The solution to smelly armpits.

November has been quite an interesting month for me. A lot has happened and I have spent a whole lot of time reflecting on so many things. One of the thoughts I'd like to share was inspired by these and other perfume bottles:

It's so interesting to see how much value is placed on fragrances. My best friend had a fragrance themed birthday party a few years ago and needed various fragrances for décor. Some of his closest friends simply refused to even bring theirs along to the party because they were simply not prepared to take the risk of the bottles falling and breaking, or too many people being keen to "test" their fragrance and that resulting in wasting their expensive fragrances. Others were not prepared to share their best kept secrets by revealing the fragrance they use to create that scent that has become their trademark.

I've been thinking of how much a perfume, or fragrance can be quite symbolic of our lives.

Think about how valuable we are as people. How expensive we are. How much was paid for our salvation. How much time was spent in the process of forming us, and what creativity and skill had to be employed to make each of us unique. Our looks, our characteristics, special talents and abilities all culminate to make us who we are and results in us having a special fragrance to bring to the world.

And of course, like most fragrances, we wont appeal to everyone. To some we will be a cheap daily fragrance, while to others we will be that unique fragrance that is saved for special occasions. Some of us might be a more easily accessible fragrance while others might be that rare fragrance that needs to be sought out and discovered after tons of others have been tested prior to us.
And the sad truth is that to some, we might really end up being that fragrance that causes an uncomfortable rash on the skin. hahaha...

Most interesting to me about fragrances is that almost all fragrances have something in common. Every fragrance goes through almost the same process in order to be most effective and produce their specific smell.

Irrespective of the bottle - the outer presentation, or the value of the fragrance. The actual fragrance is only released when some pressure is applied to the nozzle. And before this can happen, sometimes the bottle needs to be stripped of its lid". Depending on the design of the bottle, and the desired amount of fragrance you would like to release, more or less pressure may required. This reminds me of a scripture - "To whom much is given, Much is required".

What is the fragrance inside of you? Have you realised your worth? Do you realise the people you need to serve. Have you identified the people around you who need you and see you as irreplaceable? Has it dawned on you that there are certain spheres where you add a unique fragrance?

Or have you become too focussed on the "pressure"?

Your story, your experiences, all you've been through and all you've learnt has happened for a reason. it is so that what is inside of you can come out and be effective in your world. Your fragrance is needed. Inside of you is the solution to the "Smelly Armpits" around you.

You are valuable, you are precious and you are needed. Allow the pressure to release your fragrance.

Be encouraged,
D

The Stage - "a story about my journey"

I can feel that this one is going to probably speak to me more than anyone else but I'm sure someone out there needs it too... so here it goes.

Let me start by introducing the inspiration: Ladies and gentleman - please meet 'THE STAGE'.

This is not a familiar stage to anyone in my circle of friends and I haven't even been on this particular stage myself but while I was waiting for my class to start the other day, I just sat looking at this stage and had a few thoughts I thought I'd put down.

I've spent approximately 25 years of my life on a stage. Various stages actually. When I stood on a chair (on stage) to sing a Christmas carol at the age of 4, I never dreamed that I would grow up and spend a lifetime on stage and even lead worship on a huge stage in front of the Union Buildings with and orchestra and a crowd of thousands. Over the years, the stage has become a familiar place to me. For some reason I just don't manage to escape it.

I was blessed to learn quite early that most of the stages I would find myself on would not be just "A Stage" but rather "An Alter". A place of sacrifice where I would present God with the very gifts that He has given me. His Gifts - Not mine.

I have done my best to always walk worthy of the privilege of being on a stage. I have had to learn the hard lessons of not letting the stage define me. And although the stage can give a totally different impression of who I really am, I have had to learn how to find the balance to ensure that I am the same person both on and off stage.

It has been an incredible journey and before I knew it, I was like a fish in water on a stage. It soon became one of the few public places where I felt safest, most effective and full of purpose. It was a place where an amazing exchange would take place between God & I. As I would give all of me in service to Him, He would fill me, refresh me, comfort me, use me and empower me. I even "spotted" my wife from a stage.

And then one day

... I no longer had access to a particular stage which I had become so accustomed to.
The lights had died down, the music had faded and the crowd had disappeared and I felt a bit lost and out place. I felt like I was in an empty auditorium...

I felt like an actor who had just exited a stage in a play or show after his final performance. The difference though, was that I wasn't leaving with a standing ovation, or exhilarating exit music. No applause or pyrotechnics. No credits rolling and no time to pose for pictures with an Emmy award.
It was just OVER. My time had come to an end.

