

Today the Van Vuuren family is doing well and they are coping with the situation in an informed and loving way. Their relationship is so much stronger. They are leading happy, ordinary and busy lives; and they are both pursuing their careers. It does not mean that they do not have additional demands and challenges to cope with. It means that they have come a long way in accepting their precious child for who he is; and that they have found the resources to meet the demands of raising a child with Down syndrome. They manage stress differently, but efficiently, and they have different coping mechanisms – both emotional and practical - that works for them. Taking his hand so that he could become the person God intended him to be was the best decision they could have made. Taking his life, just because he did not “fit the mould” would have had dire consequences on the emotional wellbeing of the family. These consequences would have been more devastating than what they have to deal with now. They know God does not make mistakes. God has a plan for this little man. He will grow up and become the person God intended him to be, and along the way he is bringing so much joy to those people who are fortunate enough to cross his path. And, that is priceless! (Read about Down syndrome: http://www. downsyndrome.org.za/main.aspx?artid=53)

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2015/05/08 10:22 AM

The Voice of the

Unborn Baby By Sonja Smith

Sonja Smith from the Sonja Smith Funeral Group says “We have to help families to create memories, because there are none…”

“Sometimes love is for a moment. Sometimes love is for a lifetime. Sometimes a moment is a lifetime.” - Author unknown October is International Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Awareness month. All over the world, bereaved parents light a candle on the 15th of October every year, creating a Wave of Light on this day of remembrance. This is just one of the many commemoration ideas which can be found on October 15th’s website

Sources: www.october15th.com https://www.causes.com/campaigns/323let-the-mother-of-a-miscarried-baby-havechoices-with-regards-to-burial-cremation

s a funeral director, I am confronted with death on a daily basis. But it is the little ones, the tiny feet that tiptoe through my heart… I can still remember, when I first joined the funeral industry 17 years ago, my heart wept every single time a little baby was admitted to the facilities. I used to tell my colleagues: “Please bring the little ones to me, I will wash and dress them.” I was fascinated by their perfectly formed bodies – these beautiful babies, born asleep. Why were they created, nurtured for nine months in their mother’s womb, only to never see the light? They call it the Birth of Death… The bond between a mother and her child starts with a thought: “I want to have a baby.” Then comes the pregnancy test: Positive! The sonars nowadays are 3D and 4D, you can actually see what your unborn baby is going to look like! The stork tea follows where gifts and good wishes are showered on the new mother-to-be. A baby room is assembled, perhaps by the proud father-to-be. And then, those dreaded words: “We cannot find a heartbeat… We’ve tried our best, but…” In South Africa, a miscarriage is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or foetus is incapable of surviving up to the 26th week of gestation. Stillborn, in relation to a child, means that it had at least 26 weeks of existence in the uterus, but showed no sign of life after complete birth. In real life however, a mother does not refer to her unborn baby as a foetus up to six months, and then calls it a baby from 26 weeks onwards! Why then is a stillborn baby born after 26 weeks of gestation afforded a dignified funeral, where parents and grandparents can say goodbye, but the one born at 25 weeks and six days is thrown away in a red anatomical bin as medical waste? I made this horrific discovery when I was called to a private hospital in Pretoria to fetch a pair of triplets, born at 20 weeks. The medical practitioner agreed to sign the notification of death, but the babies were missing. “How is this possible?” I asked. They then informed me that the medical waste truck had already collected the babies. Needless to say, the unit manager at the time had to get into her car and drive to the medical waste plant to search for the babies.

She found them between amputated limbs, organs, blood and other medical waste.

“A person is a person is a person, no matter how small!” – Dr. Seuss In 2011, my own daughter had a miscarriage. With the triplets on my mind and my daughter’s miscarriage, I felt like screaming: “Somebody should do something about this.” And then I realised that I was somebody. In 2012, I raised a parliamentary questionnaire about this issue. I was a guest speaker at Legacy Parks, near Stellenbosch, where we planted a tree in commemoration of the little babies who never got to be buried or cremated, because they were not regarded as viable after birth. I was also invited to be a guest speaker at the Healing Concert in Artscape during August 2013 where I addressed a huge audience on the topic. And in 2015, I decided to proceed with a constitutional challenge. I formed the non-profit organisation, Voice of the Unborn Baby, because I realised that as an individual, I would get nowhere. A cause was also registered on Causes.com and so far over 2 000 signatures have been collected in support of this legislative change. My legal team has been appointed to take on this constitutional challenge. We want expecting parents, from all walks of life, who suffer pregnancy loss and wish to say goodbye to their hoped-for child in a dignified fashion, to be allowed to do so. My counsel is currently interviewing experts on the subject and they’ve also invited the various ministers of Home Affairs, the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Affairs to a round table discussion before the application is launched with the high court. Should the application on behalf of the Voice of the Unborn Baby succeed in the high court, the constitutional court must still ratify it. If you would like to help, please go to Causes.com and make your signature count, because unborn babies, irrespective of gestational age, are NOT medical waste! Recommended Reading: When Hello means Goodbye, a book written by Paul Kirk and Pat Schwiebert. It is a guide for parents whose child dies before birth, at birth, or shortly after birth.

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Testimony

Brought back to life by the grace of God By Suzette van Huyssteen “God is good all the time” are the words of a mother and father who nearly lost their then 18-month-old daughter... On August 14, 2014 Jeanette Maree found their daughter, Nanette, floating face down in their swimming pool at home. “I grabbed her by the arm and turned her small body around and saw that her face was blue. She had no pulse and lay lifeless in my arms.” Her father, Ruan, immediately started giving her mouth to mouth.

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he couple’s parents were on the scene and helped to rush Nanette to the nearest hospital. The casualty personnel took her and continued with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Jeanette says “Our close family met us at the hospital and we just started praying and pleading for God’s grace to save our child. We were on our knees in the hospital room and just kept on crying out to our Heavenly Father.” The medical staff continued with resuscitation and after an hour and a half they found a heartbeat. “Nanette is a miracle and angel child”, says Jeanette. She was alive, but in a critical condition and was airlifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Netcare Garden City Hospital. She was there for four weeks where they did cooling treatment and waited for her to wake up. She opened her eyes after seven days, but was just staring and not responding much at all. She received a tracheotomy as they were unable to wean her from the ventilator. She also had a peg feeding tube inserted because she was unable to chew or swallow. She was transferred to

Auckland Park Rehabilitation Centre. Her parents said “She had to learn everything from scratch, how to eat, use her hands, talk etc. By the grace of God and through His love and power she made extremely good progress.” She was in and out of ICU due to aspiration and lung infections. “But God carried us through and after 217 days in the hospital and rehabilitation centre we could eventually take our daughter home.” Nanette is currently still receiving therapy and walking a road to recovery. Jeanette says “All of her emotions are back and her smile is the most gorgeous gift to my mother heart. She can see and react to little instructions and is slowly but surely starting to move her arms, hands and legs again. We trust God and know that with time she will be able to swallow which will allow her to eat normally again.” On July 31, 2015 she had a setback and was admitted to the ICU ward once again for poor aspiration. “But,” Jeanette says, “God is good all the time! After just six nights in hospital she was back home. We have no doubt that

