So forces of light meets forces of darkness. Evil has sadly in this case taken the life of a person who was revered and looked up to by so many. Especially women.

Aretha Franklin, Shirley Bassey, Dionne  Warwick ( related) are just names of great Black women singers with the most incredible voices …and Whitney Houston was right up there with them.

Sadly she will be remembered  for all the wrong reasons…..how she died rather than how she lived.

Yes, she had some amazingly beautiful songs that she will be remembered for…..

“I will always love you “,  ”I wanta Dance with Somebody ” (Who Loves Me) and “Saving All my Love For You  ” and the Global Blockbuster Movies “The Bodyguard” and “The Preachers Wife “.

These were Love songs that embellished the joy of living, being in love and enjoying life.  And yet if you see the concert ( in Melbourne Australia) where disappointed fans were openly hostile in her dismal attempt to sing , or when you see the Oprah  Television show where Whitney Houston openly confessed to heavy usage of Marijuana and Cocaine.

An untimely death was inevitable. The 15 years of abuse she received from her then Husband ( 1992 to 2007) had taken its toll.

Maybe I live in too much of an idealistic dream, as one that doesn’t ( hasn’t ) Smoked , taken drugs, or drunk alcohol ( other than a glass of wine once or twice a year) ….maybe I am out of touch with reality.

But If I had such an incredible talent I would never want to do anything to destroy or damage that talent.  Maybe the problem is that few people acknowledge God for that gift or talent. They take it for granted. They don’t value it as a priceless treasure. And few give God the Glory for it by using such a gift to sing his Praises.

In Whitney’s case the singing in Church Choirs didnt go beyong childhood , and the faith didn’t transition into living for God everyday.

There are many who I could name that have saddened me….but I must say who am I to judge….I am sure  God will be  just as disappointed with me and my many failings.

So what can we learn from the passing of this beautiful Song Bird?

We I am sure will get  ”over it ” . Today’s Headlines  will be come tomorrows forgotten news. Every time we hear the songs or watch the movies, flash backs of memories of Saturday 12th February ( LA time) will come to the forefront of our minds.

May you ( and I ) press closer to God through his word….for it is the truth.May the following words be encouraging for you today.

Seek good and not evil,

That you may live

So that the Lord of hosts will be with you

As You have spoken

Hate Evil , Love Good.

Amos 5: 11.

As a final postscript…..many years ago as a child I came across a young boy of similar age to me who had a sling shot , and was aiming at the birds on the telephone lines. Fortunately he was a poor shot and the birds were pretty safe. I asked him which birds he was aiming at ….and his reply was the ones that sing. Why I asked….His answer  ” because they make more noise than the others” . I said “but they are the birds that are the most happy ” …..he didnt answer me….

Maybe the so called ” friends” of Whitney  Houston could reflect on what their actions through feeding her drugs….was like this boy wanting to silence the once  most happiest songbird that our generation has seen.

I will write again soon.

Lindsay Walker

13th February 2012.

This 114,500 ton floating palace with it’s 13 decks, 1500 cabins , and countless attractions for the super rich, is now lying worthless on the seafloor , ( or at least on rocks) as an eye saw to the many people of the area off the  Italian coast … still coming to grips with the tragedy.

There will be claims and counter claims in the high courts around the world, Insurance Companies suing and counter suing ….lawyers trying to glean financial advantage for their clients ( and themselves).

But interestingly just days after this global catastrophe …..it is for most parts off the news radar. Hope for the few remaining passengers unaccounted for has now faded, and for most the months, if not years , of  preventing an ecological disaster  and the eventual salvaging for scrape of this monolith , will hold little interest for most people.

Taking the rap. ….Well did he or didn’t he. The Captain I mean.

Was he trying to show off to the Retired Admiral on shore, or to the Family of his Head Chef? Was he trying to impress the young lady who dined at his table, and who  ( maybe)  had accompanied him to the bridge that night?. This is the stuff of a Romantic Best Seller…even a Block Buster  Motion Picture….

Was it a 4 and a half  minute passionate kiss with his eyes closed and the other crew who were  overseeing the steering all looking at their feet for the same amount of time ….that allowed the ship to be less than 150 metres from the shore, hit rocks and partially  sink.