And so in what felt like a split second, my familiar place became a place I resented most. Hurt, pain and a whirlwind of emotions justified my desire to "NEVER want to get back up on a stage ever again". Not that specific stage, or any other. Every Stage in my life felt the effects. In my mind, a stage would never see me again.
I disappeared, I walked away and I hid. But I hid in an amazing place. A secret place. A place where I knew God was too. It was the other place He and I would always encounter each other besides "on stage". And in this place, some amazing things happened.

A look at some old phones reminded me of something mind blowing.

I remembered THE CALL. A higher calling. A call to worship, a call to reach others for Jesus, a call to live a life sold out for Him.

It's been approximately 9 months since the last time I was on an actual stage. But during that time I have still been on THE STAGE OF LIFE. I have still had eyes on me, I have still had opportunities to be effective, I have still had to live worthy of being CALLED and CHOSEN by God. I had to be the same Darren - But without the stage. Nine months is approximately the same amount of time a baby spends developing in the womb - so perhaps I have just been on "maternity leave", getting ready to give birth to something NEW.

I am ready to be obedient. I am ready to pay the price and I am ready for the role MY DIRECTOR has cast me in.

And I am determined to be my best - on a field, on a road, in a room or on a stage.

ALL I WANT TO DO IS WORSHIP YOU...

Be encouraged
D

The Sunburn Of Life

This post has sort of been brewing for a couple of days already but I believe the timing will be perfect anyway and it will be read when it is supposed to be.

I have been delaying purposefully because I wanted to get good pictures of this entire experience but I feel like I have enough now to share the lesson.

 Arlene and I have been dealing with “sunburn” since a recent outdoor fun day we attended at church. I spent the day before the event setting up and because I didn’t think that I would be out in the sun for a long time on the day, I didn’t apply any sunscreen and although I wore a hat and loads of sunscreen on the day of the event, it was already too late because I had “already been burnt”.

 

Arlene's forehead... mine looked similar

 

my arm - during the process of shedding skin

The next few days (nearly two weeks now) really got me thinking though, and as I watched the effects of the sunburn on my skin, I started noticing some similarities to life. Who would have thought that burning, then flaky, then peeling skin could teach one some very interesting lessons about life?

 

How many of us have been “BURNT” during our lifetime? Perhaps by people, or maybe by situations, or even decisions.

Sometimes we get burnt because we don’t do our research before we enter a situation. We don’t get a “weather forecast” so that we can plan adequately for what lies ahead.

 

At other times, we assume that we are “immune to getting burnt”. We don’t think certain things could happen to us. And so we just go in trusting that everything will work out all rosy.

Then there are times when we take for granted that someone else will provide some “protection”, so we don’t bother to take our own.

 The reality of life is that there will be times that we do get burnt. We will fail, we will make mistakes, we will make some wrong decisions and we will knock our heads. People will hurt or betray us and offences will come.

 It is important for us recover from these burns and to ensure that we go through the process of getting restored.

It really doesn’t matter how intense the burn is. The mere fact that we are still alive means that it is not the end of us yet.

After being sunburnt, my complexion changed quite a bit. I was a couple of shades darker than what I usually am. I had distinct tan lines on my arms. I didn’t feel very attractive, and preferred to stay out of company until I looked better. My forehead started peeling first and I was a bit embarrassed and thought people would think I’m dirty or have severe dandruff. But after a few days all the peeling had stopped and after a light scrub, there was no longer any signs of sunburn on my face.

 I can relate to that in life situations as well. A lot of times, after getting hurt or going through something “sore”, I’ve felt like hiding. My coping mechanism was – staying away or running. Often the wounds would show on my countenance. My joy would be low, my eyes wouldn’t  sparkle, and my smile would be a bit faded and fake.

 But just like after a short period of sunburn, eventually there is a change. All the old skin – the burnt skin- falls off and new skin starts to appear. This skin is always beautiful and feels so new; and for me it always has a lovely complexion too. It boosts my confidence again and before I know it, I am out there again and ready to take on the world. One of the most amazing feelings is realising that it isn't sore anymore whereas initially I could not even touch my skin because of the pain of the burns. Very similar to the initial pain we feel when our hearts have been hurt.

 

What has burnt you? What has tried to make you feel ugly, unworthy or even worthless?

Don’t allow it to keep you in a place of defeat. Face the sunburn, learn the lesson of applying sunscreen by guarding your heart. And perhaps use a good after sun treatment like forgiveness or a good chat to talk things through.

 You’ll see, the wounds will heal. The old, burnt skin will be gone soon and a new you will surface. Embrace the moments and be determined to not get burnt by the same situations again. Guard your heart and let go of resentment and bitterness and then get your joy back.

 Life burns, but God has provided the ultimate sunscreen. His Word, His Love, His Grace and His Mercy are all the ingredients available for us to protect ourselves, and to help heal us.

 Be encouraged.