Testimony God has already completely healed her and in His perfect timing she will run, play and talk again.” One year after the accident, the Maree family held a love offering service to honour God for His grace and mercy for saving Nanette’s life and for being in control all the time. As Jeanette puts it “The same night the accident happened God gave us the scripture of Psalm 30:11 “You changed my sorrow into dancing. You took away my rough cloth, which shows sadness, and clothed me in happiness.” During the love offering this scripture became living truth to us. We can honestly say that God is not only healing Nanette, but each and every person who is part of her journey. “We give God all the glory as we know the accident was not His will for her life but through it He worked wonders in all of our hearts and changed lives. We serve a God of wonders, who still does miracles every day. Nanette’s life is proof thereof. God is faithful

and keeps His promises. Life is a journey and we as a family learned how to dance in the storm. Our time is not God’s time, but His timing and plan for our lives is perfect. We have seen miracles happen on this journey, silent prayers answered, broken hearts healed and that is what faith can do. May every person who reads our testimony always remember that nothing is too big for God. When it looks like there is nothing left and no more life, God comes and He restores and gives new life. God was present from the first moment we found Nanette in the pool and is still present and in control of our situation. May every reader experience God’s deep and intimate love, always trust Him completely and know that nothing is too big for our God. To get more detail about Nanette and to see how she is doing, please visit her Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/nanette.maree. Devoted will also follow her progress and report on it.

Brought back to life

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Theme

Three seasons

before your breakthrough comes By Mignionette Fair At the Women’s conference hosted by Christian Revival Church (CRC) in August 2015, I heard a sermon that resonated with me. And seeing that it matched the theme of this issue of Devoted so nicely, I just had to share it. Reverend Lily Malenga, from Living Waters Churches International, shared a message on “The tenacity of a woman”

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he scripture she spoke about was Matthew 15:22-28: “And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’ But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, ’I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ’Lord, help me!’ But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she said, ’Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered and said to her, ’O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” According to Reverend Lily, this Canaanite woman had to go through three seasons before she received her breakthrough. In the first season, this woman had to go through the silent years. Here she was, begging Jesus to heal her daughter and all Jesus did was ignore her. Heaven was silent. Her prayers were hitting the ceiling… or so it seemed. Just like when the Israelites had to march around the wall of Jericho… silently and when Joseph heard nothing from the palace, we all go through silent years on the way to our breakthroughs. The trick is to keep knocking, to keep seeking, to keep asking... your breakthrough is around the corner! During the second season, the Canaanite

woman had to go through a season of misunderstanding. The disciples were irritated by her constant asking… they misunderstood why she kept asking and it made them mad. They even “tattled” on her to Jesus! There will be times in your life when people misunderstand your intentions, your destiny or dreams. They will misunderstand why you go to church so often; why you give so much; why you feel so strongly about certain things. Just like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, expensive perfume and hair before He was crucified… people will not always recognise your acts of service or obedience. Don’t get discouraged… your breakthrough is around the corner! The third season this woman had to go through was a season of rejection. Jesus told her, to her face, that He didn’t come to save and heal her daughter. They didn’t qualify! Even though Jesus rejected her, this woman did not give up! When Jacob rejected Leah, he rejected her because he actually wanted to marry Rachel. Even though Leah’s husband rejected her, God didn’t. He gave her many sons, but even then Leah felt rejected. Until… Judah (meaning praise) was born. You might feel rejected, but there will come a time when you can praise God again. When you can praise Him before your breakthrough comes. Be encouraged by Jesus’ words: “O woman/ man, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” If you endure the storms, soon your breakthrough will come and it will be to you as you desire!

Theme

Seasons of

Seasons are endless. Not in the sense of time, but endless in its possibilities and with its opportunities

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Jerusalem

very season, in fact, every day has something beautiful and wonderful for the individual; the challenge is to discover it for yourself. No one can make it for you: they can lead you and encourage you. Still, the ultimate decision is yours. You need an open mind and an open heart to grasp and appreciate the potential of a particular moment, and the season you are in. Right now, seasons are shifting once again: winter is over and spring has arrived. All your jackets and warm clothing, hot chocolate and many soft blankets have been replaced with something more suitable for the season. Before long, summer will follow. Then it’s back to swimming, being outdoors and cool, refreshing drinks. Our lives follow a similar pattern with ups and downs. It’s no secret that as you live life and experience the world, you will have certain events in your life, certain seasons that help to shape and form you - if you allow it. Not all of these are fun and games, joyous celebrations and pleasant memories for a scrapbook. No, on the contrary, some will be that of doubt and confusion, intense hearttwisting sadness, of trials and tribulations. You will experience sleepless nights, and moments filled with tears. Even in the Bible, in Ecclesiastes, we are told that there is a time for everything. And seasons shape and design our lives. God is so serious about time and seasons that even the conception and birth of His Son was predestined. It is widely known that Jesus was not actually born on 25 December and upon

By Elizabeth Bekker

further research, I made a surprising discovery. His birth was actually in September, some say late September around the 29th. This is the same day as when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles starts. A tabernacle is a dwelling place, the “home” of God. September may signal spring and rebirth to us here in the southern hemisphere, but in Jerusalem spring is actually closer to winter, the end of summer and the start of the rainy season. Then again, when you backtrack nine months from September it means that Jesus was conceived in December. This suggests that we are celebrating the incarnation of the Word into flesh around Christmas time. December is the darkest month in Jerusalem. It is not only the coldest time; it is in fact the time of year when the sun is the greatest distance from the earth. So, in the coldest time of winter, in the darkest time of the year, God chose to send His Son. His children received the Hope of the world, our chance at redemption in the dead of winter. Incredible! You might be facing a challenge, something that shook your foundations, your entire view on your life and your walk with God, but you can take comfort in the fact that it’s in these moments that God will shine through the strongest. Recently I had to go through some winter months and honestly, I drew away from God, instead of closer to Him. The thing is, in those moments we feel so disconnected from God and the church and from your friends and family. You go to homecell, you go to church, yet somehow you have closed your heart.

Theme

You hear what you need to, you know the facts and the principles, yet somehow your heart is lost. You need to remember, you are not alone The Bible clearly states that it rains on the just and the unjust. No exception. The difference is that we - those who know and love God - can get up. We become stronger than before. We learn; we grow. It will be hard, but God says that it is possible… not easy. I’ve learned that anything can happen and it usually does in the blink of an eye. One moment you are relaxing with family, the next moment a call comes that the farms and veld are on fire and your whole day changes. You discover things about yourself as you fight to put the fire out. You discover things about the people around you, who sometimes do nothing to help. You discover how fragile life is. It’s a scientific fact that hundreds of people die every day and hundreds more are being born. Somewhere in the world someone is breathing their last breath as a baby takes its first breath. Where someone is crying from pain, someone else is crying from happiness and joy! Someone is getting ready to sleep and someone else is waking up to a new day… We have no control over the seasons in our lives - when they will start or when they will end. One thing we can control is our attitude and reaction to those seasons and knowing that whatever season it may be - God is already there. I’m sure God chose to send His Son in the winter, in the darkest time of year for a reason - to show us that He really is in control of every season in our lives. There is no winter and darkness for Him. There is just endless hope and possibilities…

Seasons of

Elizabeth Bekker “You hear what you need to, you know the facts and the principles, yet somehow your heart is lost. You need to remember, you are not alone“

Jerusalem

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Inspiration

A driven life I might not know what your dream is or how disappointing it is to be far from where you thought you would’ve been by now, but I’m here to tell you that the dream you’re holding onto has not died and can still be revived!

any of us know that it is hard to change your life. We also know that in the process of building your dreams, you are going to experience a lot of disappointments, failure and pain along the way and there will be moments when you will doubt yourself. But don’t give up, for these rough times will not stay… they will pass and strengthen you. Greatness is not a special feature that only certain people can possess. It is very important for you to believe that you are special. Most people earn a living, raise a family and die. They stop pushing, they stop stretching and they stop building themselves. Others complain, but they do nothing about their situations. Why? … because of the fear of failure… “What if I can’t do it?” There is also the fear of success, “What if I make it and I cannot handle it?”

