Sowing seeds in people's lives

On one of my visits to my neighbours this week, we were chatting about our school years and the impact our teachers had in our lives. Words spoken to us and over our lives and in a sense, how that has affected our outlook as adults.

I absolutely LOVED my school years. I have such happy memories of teachers, friends, school events and so on. I gave it my all and got back so much in return. I too became a school teacher and I purposed in my heart to have a positive, life-changing impact and influence on students lives and any children that I was responsible for.

I was so encouraged and blessed this week when I received a message from a young gentleman who used to be a student at the very first school I taught - 20 or so years ago. He lives in South Africa and has a family of his own. This is what he said:
"Mrs Manhanga. It has been a long time!.......You know just recently I was thinking about my experiences prior to coming to Christ. I remember the day you invited me to Victory (a church I used to attend in Mutare, Zimbabwe). I remember you......in the service....... Actually I remember you in the context that one sometimes sow a seed of the word in a person's heart. You were one of those people who sowed that seed I believe. I have now been a christian for some time but I remember that experience. I think the pastor preaching on that day was Dave Wyns on 'What is the time?' SO, be encouraged." Encouraged I was as I remember this gentleman and recall speaking to him about God.

Many of us have had these kinds of emails, messages or verbal affirmation on the positive impact we've had on others and it's amazing how we don't seem to forget the event or people involved. I continually thank God for the many people - family, friends, teachers, preachers, mentors etc who have impacted my life so positively over the years. I pray that you too will be a positive influence in other people's lives and they will be able to share with you of how you have impacted them.

Go on - sow those seeds and get the fire burning for Christ.....

Jesus' heart for the poor

I was reading this article again and thought I'd post it on the blog.

The Father in heaven sent His only Son to be born on earth as a man. He chose His birthplace to be a stable, and His earthly mother and father were from the lower end of society. He was trained as a carpenter by His father, and owned nothing at the end of His life. It is very significant that the King of glory chose to come in this way, so that the very poorest people can truly relate to His message.
Jesus grew up to be a man, and had some years living in and relating to the world, and then when He was thirty years old the Father told Him the time for His great work had come. Soon after this Jesus took out the scroll in the synagogue in His hometown Nazareth to announce the ministry, for which his Father had sent Him, and read from Isaiah 61:1-2, “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…”
We have seen in Africa that poverty is a real captivity and a stronghold. The poor don’t know how to escape from it and such a sense of hopelessness comes over them, and poverty causes so much suffering and broken-heartedness. Praise God that Jesus came to set them free, and to heal them and restore them.
It is also very significant that when Paul and Silas began their great work of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles and the rest of the world, James, Peter and John gave them their blessing, and Paul reported in Galatians 2: 10, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”
What a mandate, what a priority in God’s heart are the poor, that He inspired the apostles, through His Holy Spirit, to remember that the expression and outworking of the Gospel is primarily the good news for the poor, who are the most severe casualties of the sin and fall of man. Surely Jesus humility and unselfishness, and His heart for the poor and His plan for their deliverance compose the True fast!

Eating healthy

There has been much talk on the radio and television about healthy lifestyles. There is much concern about child obesity, leading sometimes to adult obesity and subsequently to health problems like heart attacks or strokes etc, etc. There is also much talk about government intervention - putting policies and procedures in place on how and what people should eat, curbing fast food advertisements etc. All fair and good but I think that eating right and exercising begins in the home. If a parent leads by example, children will emulate them. It gets tricky when the parent is eating a hamburger or pizza with obvious delight and enjoyment and then expect their child to eat carrot sticks or cauliflower. That really doesn't work. Healthy lifestyles need to be intentional and for those who battle, make a menu detailing exactly what you'll eat or scheduling a date to do some exercise.

The big question is "Would banning adverts of fast foods help with obesity?" Let's face it - fast foods are yummy! They are tasty, convenient, quick and easy to make, sometime are less costly than healthy foods, alluring and basically shout 'Come eat me! Come eat me!' Fast foods are used as a "treat' for children and culturally we socialise around food. Now french fries, deep fried chicken, sausages, pizza, wraps etc sounds much tastier(forget the health aspect) than carrot sticks, broccolli, cucumber etc (which would be considered rather bland!)

A little boy commented; "I don't like vegetables. I like sweets. It gives me energy to cycle." Spoken like a child. It is the parent however that buys fast food for the child or the sweets and often times give in to the child's tears or tantrums for fast food. Obesity, whether genetic or not is the END result of overindulgence and overeating. We need to analyse and tackle the root cause of eating fast food and generally overeating. It's not common to see an overweight child in Kezi and this is mainly due to:

1. Diet - Sadza and a relish, sweet potato, barley, pumpkin, ground nuts, maize, sour milk etc

2. Exercise - Most people either walk or cycle to their various destinations

3. Work - mostly manual work in the fields

Some say it takes 14 days to break a habit while others advocate 21 days. Whatever the case may be, the child's long term longevity should be a priority and it all begins in the home.

Compiled by Molly Manhanga