The way home
I was listening to Frankie Miller singing “A Long Way Home” when the lyrics took on personal meaning. Oh, it’s a long way home In the night alone When your songs are all... »
Personal Accounts
The good shepherd
I’m privileged to lead a weekly Sunday School group of children between the ages of 9 and 13 in a low-income settlement just outside our city in Cape Town. Teaching them... »
Musical woods
It’s sometimes called the most human of instruments, because it has the noble mission of expressing our deepest emotions. It sings in its deep vibrant voice to touch our... »
Working with God
The workplace can be a challenging and competitive arena. Too often, honesty and hard work can lose out to the pursuit of a quick buck and me-first politicking. But there... »
Less is better
I vividly remember the day in my early twenties when I was sitting in the comfortable living room of my upper-middle class home and felt a void and restlessness within me... »
Peacemakers
I often feel discouraged with the state of the world. I read the newspaper and watch the evening news report and sometimes I get just plain upset! Why is there so much di... »
The conclusion
The book of Ecclesiastes is a wonderful read when I get overwhelmed with the big questions—what’s the meaning of life, what does God want from me, how should I react to t... »
Finding my identity
When I was a schoolgirl, I remember hearing a melancholic song that contained the lyrics, “Why was I born; why am I living?” At the time, I couldn’t imagine why anyone wo... »
Eve's piano dream
Several years ago, one of my neighbors was a shy 10-year-old girl with very inquisitive eyes and a big smile. One day, Eve mentioned her dream of learning to play the pia... »
Grandma, grandpa, and the drumsticks
I knew a pair of grandparents whose home was furnished with antique armchairs, ornate flower arrangements, and burgundy carpets. Aside from being an experienced homemaker... »
Have courage and be kind
The 2015 adaptation of Cinderella portrays a young woman who lives her life by the motto that her parents taught her before they died: “Have courage and be kind!” While t... »
Through the looking glass
I walk in and hear voices all around, but I understand nothing. How many times have I been in a similar place?—In the facility of an association or nonprofit that works w... »
The best gift
Life is filled with difficulties and challenges, and at one time or another we all find ourselves in some particularly desperate situation. These desperate situations cau... »