 D

Looking Back - Moving Forward

Minding my own business on a Saturday morning, driving on the freeway when I ended up behind this bakkie and then somehow just found myself staying behind it until I learnt a lesson or two from the experience.

Please forgive me for operating my mobile phone to take a picture while I was driving but it just had to be captured.

Let be explain a bit about what's happening in the picture.

The bakkie in front of me has two passengers in the front seat and then another passenger on the back of the bakkie facing me. He didn't know I was taking a picture. I acted as if I was reading a sms or something.

Here's what I was thinking...

The guy on the back is experiencing the entire journey completely differently to the guys in the front. The guys inside get to see what lies ahead and they can see exactly where they are going, while the guy on the back simply gets to see something after they've passed it. He obviously also sees it from a totally different perspective.

It's almost as if they get to look into the future, while he is forced to only look at the past. They also have a view of the past by looking in the rear-view mirrors, but naturally, they will only "look back" occasionally. They much rather experience the trip by looking through the windscreen and focussing on "the road ahead".

I remembered some times when I've been in the same position as the guy on the back. But I remember feeling nauseas when I looked back all the time.

Doesn't this experience relate to life in quite a few ways?

Looking back is not always "BAD", as long as we look back to reflect, learn the lessons, celebrate the successes and then use that to propel us forward.

The guy on the back could have a completely different experience if he simply chooses to turn around and "face forward". If he had done that, he would be able to experience "the journey" with his fellow travellers. He'd be able to relate later when they talk about things that have happened along the way. He may even be able to give some advice when he sees the driver "going the wrong way", but by choosing to stay in the position where he is focussing on "the past", he is missing out on the journey ahead and actually has no involvement in his road to "the final destination".

Decide today to LOOK FORWARD. There really isn't much you can do about the past. You cannot change what has happened or where you have been or even some of the people behind you but you can look forward and choose your route. You can enjoy the journey by having a broader outlook and taking some interesting detours or perhaps even looking through the windows and enjoying the journey with some other travellers going in the same direction.

Life has so much to offer. The journey ahead can be so exciting.

Move Forward by Looking Forward and... ENJOY THE RIDE.

Be encouraged,
Darren

A picture says a thousand words

Just when I start feeling the pressure of having to keep up the momentum, I have to get my mind quiet and just open my eyes and then something pops out at me and inspires the next post.

Today it was this item:

 

 

Arlene and I each have one of these frames on the pedestals next to our bed. We received it as a wedding gift from a dear friend. We instantly loved it, and my suggestion was that each of us put our favourite picture of the other in the frame. Although Arlene is the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see before I sleep, I still thought it would be nice to have a picture next to the bed.

As you may have guessed, (or can tell from the pictures above), we're heading for 6 months of marriage already, and these frames are still empty.

Here's the lesson...

"When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable" - Myles Munroe

 This frame is simply not living out it's real purpose. It is serving some purpose but not really achieving the main thing it was created for. It has been occupying a space for nearly six months and it has done a good job of not making the space look empty, but it's main purpose is to hold a picture - which needs to be inserted by us.
As you can see from the current picture insert, it is only designed to hold a fairly small picture, but when the right picture of my wife is inserted into that frame, the frame itself will even take on a new identity and will be so much more valuable (and sentimental) to me.

Isn't life so similar?
Don't some of us settle for just "occupying a space" when we should be doing so much more. We may have the capacity to create a completely different world around us but choose to be content with just occupying the space and "hosting the sample picture".

We may not be a big frame that was created to hang in the entrance of a skyscraper, but our creator saw a need for us to be here and specially designed us and took the time to make us beautiful enough to be "chosen" and presented as a gift to this world. We need to tap into that purpose and decide to live it out.

The difference between us and this frame, is simply this... WE HAVE A WILL. We have the power to choose to live our purpose. We don't have to depend on anyone else to insert the picture before we achieve what we've been created for. We simply need to decide to stop settling for just the sample when we can present a beautiful picture.

And sometimes our "owner" is waiting to insert the new special picture that will beautify our world, but He is waiting for us to speak up and say "I'm ready. I'm tired of simply occupying space, I'm ready for the bigger picture. Thank you for choosing me. Now, use me as You will."

Decide today not to be content any longer. Go after the dreams God has placed in your heart. Pursue your destiny. Make a difference. Make that impact in your world.

Someone's world needs the beauty that only you can bring.

Be encouraged,
Dazz

The Dangers of "SAFETY BOOTS"

While getting ready for work today I came across these boots in my cupboard.

Theses are "Safety Boots". I wear them when we conduct Teambuilding with some of our corporate clients. I'm not wearing them today (hahahaha), but they reminded me of  something completely unrelated that taught me a very good lesson once, so I thought I'd share.