All these elements pose many unanswered questions, but without doubt all will be revealed in the course of time.

I personally blame technology.

Sea Farers of great cruise liners of the past had huge wheels to steer their ships. Five fully 6 foot  rotations on the wheel  to make a one degree difference in the route the ship sails.

Today you have a little three inch stick….almost like an X Box game control stick….and that folks is all that prevents you from doing a rather large oppsy as happened to The Costa C.

But before all you Cruise lovers cancel your bookings to buy a spar bath, Cruise Liners of today have some of the most sophisticated controls and backup systems in order to help prevent disasters of what happened to Captain Francesco and his ship.

Help does not give however immunity from stupidity.!

Fortunately there was not a higher loss of life. The Titanic sunk in April 1912 with the loss of 1523 lives. Two years later also in the Atlantic , the Empress of Ireland sunk in May 1914 with 1012 lives lost.

But the largest loss of lives goes to more recent times (1987 ) when the Dona Paz sunk of the Philippines with a numb chilling 4,375 people drowned.

The Doña Paz was built in 1963 , it had a passenger capacity of 608 people.^[

On December 20, 1987, at 0630H, Philippine Standard Time, the Doña Paz disembarked from Tacloban City,Leyte, for the Philippine capital of Manila,near Marinduque. A survivor later said that the weather at sea that night was clear, but the sea was choppy^[ While most of the passengers slept, the Doña Paz collided with MT Vector, an oil tanker en route from Bataan to Masbate. The Vector was carrying 8,800 barrels of gasoline and other petroleum products owned by Caltex Philippines

Upon the collision, the Vector's cargo ignited and caused a fire that spread onto the Doña Paz. Survivors recalled sensing the crash and an explosion, causing panic on the vessel.^] Both ships sank in about 545 meters of water in the shark-infested Tablas Strait

It reportedly took eight hours before Philippine maritime authorities learned of the accident, and another eight hours to organize search and rescue operations.

Twenty-six survivors were retrieved from the seas. Twenty-four of them were passengers on the Doña Paz while the other two were crew members of the Vector.^]None of the crew of the Doña Paz survived. Most of the survivors sustained burns from jumping into the flaming waters.

According to the initial announcement made by Sulpicio Lines, the official passenger manifest of the Doña Paz recorded 1,493 passengers and 60 crew members aboard.^] According to Sulpicio Lines, the ferry was able to carry 1,424 passengers. A revised manifest released on December 23, 1987, showed 1,583 passengers and 58 crew members on the Doña Paz, with 675 persons boarding the ferry in Tacloban City, and 908 coming on board in Catbalogan City.^] However, an anonymous official of Sulpicio Lines told UPI that extra tickets were usually purchased illegally aboard the ship at a cheaper rate, and those passengers were not listed on the manifest.^] The same official added that holders of complimentary tickets and non-paying children below the age of four were likewise not listed on the manifest.

Survivors claimed that it was possible that the Doña Paz may have carried as many as 3,000 to 4,000 passengers. They took as signs that the ferry was overcrowded the fact that passengers were sleeping along corridors or on cots with three or four persons on them.Of the 21 bodies that had been identified five days after the accident, only one of the fatalities was listed on the official manifest

Time magazine called the accident the deadliest peace-time maritime disaster of the 20th century.Given the estimated death toll, the sinking of the Doña Paz has been called the world’s deadliest peacetime sea tragedy.Philippine President Corazon Aquino described the accident as “a national tragedy of harrowing proportions…[the Filipino people's] sadness is all the more painful because the tragedy struck with the approach of Christmas”.

Sulpicio Lines announced three days after the accident that the Doña Paz was insured for ?25 million (about US$1 million in 2011 dollars), and it was willing to indemnify the survivors the amount of 20 thousand (US$472 in 2011) for each victim . Days later, hundreds of family members of the victims staged a rally at theRizal Park demanding that the ship owners likewise indemnify the families of those who were not listed on the manifest, as well as to give a full accounting of the missing.