But for people who are running towards their dreams, life has a special kind of meaning. When you become the right person, you start separating yourself from other people. As long as you’re following other people,

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By Lele Khumalo as long as you’re a copycat, you’ll never be the best in the world. You should define your value so that others will want to follow you, join you and want a piece of your vision. It is necessary to know that you are an uncommon breed and to align yourself with people who are hungry and unstoppable Invest in yourself so that someone else’s opinion of you does not become your reality. You don’t have to go through life as a victim. Even though you might face disappointments, you must know that you can do it, even if nobody else sees it. When you become who you are, who you were created to be, you start separating yourself from other people. Make it a matter of, “The world will never be the same because I existed”. Use the seed of greatness and uniqueness that God planted in you to change lives and touch hearts...

Sample Text

RAISING COMMUNITIES TO EXCELLENCE African Blessings is a Non-Profit and a Public Benefit Organisation on a mission to uplift, educate and empower communities of South Africa.

Our Projects Learning Centre

Jochebed Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village Community Critter Care Food Gardens

Horses & Donkeys Environmental Conservation

For more information on how you can get involved email us on frances@africanblessings.co.za or visit our website.

www.africanblessings.co.za Growing South Africa, one community at www.devotedmag.co.za a time!

Inspiration

What

do you have in your hand? By Nico van der Merwe

I was standing in a queue with a number of different people at Shoprite – waiting to pay the water and electricity bills for Eduplex School and our property company. A few people were waiting in the queue to buy a Lotto ticket – some were clutching a R10 in their hands… perhaps their last R10? I could see the desperation on their faces: “If only I can win something this time!” If you are down to your last R10, you have probably exhausted all your options – and perhaps the Lotto is your only hope?

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hile waiting, I was thinking about my pressing needs. The millions needed for our new sport fields and our online university. To whom can I go for help? The need for the Eduplex projects is so big that even the Lotto wouldn’t help much. I realised that I need help from somebody with an infinite amount of resources and I felt like turning the faces of the people standing in the queue to my only hope… God Himself… and I felt like yelling: “Look to God and trust in Him! He will provide, I can testify to that!” I know He promised in Isaiah 45:1-3 that He will level the mountains before me, break down the city gates and give me the dark treasures hidden in secret places… not to fatten myself up, but to do His will. And immediately doubt sets in – why would He help me… again? Because, … He promised, and unlike me … God sticks to His promises. I am reminded of the ridiculous miracles God performed with people that had very little in their hands… The widow and her son that gave their last meal to feed Elijah – 1 Kings 17:12-14, “But she said, ’As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and

my son, that we may eat it and die.’ Then Elijah said to her, ’Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. ’For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’” They gave what they had in faith… their last meal. They were not disappointed as they saw the miracle unfold in front of their very eyes. • David only had a few stones and his faith in God, and Goliath was slain. • The boy only had a couple of loaves of bread and a few small fish and thousands were fed… Jesus did the impossible with his possible. • Moses only had a staff and many miracles followed – but he had to have faith and be obedient. What do I have in my hand? We all have something. All I need to do is release it to God for His use – and stand amazed at what God is going to do. Why am I then holding on so tightly to the little I have? Where is my faith? Where is my trust in God to do the impossible? If I need more faith, I need to spend more time with Him. But then I also need to trust Him and be obedient to His guidance. And then the

Inspiration Creator of the universe will help me as He makes the impossible… possible. It’s only in trusting Him that my fear, my anxiety and my sleepless nights will subside and I will stand amazed at what God is doing – far above what I could ask, or even pray for… far beyond my wildest dreams. As I stood in the queue, I realised that I needed to trust God and God alone for the sport fields and the university. I wanted to encourage the people standing in the queue to: Trust God with and for their finances… Lord show them new opportunities! Trust God with and for their marriages… Lord open their eyes to see their spouse in a new way! Trust God for a new direction for our country… Lord, show us the way! Trust God with our lives… because He alone is our Saviour. Yes, to do all this, even with their last R10…

I want to bring what I have in my hand in faith, even if it is only a bit of flour, a piece of bread, or R10… and I want to trust God to do the impossible with my possible

Nico van d Eduplex sc er Merwe, founder o h f of the Edu ool. Read the amazin the plex, whic g story h b eg in s 1992, on w ww.eduple way back in x.co.za

t business by d know abou What does Go we is available at any Ear Mer d Kindle. Nico van der e country, an Institute in th rated “Best books as The book w far” for 2015. of the Year so usiness.co.za andb Visit www.god

Team Chris Flipping tyres for good causes Chris Liebenberg and Chris Batts have been using their tyre-flipping skills to make a difference in the communities where they serve.

If you want to see how many world records this dedicated team has already smashed, visit www.recordsetter.com TeamChris will always be willing to do their best to get involved with the communities and help where they can. However, they need sponsors to keep on doing what they are doing. Communities cannot be helped by one or two persons only. Together we can do so much more! DEVOTED SUPPORTS TEAMCHRIS, YOU CAN TOO!!

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Travel

a change is as good as a

holiday! Crystal Springs

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Change truly is as good as a holiday, and maybe now is the time to change the way you look at your next holiday!

o you find yourself in a rut with the same old routine: getting up, going to work, getting home, eating dinner and going to bed? Creating something new requires leaving the old behind and delving into the unknown. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly what Leisure Portfolio Association (LPA) has done with their fantastic, new holiday product. The LPA product, which was launched in 2013, has brought good news for the timeshare industry in general. It presented an entirely new approach and allows its members to indulge in the holiday they deserve, every year. LPA has since grown at a tremendous pace and currently boasts with just over 4 000 members, and it is still growing Investing in some time off for yourself and your family is one of those positive changes you can make. It is so easy and affordable. LPA members can enjoy guaranteed holidays every year with their family and friends. Just imagine getting away from a tedious and exhausting routine and drifting into a change of scenery, pace and activity.

Mnarani Ngwenya Lodge

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Travel Start planning now and reward yourself with the time off that you have worked so hard for. With LPA’s holiday offers there are “no points and no disappointments”. This new and exciting concept was created to combat the negative perceptions about the timeshare industry and more specifically the “points system”. How it works is that you purchase a set week of the year and it will be yours for 15 years, with the option of extension. You are guaranteed your holiday at top-quality resorts and you can change your holiday destination to anywhere in the world. LPA has gone the extra mile, ensuring that their members get the opportunity to relax, create memories and enjoy life. It’s simple, convenient and it could be yours.

