South Africa Trip

Recently, Dave and I made a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was one of the most exciting trips we have made. We visited Kruger National Park, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Langa in South Africa. We also traveled to Zimbabwe, where we were chased by baboons and saw the beautiful Victoria Falls.

One of the absolutely insane things we did was to do the “Zip Line” across the gorge at the top of the falls. I say insane because no one in their right mind would actually pay to be thrown over a cliff to fly about 300 feet above water. At least, that is what I kept telling myself as they put the harness on me.                                         
Take a look at the evidence of this event.

It was very scary for me because I do not like heights of any kind. We had to stand on this little platform and attach to this cable line. Dave and I did it tandem, because even though I may be crazy, I am not stupid. I was not going to do this alone. You talk about taking a leap of faith ---- well, once I committed to dying ---- there was such a peace that came over me when I finally realized the harness I was in held and I was going to be okay. Hey, is there a sermon coming on????? All in all, Dave and I enjoyed the trip immensely. If you ever want to see all the pictures we took (about 400) we would love to share them with you.

I thank all of my St. Barnabas family for allowing me to take the time to go. Thanks to the Reverend Marcia McCrae for filling in two Sundays for me. My hope is that everyone who reads this Blog will get a chance to travel to South Africa and Victoria Falls some day. ......And take your own "leap of faith".

Peace, Denise+

Having a Critical Spirit.....

Criticism—when we hear this word we are convinced that when a person is doing it he/she is justified to give one’s own “opinion” or “view” on a situation or person. But when someone criticizes us or what we are doing, well, that becomes a negative or hurtful situation.

Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV) says, “Do not judge or you too will be judged, for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

If we were to replace the word “judge” with “criticize” I think this passage takes on a whole different focus.
“Do not criticize or you too will be criticized, for in the same way you criticize others, you will be criticized……”

Catherine Marshall* talks about a time when God asked her to fast one day from criticism. What she found out was that a critical spirit always focuses on self and one’s perspective is distorted. A spirit of criticism has a tendency to block positive creative thoughts and ideas that God longs to give us. Being critical puts an obstacle in the way of God’s Spirit and hinders God from working love, mercy and acceptance in and through us.

Being critical of someone or something only takes our focus off of what God is wanting you and I to accomplish. When we see something wrong in another person’s behavior or a situation, instead of criticizing or grumbling about it, God desires that you and I seek God’s Spirit through prayer to intervene and correct what is needed. Because in all truth change can only come through the power of God’s Spirit.
Let us together love each other and let God transform the areas that need fixing.


*Catherine Marshall, A Closer Walk (Old Tappen, NJ: Chosen Books/Revell, 1986)