According to the initial investigation conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard, only one apprentice member of the crew of the Doña Paz was monitoring the bridge when the accident occurred.Other officers were either drinking beer or watching television, while the ship’s captain was watching a movie on his Betamax.Nonetheless, subsequent inquiries revealed that the Vector was operating without a license, lookout or properly qualified master.^] The Board of Marine Inquiry eventually cleared Sulpicio Lines of fault in the accident.In 1999, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that it was the owners of the Vector who were liable to indemnify the victims of the collision. Some of the claims pursued against either Sulpicio Lines or the owners of the Vector, such as those filed by the Cañezal family (who lost two members) and the Macasas family (who lost three members) were adjudicated by the Supreme Court, which found that even the families of victims who did not appear on the official manifest were entitled to indemnity.Caltex Philippines, which had chartered the Vector, was likewise cleared of financial liability.

What ever happens, someone has to take the rap.

All we can do is pray that we are never put into a position or situation such as the one that confronted  Captain Schettino.

In a period of less than 15 minutes, his life and those of many thousand more have been indelibly changed. His life much of what is left could be in jail. His family will be in all probability will be harassed and victimised. They will in all probability be financially ruined.

For the family of the victims  the heart ache will never go away….the same for the thousands affected by the Donna Paz.

And still we talk, and read and watch the Titanic sinking…the worlds most famous shipping disaster…….Maybe what comes out of the  Costa Concordia enquiry will provide similar fascination

I will write again soon

Lindsay Walker

24th January 2012.

If we were in drought conditions ( which we were fast getting close to) then all fears have been dispelled….because it is pouring with rain ( heaviest in years) and it is a cool 14 degrees.

So Black Friday for me anyway is something at least a little grey and overcast!

But I am facinated why this particular day arouses fear and concern for many.

And I have found there are two  ”celebrations ” of Black Friday …..not that the word “Celebration ” is necessarily a good word to use.

The First is what I believe happens in the United Sates of America.

The idea behind the term “Black Friday” is that this is the day in which retail stores have enough sales to put them “in the black” – an accounting expression that alludes to the practice of recording losses in red and profits in black.

It was originally called Black Friday because so many people went out to shop that it caused traffic accidents and sometimes even violence.

These words include….FEAR,  INSECURITY, SENSITIVITY, LACK OF  PURPOSE, PERFECTIONISM,  BECOMING ORDERED, FUSTRATED, VULNERABLE.

The truth of the matter is, that we all will fail on something during our lifetime. We all make mistakes, or make poor errors of judgement. It could be in areas of finance, or relationship or in health.

But it is not the mistakes that we make in life, but how we react and recover from our mistakes that is important.

Remember our past has no rights and no say towards who we are today.  (unless you don’t let it go).

There is nothing in your past that can disqualify your future. ( unless you let it)

We have a wonderful program in the House Of Breakthrough Church called Past Present and Future….that addresses everything that we can recall  that may have effected us in our lives. Maybe deep hurts, rejection, misunderstandings…..and much more. It is amazing what comes up (and out) .

By addressing past hurts forgiving and forgetting is very empowering and can really be liberating and releasing.

Proverbs 18:1-2 tells us that     “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgement . A fool has no delight in understanding , but in expressing his own heart.”

Never ever do that.  Rather than pray a prayer that goes something like this…

Lord..make me teachable.

Take away any reluctance to learn.

Take away any arrogance that is in me.

Take away any resistance to forgive and then forget anything that I have done, or others have done to me.

Take away hesitancy, replacing it with boldness and decisiveness.

Take away Procrastination.

Give me the Fear of The Lord….which is the beginning of understanding.

Rather than dwelling on the past look foward to living for the future. Make every moment of every day count, but remember your health is really really important especially as we age.

Insecurity  is something that robs you of so much. Insecurity blocks affirmation, both in the giving of affirmation to others and the receiving and accepting affirmation  from others.

Satan uses our insecurity to attack and keep on attacking. He is trying to find weaknesses and will like dry rot or borer, will persist until he finds a strong hold.

He is not seeking to take your finances, your relationships or your health….he is wanting to take your faith.

Few people fully understand we are in a spiritual battle every day that we live on this earth…one that all of us are involved in.