It’s time to start spending time on the things that are really important to you. With LPA, the choice is yours

Why choose Leisure Portfolio Association (LPA)? 1.

Sudwala Lodge 5. 6.

Choice: As a member, you pick the resort you like, you pick the time of year you like and you enjoy guaranteed holidays with your family for the next 15 years. Even more choice - the option to exchange: If you would like to go overseas or explore other parts of South Africa, you have the choice to use our accredited exchange partners: RCI, DAE and TradeUnipoint and exchange your week for another destination at resorts all over the world. Rent out your week: If you are unable to use your week, you can rent it out at your preferred rental price using TradeUnipoint. Simply put your week up for rental and enjoy the rental income. Just another benefit of being a LPA member. Online access: Our online portal gives you access to your personal LPA portfolio. You will also have direct access via the website to either exchange or rent out your week through the mentioned accredited partners. You are also able to view your week’s details, statements and make payments online. A finite agreement: A LPA agreement secures your guaranteed holiday for the next 15 years. Financial sense: With LPA, you secure 15 years of holidays at today’s price – it just makes sense! For more information, please contact LPA experts on: E-mail: info@leisureportfolio.co.za Tel: (012) 996 5107 Website: www.leisureportfolio.co.za

Baywater Village

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International Flair

Using international forums to

advance the Kingdom Pictures by Gustav Wentzel

You will never know how strong you are until you have no other choice. You will never know how big your opportunities can be until you leave your comfort zone. You will never know that your dreams can become reality until you start living them. You will never know how beautiful you can be until you make the best of yourself. You will never know how big God’s plans for you are until you trust Him fully

hree years ago, I received a call from a dear friend “instructing” me to enter Mrs South Africa. My first reaction was to laugh it off and I told Anton Volschenk that he was crazy and that I am no beauty queen. It took him almost six months to convince me to enter and I will always be grateful to him for not giving up on me to get out of my comfort zone and go live the life beyond my dreams. Beauty Pageants are not for the weak. It is an industry that is 100 % critically focussed on “you” and my husband calls it, rightly so, “My Plastic World”. It is filled with fake lashes, fake hair, fake tans and sadly fake people in between. But what I have learnt and gained in three years is much more than the unpleasant, I sometimes had to endure. In between the glitz, the glamour, the tears and the bad days, I found the best version of me, met the most extraordinary people around the globe and established my destiny. Previously I was just this plain caring girl from Potchefstroom trying to make a difference in my local community but the world of pageantry transformed me into a woman beautiful enough to grace a magazine cover and a force to be reckoned with. It also provided me with a global network and platform to achieve anything I dreamt about and taught me many valuable lessons.

Make do with what you have

Inter

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ional Flai

r wi

nat

Although I had the privilege to represent the African continent twice internationally, I had never won an international title. Despite this I established myself as a public figure and inspirational speaker with my own brand “Janny Djan”. I became the international brand ambassador for Devoted Christian Lifestyle Magazine and Dignity Dreams and the national brand ambassador of Placecol. This gave me the opportunity to meet amazing people and celebrities. I became the voice for thousands of displaced women and children in war-ridden Eastern-Congo with the establishment of the charity organisation Latlong NGO in the DRC.

Even if you knew that the judging might not be fair, you will be awarded with much more than a crown. At Mrs Globe Classic in Las Vegas where I was 1st runner-up my fellow contestants chose me as their choice to win. At Mrs Universe in Belarus, I was blessed with the “Mrs Universe Integrity” award, something I held very dearly in a world of make-belief and pretending. My fellow international contestants will never forget the energy and positive attitude of “Africa” and I gained their respect and inspired some of them to join and support me in my caring ventures. And remember, not everybody will like you, but that is their problem, not yours. Always stay humble and never forget where you came from.

Learn to receive

I am so used to giving and making people around me happy because that is what makes me happy. But you must realise that the Lord wants to also bless you. It was difficult for me to accept that there are people who wanted to spoil me. I had to learn that by accepting their offers, you bless them in return.

Surround yourself with the best

You can’t have a successful journey in pageantry or in any high profile career, for that matter, without a solid support system. I am blessed with an amazing rock solid husband, two very supportive and critical children who keep me grounded; and a loving Mom who always steps in when I am away. I have a formidable housekeeper, excellent personnel at the office and phenomenal joint venture partners in South Africa and Eastern Congo. You need a few true friends you can trust with everything and a pageant director who has your back. Supporters and fans constantly remind you that you are a role model, therefore you need to keep up with the appearance all the times – yes, believe it or not but each one of us have our doubts from time to time. You have to associate yourself with worthy causes that you are passionate about and you need to have sponsors who believe in you.

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International Flair

Accept that you are beautiful

There is no such thing as an ugly woman. What we believe we are -- we become. And remember, you can become the most beautiful version of yourself at any age! I had to learn new make-up techniques and to style my own hair. I had always taken care of myself but needed to step it up. I use only the best skincare products from Placecol and allow myself the luxury of a facial and a full body massage. You owe yourself that! Don’t be afraid to get expert advice and use the technology out there. At the age of almost 47 I had to get my body swimsuit-ready. Although I do train and have a healthy eating plan, there are just those little fatty spots that don’t want to go away as you age or after having children. I was blessed to have Needleless to Say as a sponsor. They have the secrets that no fitness model or beauty queen will share. My body was transformed within seven weeks and I have lost more than 26 cm. For the first time since my children were born, I was 100 % confident to walk in a swimsuit on an international stage competing against 25-year olds.

We are all the same

I met extraordinary women around the world and made life-long friends I wouldn’t have met any other way. I have learnt that although our cultures, perceptions and circumstances are different, deep down we are all the same with the same dreams and brokenness. We all have a story to tell that will inspire. We all want good lives, happy children and want to make a positive difference in this world.

Step out of your comfort zone

You will not have the life you dream about if you keep on doing the same thing. You need to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself by accepting the unthinkable. And you are allowed to be scared, we are just human. But by accepting the door that opens for you, you will enter a world of endless possibilities, opportunities and become someone you never thought possible. Yes, I was scared to enter Mrs South Africa and accept the invitation to visit war-ridden Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but can you image what I would have missed out on if I declined because I

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was scared? As long as you know that you have to do the possible, you can leave the impossible to the Lord.

Endurance

I have already mentioned that beauty pageants are not for sissies….. I have learnt to endure challenging situations and keep on smiling and appear to be full of energy, even with only three hours of sleep per night and little eating for an on-going week. My life turned into mornings waking up at 4am to start with make-up and hair and to leave my house in Potchefstroom at 6am to be at an event in Gauteng at 9am, looking like I just walked out of a fashion magazine. First opinions are formed within 5 – 7 seconds of meeting someone for the first time. And being in the public eye, you disrespect your audience and hosts if you don’t look the part. It is tough to always look good in public and yes, we do have our bad hair days, but you just have to endure it, it is worth it!

Exit Strategy

Nothing lasts forever and while you are on top, start making plans to exit this season of your life successfully. Whether you want to go back to where you were or keep on building onto the platform you have created, make sure your emotions are on par with your decisions. You can so easily fall into “empty nest syndrome” and depression can become your biggest enemy. My advice is to alter your vision onto a new phase, but keep the energy and passion. My next level is to focus on my brand “Janny Djan” instead of my titles, to expand my businesses, to enjoy the opportunity to write for Devoted and to establish Latlong NGO in the Eastern Congo successfully.