In the early days of DAZZ CONSULTING, I used to facilitate training at a local lift manufacturing company - OTIS. I would spend approximately 3 months at a time facilitating a part of a learnership for lift mechanics. I enjoyed every moment working with those young people who were so determined to be successful and they related to me so well because I was much younger than any of their other trainers. We often ended up speaking about life principles and how to achieve our dreams.

Most of the young people in my class would take a train or taxi to get to work everyday, and most of them would walk a few kilometres from the train or taxi to work and the again after work. I'd often see them running to or from work to either try and be on time for class or to try and make it to get the train in time afterwards and I would always offer a ride if I happened to drive past them.

Then one day I offered a ride to "Amos"- (not his real name)  as he was running down the road. He instinctively walked towards the car but then hesitated and declined my offer. His reason for not wanting a ride was because he was wearing safety boots and they smelt really bad so he didn't want the smell of his stinky boots to linger in my car afterwards. I insisted that he get in the car anyway and I gave him a ride to the train station.

He was right, those safety boots were really dangerous. They smelt like death, and the smell lingered after he had exited the car, but I didn't mind. It was much more important to me that I was in a position to help him, even if only in some small way.

I spent the rest of the drive home thinking about what had just happened. I was so saddened by the realisation that someone would rather struggle through a situation (walk to the train station) instead of accepting help (a ride) simply because he felt embarrassed by something he felt would cause me to think less of him. He would risk missing his train, or getting home much later just so that I didn't think "he stank".

How many of us do that on a daily basis?
We shut people out because of something in our lives that we're dealing with or may have gone through. We feel as if we will be judged and as if our worth is determined by things like appearance, our past, our current status or whatever it might be that we feel "stinks". It might be that dark secret we don't want anyone to know, or a part of our past that nobody knows, or sometimes just a stinking attitude which we might be working on but haven't quite got there yet.

Some of those things aren't even our fault and yet we still focus on concealing it. Some safety boots just smell after a while because of the material they're made of. And some people (trying to reach out to us) understand that "safety boots smell", or that a mechanic might smell of sweat after a whole day's labour. That doesn't mean that they're any less of a person.

Don't allow the STINKY SAFETY BOOTS in your life to prevent you from having THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE today. The vehicle you might be afraid of entering, may just be the one going directly in the direction of your destiny.
Will you "keep walking" or "get on board" and enjoy the ride?

Be Encouraged,
Dazz

A New Thing

So I finally got all the courage together and decided that it's time to DO THIS. I've wanted to start blogging for ages but have been putting it off for just as long.

Anyone who knows me really well will testify to the fact that I am actually quite private and I don't make myself vulnerable very easily but I am so passionate about making a difference that I cant stop thinking about how each of us has something to offer to the world and how there are certain people that only I will reach. So I'm hoping that this blog will be one of the platforms I could use to inspire others to be their best. In fact, I would like to think of it more as walking a road with others who are like me - working everyday towards discovering their purpose and destiny and fighting to achieve that.

I write as if I am talking to you in person, so often it might feel like we're actually really engaged in conversation.

I'm like the worst photographer around so please don't expect great pictures, but I will try to add some when I feel like it is necessary.

Here's two pictures of what it took to push me to get down and write my first blog.

HERE'S THE LESSON:

This plant was given to us as a house warming gift approximately 4 months ago. Arlene and I are both terrible at taking care of plants, so for some time this plant looked like it would just die and then we'd eventually have to throw it away. But we'd randomly give it some water from time to time and just ignore it.

Then all of the sudden, this week, it started blossoming again and now has beautiful flowers. Even more beautiful than it was when it first came into our home (or rather- our lives).

I now understand why people speak to plants, and I'm even starting to think they can speak back because this little plant taught me such a beautiful life lesson today.

I was reminded of how something beautiful can come out of nothing. Or how something that may have been "counted out" or "overlooked" or "underestimated" can actually have so much potential and can produce something amazing.

Sometimes our lives can be like that. Sometimes we have dry seasons and all that we have to show is the "boring green leaves". We may even start to believe that our time is up or that we wont be able to produce those "beautiful flowers" we had when we were first noticed. But it is very important to make sure that we keep our "roots" grounded in good soil and keep feeding ourselves with what we need to get back to that beautiful blossoming place again. The food we need might come in various forms, such as good relationships and good counsel, time in prayer, or time away in our "secret place" where we can drown out all the voices saying the wrong things.

Sometimes the very people responsible for feeding and watering you can let you down and forget to nurture you, but its important for you to remember your purpose and be determined not to just give up and die.
You are valuable, You have a Purpose, A specific part of the world needs you to make their space beautiful.

Find THAT place, Live YOUR purpose and beautify Your world.

Be encouraged,
Dazz