In closing this particular blog, I want to suggest you pray this prayer either silently or out aloud to yourself. You need to keep praying it not once but many times…

I ( …..) need to depower failure….to see it not as  a destructive force, but rather a learning one, to align me to what he ( God)  wants me to focus on , as someone whom he loves and values.I dont need to justify failure , but rather accept it.I don’t need to take on board the negatives of failure, either in my subconscious, or words spoken by others…..rather rebuke it and look to the positives and the blessings that failure will teach and instruct me.

I am sure I have disappointed a number of readers who thought I would talk about New Years resolutions and the 100% guarantee ( not) of weight loss, more money, job promotion and more excitement for 2012.

But the older I get ( and hopefully wiser)  the more I believe that addressing the past has so much to do with helping us get through the future.

By getting close to God, we understand how weak we really are, and there is little we can do without him.The Bible tells us     ” My Grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness”.

With God’s help all things are possible .

Our time on this earth is not reach perfection,but rather be built, moulded , transformed, transposed,renewed….for the time of perfection will happen on the day of Glory  when we meet our Lord in Heaven.

I will write again soon

Lindsay Walker

10th January 2012.

We all know Christmas time as being the time where gifts are exchanged, families and friends come together, consumption of food and drink etc etc. In some parts of the world Christmas is a festive season, based on the christian beliefs that it is the celebration of the birth of the infant Jesus Christ, whilst other societies and cultures  basically ignore the reason for celebration but take the time off anyway.

Many will see Christmas with snow and mistletoe, whilst the more lucky ones in the southern Hemisphere should enjoy warm sunny days maybe sitting beside an idyllic lake or lying in the sand on some crowded beach.

Christmas can be a time of great joy and excitement for some, others it can be a time of sadness and isolation.

For a young child the excitement of Christmas is one of anticipation…the expectancy of opening presents , playing with new toys ( which have gotten more sophisticated and more expensive as the years go by) , and to playing with these toys with their friends and maybe family ( depending on age) . Even though much of this Christmas ritual is European paganism…it is for most parts jolly good fun and pretty harmless.

The Time for Christmas , to which this blog is all about  is really aimed at exploring why this festive season has endured for so long ( over 2000 years).

It is inconceivable that anyone would ever consider scraping Christmas, but in this quick changing politically correct society we live in ( particularly in Western bloc countries) anything is possible. We in New Zealand love ” tinkering with things”. Politicians and Government workers make it a full time profession.

So why has Christmas endured?  It certainly can’t be said it is  because of the Christian content and reason for Christmas ….church attendances in many countries have either declined or at least remained the same for years. ( although some would argue that they only go to church annually     ( on Christmas Day) .

The real reason for Christmas to be such an enduring iconic and not to be missed occasion, is that it provides huge economic spin offs for retailers , hospitality and transport operators.

I heard a figure recently that stated most retailers expect to turn over 30% plus of their annual turn over in the 5 or so days leading up to Christmas.

But one thing I have noticed this year in particular, is that many stores are discounting between 30 and 50% off the normal retail before Christmas. This I believe is unprecedented. Is it because of the worsening global economy , or is it a shrewd move to capture  a greater percentage of market share. In the past retailers have double dipped by vigorously encouraging people to buy before Christmas…then offer on Boxing Day , massive savings , which has prompted many people to hold off buying until the day after. Some even more astute buyers actually use that day of so called discounts to buy large for the following Christmas Day ….but maybe not in the clothing line for children as much can happen in 12 months of growing!

How the old traditional Boxing Day has changed!

In times long past, Boxing Day was the day when the servants feasted on the left overs from the masters pleasures of opulence of the day before….when presents would be opened on that day , mainly in boxes. I am not sure whether the privileged actually gave presents to their servants, or whether the servants wrapped them up themselves taking what was thrown out in the garbage pile.

There will be I hope always a time ( and a place for Christmas) .

For me, Christmas along with Easter are the two most important and revered times of the year, and this will remain so for obvious reasons.

So all that remains with less than 4 days to go until Christmas, is to wish you and your loved ones the  most meaningful Blessed and Merry Christmas.

In that I must include the words ” safe” Christmas ….I notice in New Zealand the ACC ( Accident Compensation Commission) paid out $2 million dollars last Christmas for ” Christmas Day Injuries “!!

I will write again soon

Lindsay Walker

Wednesday 21st December.

Sometimes a single word is enough to prompt me to start on a tangent!