Anything is possible through Christ

Anything you want in life and that you dream about, can be achieved, but only if you are prepared to climb out of the boat, walk on water and keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus Christ. With Him by your side, you can live the life you have always wanted and the life He has always intended for you, within His will.

Dress by Jose de Canha

How to transform your inner self by transforming the outer you Janet Potgieter, Mrs. Africa Globe Classic for 2015 shares how she could participate in the international Mrs. Universe beauty pageant during August 2015 with confidence, being the best version of herself… and all with help from Needleless to Say! “The greatest honour you can give back to your Creator is to take good care of your body on all levels, including your inner self. With the technology available, such as the anti-ageing and slimming procedures at Needleless to Say, you don’t have an excuse to not be the best physical version of yourself - at any age. By transforming my body, my soul was also transformed and it showed on the outside!” Needleless to Say specialises in anti-ageing nonsurgical facial treatments; centimetre loss; weight loss; toning and firming; wrinkle treatment; hair restoring; and we have a needle-free baby clinic.

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Sport

“not Herman van Deventer is 55 years of age and he has completed the Comrades marathon 16 mind-blowing times. He is from the “Karoo-wêreld” (Karoo-world) as he puts it and was born in Klipplaat, which is between Port Elizabeth and Graaff-Reinet. His normal training time is at 5am in the morning. He usually trains with friends who are like-minded concerning running and the Comrades marathon

done yet”

hey run a distance of 10km three times a week, a distance of 15km once a week and a distance of 20km on Saturdays for training. This adds up to 65km a week! Before each Comrades he competes in, he runs an average distance of 1 200km. This is also why he needs a new pair of running shoes every four months! Some Saturdays they run a marathon race (42km) to test themselves against other runners and to see whether their training is on track. According to Herman, when you run with other runners, you automatically run faster. You might wonder how he keeps track of the distances he runs, and no it is not with Google Maps! Like many modern runners, he wears a wrist watch which has a built-in GPS allowing him to monitor the distance covered during each training session. When Herman was still in school, he competed in the 800m and the 1 500m. He remembers running times of 2:10 and 4:20 minutes respectively. Running further only came years later after school when he ran his first half marathon. Although he didn’t realise it at the time, that race set him on the path of becoming a road-runner. If you’re thinking about the blue cartoon bird who is called the Road Runner and who runs away from the coyote, that’s not what I had in mind. Road-running consists of endurance races commonly held on roads with tarmac. These distances could be anything from 5km up to a marathon. Unlike with the Road Runner, these races take a while, and are not a sprinting event. He competed in his first road race, the Cape Peninsula, because his friends dared him to compete in a half marathon. In this race, his time was above that of an average runner (bearing in mind that it was his first 21km race). After this result, his friends convinced him to participate in the Comrades marathon (which is 90km). When he lined up for his first Comrades, it was the uphill route. After completing the uphill route, his friends quickly convinced him to do the downhill route the following year, which would also be a renowned back-to-back Comrades milestone for him. Before he knew it, he had done five Comrades marathons which was half-way to the renowned “green number” milestone of 10 Comrades races.

By Willem de Beer

So far he has completed an astonishing 16 Comrades marathons, which is more than half-way to the double green number milestone of 20 Comrades marathons. When I asked if he will continue until he reaches that milestone, he said that he is aiming for it, but no more after that. I also asked him why he participates in the Comrades marathon and it turns out it goes much deeper than a silly dare. According to Herman, the Comrades is the “ultimate human race” and it completely challenges an individual. He competes with himself, even though the Comrades is a mass-participation event. He has achieved the following medals: Four Bill Rowan’s (under nine hours), 10 bronze (under 11 hours) and two Vic Clapham’s (under 12 hours). He also has a personal best of eight hours and five minutes. Herman is unashamed about being a Christian and his faith is important to him. He has a habit of praying before and during each event he participates in. He acknowledges that, “There are times during a race when I feel weak, and then I pray to Jesus to give me strength”. He also remembers a specific race where he felt completely drained and was wondering why he was putting himself through this. He recalls that he regained his strength just moments after he had these thoughts. Afterwards, in a conversation with his wife Lynette, he told her about this astonishing reversal and in retrospect they determined that the moment he miraculously felt better in the race was when she prayed for him. His opinion is that, “you cannot approach life or sport without the presence of God in your life”. Herman is a great example for all people: both believers and non-believers. We are all part of the ultimate human race, namely life. There are certainly times when giving up will be the easier option. But the only way to reach our goals is to get up every morning and continue this race. Herman believes in training for his goals and making sure he has the right equipment like his shoes and watch. But I believe the best equipment Herman has is his faith: To live in close proximity with God. You can also have this and it all starts with a simple prayer. Source: http://www.comrades.com/marathoncentre/ faq/2-race-info/322-medals-and-prizes

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Wellness

Integrating scriptural truths and scientific proofs in

Christian counselling Part 2 By Dr. Hanlie Meyer

The amygdala is generally referred to as the 911 centre of the brain. This is because it has the responsibility to subjectively evaluate people and/or situations as safe, unsafe or scary. The amygdala has connections to various subcortical structures of which three connections are important in our discussion,

This is part two of this article. We would like to suggest that you please read or re-read the first part in the previous issue of Devoted. If you do not have the hard copy of Devoted, you can still read it online on the website (www.devotedmag.co.za).

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THE HYPOTHALAMUS

The first important connection is to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is stimulated when a person or incident or situation is deemed scary or unsafe. It stimulates the pituitary gland and immediately releases 56 stress hormones. This forms part of the warning system in the body. If this did not take place, we would endanger ourselves. However, when this process becomes chronic, like when it is constantly repeated when abuse (be it verbal, non-verbal, emotional, financial, physical or sexual) or neglect takes place, the amygdala is constantly on red alert. The result is that the overstressed brain cannot return to a healthy position of rest. The individual thus chronically experiences anxiety and tends to be unnecessarily vulnerable to most uncomfortable situations. The individual’s resilience is severely impaired in the process. Cortisol is one of the stress hormones released during stressful situations but it has the ability to corrupt the receptors on cell surfaces. These receptors then lose their selective ability and allow all kinds of toxic chemicals to enter the cells – especially viruses and peptides representing negative emotions. These substances can even enter into the cell nucleus and change the genetic expression. In this way, something like depression can start in a specific generation.

THE BRAINSTEM

The second important connection is to the brainstem. When a situation, or person, or incident is deemed to be scary or unsafe, a message is sent via the brainstem to the autonomous nervous system which starts the fight or flight response. This response is critical for survival, but as in the case of the hypothalamic response, when this warning is sent chronically due to constant

negative experiences (including violence and war), the body is constantly in a position of alertness and the responses become too intense. All of the above can lead to suppression of the immune system and stress-related illnesses come to the fore. The individual also becomes more vulnerable to infections, chronic fatigue, depression and even panic attacks. When parents do not have the ability to soothe their own brains under stress or in dangerous situations or place their young baby or toddler in danger – through abuse of one another or the child - the young brain does not learn to soothe itself. Consequently, the developing brain might learn substandard responses to stressful life events and become vulnerable to situations/people that are actually not so threatening to warrant a fight or flight response. The unsafe attachment conditioned into the warning system of the young brain gets projected onto other people without conscious awareness thereof. Unfortunately, it is also projected onto God – especially on God as a Father. This means that the individual is biased in their perception of God as a Father and cannot appropriate His love.

NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS

The third important connection is to the nucleus accumbens. The nucleus accumbens forms part of the reward system of the brain. Whenever there is a positive attachment experience – in other words a positive bond between caregiver and child or a positive relational experience with someone else - the amygdala will send a message to the nucleus accumbens where high concentrations of dopamine are formed and released. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that causes us to feel alert and positive and encourages the brain to seek more of the same. The same neurotransmitter is made

Wellness available in the synapse between two neurons in large amounts when cocaine is taken. Subsequently, the feeling of pleasure is increased. The result is that individuals who experience emotional neglect or abuse become vulnerable to the pronounced pleasure produced by a drug like cocaine. Unfortunately, the pleasure system can also be erroneously stimulated when a negative experience is avoided by negative or isolating behaviour. This convinces the individual that the inapplicable/inappropriate response is the better one – after all, drawing near to people leads to hurt and that needs to be avoided at all cost to cause the amygdala to calm down.

What we have learnt so far: • • • •

•

• •

The hippocampus is the subcortical structure responsible for temporarily storing information from various areas of the brain. In this area, a preliminary evaluation is made regarding the new inputs before the information is sent to the prefrontal cortex. However, when the amygdala experiences something severely negative or dangerous, the input to the hippocampus is cut off and a rational response is undermined. The result is that old habitual self-defence or self-preservation responses are repeated, old interpretations are strengthened and old convictions are reinforced. This means that if God is associated with a negative caregiver, the negative image is also reinforced. The old relational template will be kept intact leaving many a counsellor disheartened and clients disillusioned!

• •

Parenting is much more than feeding children and saying “I love you”. Non-verbal communication during the first few years of life forms the foundation for all future relational learning. The relational templates formed during these initial or primary learning experiences become the “gospel” to the developing individual. As adults we believe this “gospel” as it is deeply embedded as implicit emotional memories that govern all our interpretations of current incidents and interactions. The amygdala does not have context – it only has content – therefore an intense emotional memory triggered by a current incident/ interaction “jumps at” a person as if the original negative incident is taking place in the present moment. The time between the first incident and the triggered emotional memory is not taken into account in this subjective emotional process. The intensity and subjective reality created by these triggered memories cause the individual to believe that what they experience now, is the ultimate truth. This is reinforced by repeated incidents accompanied by the same intense subjective emotional response. As there are more connections from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex than the other way round, these triggered emotional memories have the ability to override the rational feedback from the prefrontal cortex. The self-defence mechanism is so strong that rationality is lost. Toxic thoughts and behavioural patterns are thus learnt from early on in your childhood. This causes people to act in ways they themselves despise when under stress!

Where does this leave us as Christians and Christian counsellors? Read more about this in the next issue of Devoted.

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Back to Basics

Church and homecell attendance By Mignionette Fair

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6 You can’t build a strong house without a strong, basic foundation. Devoted is going back to the basics of Christianity in this new series. We hope to help you build a relationship with God which cannot be shaken and to help you be more effective in reaching your world for Jesus

hurch attendance is a vital part of our walk with Jesus. Throughout the Bible there are verses that show the importance of attending church. Dwight L. Moody says, “Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.” However, this subject can sometimes be a touchy one, because some people make church attendance something they check off their religious checklist. Why should people attend church if they can worship God on their own? And surely the body of Christ is the people in the church, and not the building itself? Joel Osteen said, “You can be committed to church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church”! Jesus draws us to His church – He does not want us to be isolated as that is a dangerous place to be. In Hebrews 10:25 the Bible says, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” The church is not the building… the building just houses the church! We shouldn’t neglect our time together as God’s children. There is a special anointing when God’s children gather together in His name. And best of all… God is there when we gather together in His name! Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Let us look at some of the benefits of attending church or homecell: • You hear the truth – If you are in a church with pastors and leaders who

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will tell you the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or hard it is, you are in a good place. John 8:32 • You build friendships and relationships – God made us so He could have a family. Why wouldn’t you want to be part of that family? 1 Thess. 5:11 • There is safety in numbers – Your church family will rally around you in difficult times, protecting you from any onslaughts the devil may throw your way. Imagine having to go through those trials and tribulations on your own! Ps. 27:5 & Matt. 16:18 • You sharpen your axe – You won’t become a “dull” Christian. Your knowledge and understanding will increase and your Spirit will be “sharp”. Eccl. 10:10 • God can use you to bless others through His church – God uses His church to be the hands, feet, eyes, ears and voice of Jesus. Acts 26:18 & Romans 10:15 • You will be blessed and flourish – Just like a tree next to a river, you will grow because you are planted by the River of Life! Ps. 92:13-24, Ps. 1:3 & Jer. 17:8 These are just some of the benefits of attending church or homecell and I am sure as you make an effort to spend time in God’s house, you will discover more and more benefits for yourself. However, let us never forget why the church exists… L.L Nash said: “A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” The church should bring a lost and dying world closer to their Saviour. It should show them the love God has for them and it should not be there so people can just sit around looking “holier than thou” every Sunday.

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Victorious with Vicki

The … e s u he ho y

in tBased on a true sitFoorurie By Vick

Welcome to Jane Doe’s world. Jane has a son, Johnny Doe. They’re dying… Not of AIDS, cancer, or rabies. They’re dying of starvation!

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ane is no fool. She knew tonight’s meal was going to be the last for both of them. They’re done crying because there are no tears left. This is their life. As they both sat down to eat their last piece of bread, there’s a startling knock at the door. “Who can it be?” Jane wondered out loud, breaking the eerie silence that followed the knock. Johnny Doe stood up to answer the door. He was curious. There was only one way to find out, right? As Johnny Doe opened the door, he went into a state of shock. The man at the door was horrific and terrifying to say the least. The image of a mad man! From his wild nest of auburn hair to his raggedy clothing, you could see he wasn’t from around town. More likely from Mars? Everyone was silent for a while. An awkward anticipation hung in the air. Then the Mars guy uttered two little sentences: “I need food! I’m hungry.” If I were in Jane Doe’s shoes, I would’ve told the man to take a hike! Who did he think he is!? Caesar!? The Tsar!? Jane and Johnny Doe were standing at death’s door! Couldn’t he see how poor they were? Jane and Johnny Doe were dying! The Mars guy should pay them a little respect! Stop! Jane Doe has something to tell you: She isn’t finished with her story yet! You haven’t heard the best yet! There’s more to come. A place where Mars meets Heaven. A place where miracles happen… Jane Doe invited the Mars guy into her home! “Unfortunately, I have only a piece of bread left,” she apologised with a broken voice. “My son and I will be dead by morning.” “Give me the little that you have left,” the Mars guy replied firmly. Jane looked at Johnny in wonder. Didn’t he hear a single thing she said? “Go on! What are you