Waiting for things to happen in life is an absolute no brain er.

I know in the past I have quoted a piece of scripture that is one of my favourites….from the Book of Isaiah ( 40:31) “But they that wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles …They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint… “.

But it doesn’t say that we should find a hammock or a soft mattress put it in a nice shady position , grab a large cool drink, and then just wait for things to happen……Waiting is NOT putting your life on hold or worst still coming to a big Full stop!.

I also read several books back in another wonderful book of Riddles and Puzzles….the book of Ecclesiastes…(11:4) which says “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap ” in other words  If you wait for perfect conditions , you will neither attempt or achieve anything.

You see clouds are  determined by the forces of wind. It is a past tense thing. It shows what has happened in the past. We need to make history rather than merely  read  history.

It is interesting to understand who the writer of that  that last verse  really was.

He was the wealthiest man to ever set foot ( feet) on this earth. He would make the Branstons, Gates and Trumps of this modern day world look as poor as refugees.

His name was King Solomon , and if you consider  that this man owned the equivalent of  18 tons of Gold collected every year ( close to USD380 BILLION in Gold alone)  plus many other  incredible trappings of wealth,and ruled in volatile times for  over 40 years…we really should listen to what he wrote.

Interestingly he wasn’t perfect, in fact he really cheesed God off and did some rather wicked things. This included having some 700 wives and 300 concubine  ( many who made Solomon turn his back on God) ….But merciful for him   God spared  his  life for some 80 years ….and so came about the wise words of Solomon obviously inspired by God.

You see Solomon prayed a prayer to God, asking for wisdom so he could lead his people after the death of his father King David a man loved by God and greatly used by God to bring peace to Israel in tumultuous times .So God granted him what he wished for…..but rather than follow what God had given him he he did some really terrible things….

But let us return to WAIT!

Why do we have on our traffic lights at intersections  on pedestrian crossings all lit up and flashing with the word WAIT! ( or maybe espere, esperar, attendre or warten)

We have it to protect us from harm….from being run over by a truck or a car, or even a bicycle. We  dont have the right of way….. therefore we wait until the light stops flashing or a green light comes on with the word go.

Universally this is understood in every civilised country ( and particularly cities) throughout the world.

Waiting is hard. It can be painful, it can be frustrating it can be annoying. Why does God  keep us waiting?

Well if he gave us everything we wanted, we would become spoilt little brats. We would demand even more. ( we certainly would run out of wives if Solomon is anything to go by) . It would teach us nothing. We would not rely on God , it would not even build our faith.

Yes it would be fantastic if God pointed us in the right direction all the time. And warned us before we made fools of ourselves or harmed ourselves. Many of us would think it was great to simply follow directions or instructions. But it would not really be of benefit to our well being.

Instead of giving us a lifetime of instructions he often leads by an idea that doesnt go away easily, but rather keeps coming back until we act upon it.

As a human race we like order. I certainly do ( often to my (one)  wife’s frustration. We like to know the outcome….we like to be assured of our income, and to know lifes outcomes….  we dont like nasty surprises in life.

We like guarantees , we can tolerate some maybes, but when the maybes outweigh the number of guarantees we feel tired ,depressed and  just worn down.

Waiting no longer has appeal!

The only thing I can say as words of encouragement  is that God was the one that created you, as someone special, and  unique ( there is no one the same as you in close to 7 billion people on this earth) and he wants the very best for you.

We wait in expectation and  for the right outcome…..

And when God brings you an incredible result, better than you could ever imagine…. the wait will be well worth it. Believe me on this one!!!

I will write again soon

Lindsay Walker

Wednesday 7th December 2011.

I have often wondered what the “So Help me God” really meant. I could certainly understand that term, if it were used before setting out on the high seas in a small boat….but in a court room ???.

Are you extolling God to allow you to tell the truth…..or  asking him to remind you of the dire consequences if you fail to tell the truth ?.

One thing I know for sure  is that fewer people today tell the truth. Few people have any concept that the whole truth and nothing but the truth is a cornerstone of a persons persona or a persons character.

To tell the truth unto death means that they will tell the truth for a lifetime , and if need be… in the face of death. Today there are many  facing death by extremists for telling the truth, or living by a faith that threatens those that keep them in captivity.

I think we would all struggle in the face of death or torture to tell the truth, if it meant losing our lives, but I firmly believe telling the truth is such an important  part of living on this planet in harmony , that it has to be right up there …..and I meant the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I was brought up in the early 50′s in a strict but loving family.

I cannot remember all the details  …I was too young ( there was about a ten year age difference between me and my two brothers) but I always remember  a wide leather strap was positioned at the dinner table….and it was always nearer to my fathers hand then mine.

I remember him as a fair and loving father, but I also knew that he  stood for no nonsense…and my mother often reminded me that dad was biking home from work (times were hard then….one speed bikes were the norm) and that the strap would be on the table waiting for him ( and me).

So in that atmosphere, discipline was  a lot different than it is today.

We had table manners, always said please and thank you , always added Mum and Dad to every sentence, never spoke until you were spoken too, never fought , argued or showed decent                   ( especially at the  meal table.) Swearing and blasphemy at any time was a fate punishible by death ( well we never did it to test the system!) .

And telling the truth and every part there of , was not just an added extra, it was something drilled into us from a very early age. It was a core component in our character and has served us well ever since.

Some might say is it right to have lived in fear from an early age? Well I did add that we were raised by loving parents in a loving home.

I despair   that so many people today  do not tell the truth, or only tell half the truth. And the sad thing that many do not know when they are telling the truth and when they are not.

For young people it is a subject they are not taught at school, and it is something that is inbred inter-generational. If parents and grandparents  were born liars….they hardly are likely to pass on to their siblings that lying is unacceptable.

And for me there is a fear of God, because I know how much God hates lying.

So next time you are tempted to lie….promise yourself to Tell The Truth , the Whole Truth and if necessary ask God to ensure you do.

I will talk again soon.

Lindsay Walker

Friday 25th November 2011.

Particulartly so if you are ambious and want to be an achiever.

A very dear friend (Ana) reminded me today of a saying that  I am sure  we have all heard before , about souring like eagles and not be limited to being like Chickens on the ground.

So what is it like to be an eagle ??……if only they could tell us!!!….

But here are a few observations of my own…(from an Eagles perspective).

Eagles have in years past,almost become extinct. There are, worldwide 59 different species. The largest is the Harpy Eagle ….(which Dalaine and I saw in South America last year ). It is the largest and most powerful eagle  in the world weighing between 20 and 30 pounds,… is only found in the jungles of Central and South America …stands up to 4 feet high and loves to eat other birds and monkeys.

Therefore do not  dress up as a monkey and hang out in the Amazon Jungle!!

The most recognisable Eagle must be the North American Bald Eagle ( which isnt Bald at all).This Eagle can teach us a lot about finding our Niche In Life.

It lives on average 30 years in the wild. They mate for life. They are totally dedicated to their mate . Their purpose in life is to care for their offspring ( eaglets). If their mate does die, they do remate immediately. The female is 25% larger than the male  but from a distance it is hard to tell the difference.

Their nests are huge  ….up to 9 feet wide and they can be 15 feet deep. And a nest of that size can weigh an amazing 2 tons ….yes you heard it right.

The nests are used time and time again by the same family.

So what can the Eagle teach  us?

Well they obviously choose the right mate. They are committed for a life time and they stay in the same  house ( nest) .

And wouldn’t that be the ideal for the entire Human Race?.

Well for some it would be….but for most they would say maybe the grass is greener on the other side of the mountain range. Besides freezing your butt off for maybe 9 months of the year,  living at high altitude without any shopping malls in sight…and having to find food all day and every day  for a family that is always hungry  is not really finding our niche in life.

So what are the answers?.

I am 100% certain that God gave each one of us talents. Some talents are revealed at an early age whilst others acquire talents as we go along life’s way. Sadly some do not recognise their talent as important enough to reach the very best they possibly can be. It really saddens me to see child prodigy musicians simply give up.

Life is an endurance race , rather than a sprint race. If you have big dreams , never let anyone take that dream away from you. Live each day on the expectation that maybe today God will make that dream come true. If it doesn’t come today, be prepared that it will happen tomorrow.

I think it helps to write out a list of what your dreams are. What you want to do ( for a career) where you would like to be ( live) and who you would like to be with ( a lifetime relationship).