waiting for?” the Mars guy prodded. “Get me something to eat. I tell you, when I have finished, your flour bowl will be filled again. You and your son will live.” Jane and Johnny Doe simply stood in shocked awe. Was he actually claiming a miraculous miracle would take place in this house? What about you? Do you feel like you have nothing left to give? No talents to use for God? I bet you feel like the awkward guy in the back of the crowd, standing with empty arms. You think, “I’m normal. I’m plain. I’m nobody special. I don’t stand out.” You feel like a Jane or Johnny Doe: nameless and unimportant. I’ve got news for you. Jane and Johnny Doe felt like they had nothing to give … just a piece of bread and cold water. It was all they had. It was all they could give. And by giving the little they had… The Mars guy wasn’t finished talking. “The jar of flour will not run out before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought.” Something inside Jane Doe made her obey. She acted quickly. She gave the piece of bread and a glass of water to him. Behold, a miracle was born. And it was no small miracle. For in giving every last bit of what she and Johnny Doe had, she had received double the portion back. Hey you!… Yes you! Give what you’ve got! Share what you have. Don’t hold back. Or, you will starve in the morning. Think about Jane and Johnny Doe: if they had slammed the door in the Mars guy’s face right there, they would’ve been signing their death certificate, right? The miracle is in you. Use it! I guarantee you’ll end up with much more than what you bargained for! *o read the original story, read 1 Kings 17:8-16.

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Review

OVED R P P A EDITOR

THE LANGUAGE OF SALVATION By Victor Kuligin

WOULD DRIVING A PORSCHE CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

By Wouter Snyman Review by Kevin Cousins This is what people have to say about this book globally: “This is one of those books every student of the Bible wishes they had read at the beginning of their walk with the Master. Thirteen massive theological truths skillfully unpacked in a language every reader can understand and enjoy.” John Broom, Pastor, United Evangelical Fellowship, Fish Hoek, South Africa “Kuligin’s book is an excellent introduction to a key Christian doctrine. Kuligin manages to demonstrate the depths of the Christian view of salvation. The Language of Salvation is thoroughly biblical, easy to read, extremely practical, and a personal book. It is a must-read for all Christians who look for a clearer understanding of what it means to be saved.” Thorsten Prill, Senior Lecturer, Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary, Africa “While Kuligin has chosen the imperfect number thirteen to explain the riches of our salvation, he has written the perfect book for evangelicals who have forgotten the Bible’s multifaceted portrayal of what God has done for us in Christ. This Christcentered, Bible-saturated, and theologically deep study will enrich all who read it!” Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Practical Theology, Queensland Theological College, Brisbane, Australia “This book is exactly as Kuligin describes it: a multifaceted look at the priceless gem of salvation. Describing each feature in terms that are clearly biblical and eminently accessible, this wonderfully illustrative work heightens one’s appreciation for the riches that are in Christ while deepening faith in his saving work.” Randall J. Gruendyke, Campus Pastor, Taylor University, Upland, Indiana “Even mature Christians tend to have an impoverished understanding of the significance and implications of the salvation that they enjoy in Christ. Kuligin skillfully unfolds the richness and comprehensiveness of this salvation by examining the many metaphors the New Testament authors use to present the gospel.” Jamie Viands, Lecturer and Dean of the School of Theology, Scott Christian University, Machakos, Kenya For more information on the latest book releases, visit www.ChristianArtMedia.co.za

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This book starts off by saying, “Unlock your inner genius and live a life of True Wealth and abundance.” But how do we achieve this? Wouter Snyman, CEO, serial entrepreneur, speaker, and multiple author, offers valuable insight through this book. Wouter is learned, well-versed and shares on the power of the unique gift each individual carries which he likens to driving a Porsche. Something that is powerful; unprecedented; that 1% of never-seen-before nor ever-to-be-seen again one-of-a-kind DNA, which separates us from 7 billion others like us – the gifts God placed in every single one of us. Wouter lives out an urgency to contribute towards a legacy to uplift, and provide opportunities; to spark new dreams in his community, country and world. Throughout the book you are guided on a quest to pursue your God-given dreams and destiny. It makes you ask: “Where do we fit into this better future for all?” The precursor to synergy, our personal development journey, begins with each of us stepping out of fear and breaking intimidation. Although Wouter mentions that we cannot “outearn our level of learning”, he provides a roadmap, and the process is a lot simpler than we allow ourselves to believe. Among the principles taught, the reminder of the reward awaiting those who take immediate, consistent and intentional action comes to the fore. Fast implementation is king! Former statesman Nelson Mandela said that, “After climbing a great mountain, we can only for a moment enjoy the view, because we must press on, seeing there are many more mountains to climb”. What is the role we have to play as individuals? Can we afford not to deliver our gifts and serve our generation? Wouter encourages us to “Make manifest the glory of God within you” and to tap into that God-ordained potential on the inside of us. Who we are becoming is more important than what we are doing. After reading this book, being a difference maker, leaving the world a better place, bringing the average up, seems more attainable. What is your ultimate, life-changing goal? What is your dream? What are your goal posts? Against which wall do you place your ladder? Wouter reminds us that we are in the driving seat; nothing ventured, nothing gained! And that with God on our side – we can, we will, we must win at life! Visit HopeInAction.co.za and register for a free digital copy of the above book.

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Business

Make your

business known By Fergus Ferguson

Many years ago, when we were still in the industrial age, manufacturers thought all they had to do was to produce a great product and it would sell itself. That was before they knew anything about marketing and promotions. They had to discover the secret of true business success occurs when you understand the needs and desires of a specific target market

Business leaders then realised that if they identified what people needed, and concentrated on producing just that, they would have a ready market. But even doing this didn’t guarantee them overnight success. It wouldn’t necessarily result in consumers falling over each other to buy the product. But why? Because, if the consumers didn’t know the product was available and if they didn’t know where to get it - how could they clamour for it? They realised they had to promote their product or service and their business. This is still true today. Yet, not many businesses in this advanced technological age and this age of information, actually devote enough resources to promotion and/or advertising. The key to successful promotion and advertising is consistency. It’s wise to develop strategies that promote your business in a consistent, deliberate manner and on a regular basis. It’s a planned activity – not something that just happens. The greatest business people and marketers understand the concept of testing and measuring all their promotional activities. When you are testing and measuring, every step brings you closer to the right formula and the right approach. If you approach your marketing and expect everything to work the first time, you’ll be disappointed. You may give up before you should. Marketing and promotions have certain rules, but it’s still largely a matter of trial and error. You give it your best shot and then find out for sure. It’s essential that you record every result. It’s extra work, but you will be relieved when you have a marketing strategy that you know will produce results. That is a level of confidence that only comes from testing and measuring methods. There is another concept I would like to bring to your attention. This is the concept of the relationship. It’s important that you understand

what relationships can do for your business. One of the most powerful results promotional campaigns bring to any business is the relationship that develops between the business and its target market. A good relationship means your customers will trust what you say and they will be more likely to take your advice than if the relationship was non-existent. Also, your promotional campaigns will become interactive. Just know that when it comes to attracting customers, the only real difference between your company and Nike, Apple or Burger King is greater and bigger promotions. Let’s look at why such well-known, successful brands spend millions on promotions. Take Coca–Cola for example… do you think this company really needs to invest the money it does on promotional activities even though the product probably enjoys the highest levels of brand recognition in the world? Of course it does! If Coca-Cola were to back off just a little, the company would lose vital ground to its opposition. It’s all about top-of-mind awareness. Companies like Coca-Cola have been doing this for a very long time and they do it in a systematic way. Its promotional machine has developed momentum, but the company needs to keep it rolling. If it were to slacken the pace, it would lose momentum. So what does the term promotion actually mean? According to the dictionary, the word “promotion” is to “help the progress of”. Promotional activities are designed to bring in leads. They involve activities like publicity, advertising, sponsorship, direct mail, in-store signage, window displays, network functions, to name a few. There is nothing mystical about promoting a business. It’s very straightforward and logical once you know how and it’s imperative for your business success that you learn how.