Life is about choices. Some make good ones , others make bad ones. Some make a good single choice ( for example what they want to do ) only to follow it up with a bad one of being in the wrong company. And that poor decision can have adverse effects and can ruin the wonderful career opportunities and limit the potential that is within you.

So here  are some good pointers.

* Find out what your talents and passion are. If you are unsure ask yourself what makes you get out of bed in the morning? If it is for the mony made in your job, ask yourself does it bring happiness.?   If it doesnt bring happiness maybe it is time for a change BUT don’t give up your  present job, until you have a better job in place.

* Pray for disernment  in your choice of  where, who and what. Concentrate  on Gods word .( The Bible) . The number of times a peice of scripture has stood out and ” spoken to me”  are too many to count , but I never simply blindly go in and do something major without a lot of prayer.( and Bible reading) .

*Ask people you can trust, and who have your best interests in mind especially on relationships. I went through the  ”Test of Fire ” when I was sat down with 5 of Dalaines female friends over a  coffee who  gave me a once over , in order to make sure that Dalaine was going to ( ultimately ) marry the right man. Fortunately I passed!

I am so honoured and happy that Ana ( a dear friend half my age) from Fortaleza Brazil appreciates my counsil as her  ”adopted ” father. Dalaine and I have met her twice in our travels to Brazil and  we love her like a daughter.

Life is very short, and we need to make the most of every opportunity . Recognising your talent (s) and finding your niche at an early time of your life means  you save time and anguish , and like the Eagle you forfil the role and purpose God proposed for your life.

I hope and pray you will find both soon!!

I will write again soon.

Lindsay Walker

14th November 2011.

Pain on an emotional level can be far worst than physical pain, it can persist much longer, and it has a propensity to hit us at the most inopportune times .Flash backs in the form of word association, people and place recognition are all part of this painful experience, and if they are not dealt with can physically wreak or destroy the life of the still grieving person.

Some times the grief can be in the form of anger, sometimes that of sadness, sometimes because we don’t understand why things happen. Sometimes because we have never had the chance to say a proper goodbye. And of course the fact  that we deeply  miss the loved  one who has been parted from us.

We can all recount these instances in our lives.

In my case my father suffered Parkinsons Disorder late in his life. We as a family were away overseas for 6 weeks, and his health failed rapidly when we were away. He died almost immediately we returned, and it was felt because he could not recognise even his closest family members, and the fact he was living in a secure rest home many miles away, it would not be the best idea to see him in this state.

Sadly he passed away , and I have regretted for a very long time,  not being able to say the proper goodbyes. Would he have recognised me ….No , Would he have understood what I was saying….No…would it have traumatised me….I am sure it would have…..but the underlying thought  was the sadness felt that I had missed a real essential part in a relationship with a close family member and that was to express how much I loved that person, how much that person meant to me and how much I was going to miss them.

And that is something I am sure would be echoed by families all around the world. No one is spared sadness on death of a loved one, but there are some really good things you can do to ease the pain.

I must say quickly that easing the pain is NOT erasing memories. Good memories of good times ( particularly Childhood times) are essential to remember. When I was going through some extremely difficult times , I used to play a song sung by the Seekers    ( an Australian Group of the 1980s+ )  Called  Keep a Dream In Your Pocket…..  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8t1V77y3cI&feature=related   and I kept playing it over and over again , and I believe in time,  it changed my mindset from being depressed to one of being more positive.

Many people grieve because they don’t know whether they will ever see that person again. I know many who glibbly say….oh we will see them in heaven, or they will be looking down on us from up there……they were good people  so they will be in Heaven now….they didn’t commit crime ,murder people,  but instead gave to the poor……that dear friends has never been a condition to enter Heaven…They only way is to have the closest personal relationship possible with God on a day to day basis, to accept that we are all sinners , and to  recognise that Gods Son  ( Jesus Christ) is  our only Savior and therefore is our only Salvation.

The essential thing is you must confess that statement  with your mouth and believe in your heart.

Dealing with Past Hurts can never be satisfactorly dealt with by man, it is only God that can see and take away the pain and the hurts , and only can this happen when we totally surrender to him….