Fergus Ferguson is a franchisee of the global business coaching company – ActionCOACH. He is an accredited business coach who assists business owners to significantly grow their profits and develop their entrepreneurial skills. Main: +27 12 460 9769 • Mobile: +27 82 650 0867 • Email: fergusferguson@actioncoach.com

Website: www.fergusferguson.co.za

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“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:3-5) Our first Celebrating life event was a roaring success. We are therefore setting aside time once again to slow down and to celebrate life and successes. Devoted has partnered with Placecol Skincare Clinic and we would love to invite you to an event that is aimed at advancing the Kingdom.

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Living for Jesus

Why does

God allow suffering?

By Johan Terblanche

hy does God allow suffering? The short answer is: “Because He can”. I have often wondered how it is that we, mere mortal humans, can question a God capable of creating heaven and earth, capable of sowing trillions of stars, planets and solar systems into heaven and keeping them there. How can we question a God capable of making a man out of dust and a woman from a rib? Though I believe it is wrong, it is simply human nature to question God. So why does God allow trials and tribulations to come our way? Why are so many people suffering?

“When things are “On a good day, enjoy yourself; on a bad day, examine your conscience. going well for you, God arranges for both kinds of days be glad, and when So that we won’t take anything for trouble comes, just granted.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14 – MSG) remember: God sends Romans 8:28 says: “We know that in all both happiness and things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according trouble; you never to his purpose.” It is clear that God can use all both good and bad, to our benefit and know what is going things, to His glory. So let us see what God desires to by allowing us to go through trials to happen next.” accomplish and tribulations. 1. God desires us to grow. When we continue (Ecclesiastes reading Romans 8, we will soon see that it is God’s desire for us to grow into the likeness 7:14 – GNB) of His Son, Jesus Christ. (See Romans 8:29) To effect change or in order for us to grow into the image of God, God allows us to go through trials, suffering and distress. 2. God wishes our faith to be tested. It is easy to trust God in the good times, but it is in the fire or the lion’s den that faith is really tested (See Daniel 3:26 and Daniel 6:16 – 20) Peter confirmed this in 1 Peter 1:6-7 when he wrote: “Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and

glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 3. God desire of us to develop Godly characters which in turns produces hope. It is said in Romans 5:3-5 that: “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” 4. God desires of us to have a closer relationship with Him. It has been seen that trials causes people to pray which is in line with 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which instructs us to “Pray at all times”. History has also proved that people will, in times of trouble seek after God by reading the word and attending church. 5. God wishes us to become thankful in all circumstances as can be seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. By going through trials we learn to be thankful. It can be explained like this: A man writes his car off in an accident, but can say: “Thank God, I am alive”. And, as I have said before: “Faith is the ability to thank God in advance for the things we trust Him to do”. I might be facing hardships today, but I thank God in advance for hearing and answering my prayers. 6. God desires to bless and reward us. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing… Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1: 2-4, 12) Yes, God allows us to face trials, tribulations and even to suffer, but God also assures us that, “every test we may experience is the kind that normally comes to people. But God will keep his promise, and he will not allow us to be tested beyond our power to remain firm; at the time we’re put to the test, he will give us the strength to endure it, and so provide us with a way out.” (See 1 Corinthians 10:13) In the words of Carmen, I believe that God is saying to us: “Fear not my child, I’m with you always. I know how to care for what belongs to me.”

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Review

ISRAEL & NEWBREED

BUILDING 429

COVERED: ALIVE IN ASIA Multi Grammy®, Stellar and Dove Award winning gospel recording artist, Israel Houghton and his long-time ensemble NewBreed travelled far east to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ while recording their highly anticipated new album “Covered: Alive in Asia”, now available in stores, and distributed through Christian Art Media. The project features 13 tracks and includes an intimate behindthe-scenes look at the recording process and footage of some of the most beautiful and exotic cities in Asia. A 90 minute concert film will release on DVD towards the end of October. “This project is certainly the largest, as far as scale, that we’ve ever embarked upon” said Israel Houghton. “I’m grateful to our NewBreed movement for always being willing to dream big and take action around this vision. I feel it’s our best offering to date… Gospel is good news- Good News is global. Global Gospel, Kingdom Music is our passion.” Featuring production from Aaron Lindsey, ”Covered: Alive in Asia“ will mark Israel Houghton & NewBreed’s 10th album together and 15th year anniversary as a group.

UNASHAMED

GRAMMY-nominated band Building 429 has released their anticipated new studio album. Building 429 is well-known as one of today’s top artists due to their high-energy live shows, lyricallydriven and anthemic songs, and their constant message of hope through Christ. Collaborating with a strong team of producers for Unashamed including Seth Mosley, Casey Brown, Chuck Butler, Rob Hawkins and the team of Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury, Building 429 has worked intentionally to connect with the listener at a deeper level more than ever before. Jason Roy, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, shares, “We wanted to be more honest and transparent about our struggles with an audience that needs to hear it.” Through their well-known anthemic songs and energetic live shows, Building 429 is a band that has been touted throughout their 15-year career as “authentic, uplifting and unforgettable,” along with being “truly focused on bringing glory to God.” For more information on the latest book releases, visit www.ChristianArtMedia.co.za

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Fair Flair

The Fruits of the Spirit:

Patience By Mignionette Fair

As a tree grows and matures, it bears fruit. Just like that, we as Christians should also bear more and more fruits of the Spirit as we grow and mature. Our lifestyle should be as God desires it to be... not what the world wants it to be. So, why do we sometimes feel that we have to act and look like the rest of the world? The world should want to look and behave like us as Christians. Over the next few issues, we will look at the different fruits of the Spirit and how we can apply them in our lives to bring glory to God through how we live. After all, the fruits of the Spirit is the characteristics of the Holy Spirit in a believer. The first characteristic we will discuss is patience...

The Bible says in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” In other versions the Bible describes patience as “long-suffering”. Quite appropriate for certain scenarios, I think… like being stuck behind a car going 40km in a 60km zone! In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 the Bible says that “Love is patient and kind”. Therefore, patience or long-suffering equals love. This revelation made me think about God’s timing in our lives. My mother sometimes says: “God will never be late, but He can be mighty slow!” I am sure we have all been through times in our lives when we feel like God has forgotten about our situation… He has

forgotten that we have a deadline! We tend to think that God has deserted us in difficult times! In Romans 5:3-5 the Bible says, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (patience); and perseverance (patience), character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” If the Word says that patience equals love, then we can lavish our love on God by being patient and trusting in His timing. By showing patience, we show our love to God and His timing. Practice your patience and lavish your love on God in this way. Do this, knowing that you can never out-love God!

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