It is easy to do…..It requires you to say..” So I am through trying to fix it …. I turn it completely over to you. I don’t know Lord how YOU are going to fix it , but I know you love me , and you created me for a purpose….and you only want the very best for me.

Give me the peace and tranquility in my life free of sorrow and free of pain, acknowledging you , and you alone in all ways of my life.

Only when you hand your cares to God will you have that peace. It is the starting point. But I promise you, as you read and discover more about God, you will discover more of his love for you …he has promised that to you, and he ALWAYS keeps his promise to those who believe and trust in him.

I will write again soon.

Lindsay Walker

08 November  2011.

Euphoria was explained to me as an effect, or an emotion that portrays intense feelings of well-being, elation , happiness , ecstasy , excitement and joy.

Euphoria has also been described as a power of enduring easily and fertility. More of that later.

I daresay it would be fair to say we all need a certain amount of Euphoria , but it could also be argued that too much for an extended amount of time could be positively bad for ones health. It is one of those strange anomalies that depression can be caused by not enough,but  depression is also  caused when you come down from a huge euphoric high brought on by  too much excitment.

Sunday just over a week ago was to many New Zealanders the culmination of days, weeks, months ( and in fact 24 years) where  our All Blacks Rugby Team had despite a success rate of 83% of all games played against all playing countries , had last won the Rugby World Cup all those  24 years ago. Why such an outstanding group of sportsmen  had only won one World Cup in 6 attempts defied belief…..and  the rather cruel term ” chockers” was used particularly by the world press. Between World Cups ( every four years) our team was pretty much invinsible  ….especially when the games were played in New Zealand.

Whilst the game of Rugby is our national game , where much of the male population   at least has played at sometime of their life….our very small population should put us at a decided disadvantage. Rugby is played also by our woman , who have as world champions an even better rate of success.

The 7 aside version of Rugby has been phenominally sucessful for both men and woman…..but our male 15 aside game has always  been our nemissis.

So you can imagine the expectation as the 2011 Rugby World Cup came around…..20 teams from around the world …..New Zealand remaining unbeaten for 24 years in Pool Play, to advange to the Quater and then on to the  Semi Finals ….both games won with some points to spare. ( The Semi Final game against arch foe Australia and 2nd Ranked team in the World ….was a game of subline skill and dominence.by the New Zealand All Blacks.)

And so it came down to last Sunday’s final ….against the highly unpredictable French , who had lost two pool games ( including being well beaten by New Zealand) .

Well if you were one of the 500 million that watched the game…..you would understand why my hair has gone grayer, has thinned out even more, why my heart beat  has still to return to normal, and why my finger nails are worn right down to the pinkie parts.

Without stressing myself further  I won’t  go through all the pulsating details…but If I told  you the final score was 8 points to 7 , then I think you will get the drift.

From feelings of despair,desperation, fustration and being scared  s..t less …that here we go again…..  finally …finally the feelings changed to that of relief….and for many New Zealanders  to a state of Euphoria.

For many coming down from such a high…must have been like hitting a brick wall at high speed with a mini motor car….no doubt laced with alcohol and maybe other  additives.

Well fortunately that wasnt the case with me ( I don’t drink Alcohol and I certainly don’t do the other stuff ) …. but my free fall was temped with the arrival of a little Grandaughter who to me made the Rugby World Cup pall into insignificance.

Well little Sophia arrived early Tuesday morning and for all her friends and family it was ( and will continue to be) a time to cherish.

I have to shake myself, when I see her ( attached photo) strapped into a car seat  only 3 days after birth .

I think her birth…even though expected for months , reminded me of my priorities….that whilst it is great to have sporting victories….often against huge odds, ….the birth of a baby grand daughter  is far more important .

And from a deep thinker I also need to be a bigger  expresser of how I feel about such wonderful things in life.

We often tell all our  friends of the happiness and how proud we are….but it also needs to reach the ears of  those closest…the parents.

It is a time where we all rejoice and give thanks. I will not be too overwhelmed if the many thousands of readers say something encouraging …after all sharing of this good news is not about me……

Maybe I will have measured Euphoria for a very long time to come. That way it will be good for the health.I am sure she will feature a lot in the future on this blogsite.

I will write again soon.

Take care

Lindsay Walker

01 November 2011.