Faith - In Quotations

Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
Saint Augustine

Faith is spiritualized imagination.
Henry Ward Beecher

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.
Henry Ward Beecher

Your faithfulness makes you trustworthy to God.
Edwin Louis Cole

To me faith means not worrying.
John Dewey

Reason is our soul's left hand, faith her right.
John Donne

Faith is reason grown courageous.
Sherwood Eddy

He who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.
B. C. Forbes

Faith, to my mind, is a stiffening process, a sort of mental starch.
E. M. Forster

Nor shall derision prove powerful against those who listen to humanity or those who follow in the footsteps of divinity, for they shall live forever. Forever.
Kahlil Gibran

Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.
Kahlil Gibran

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.
Martin Luther

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.
Blaise Pascal

Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve.
Lillian Smith

As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit.
Emmanuel Teney

I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.
Mother Teresa

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.
Voltaire

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.
Elie Wiesel

Faith is a passionate intuition.
William Wordsworth

Angel Falls

Swimming at the bottom of Angel Falls

Mbotyi, Eastern Cape, ZA

Forced Creativity?

Creativity is essentially the ability of creation; the allowance of that intimate substance which is suppressed within us, to permeate our beings and take on a tangible form. Creation is a phenomenon. Some even regard creation as divine inspiration. What has been created that cannot be put to trial by our God-given senses? Nothing, of course. Creation is everything and everywhere. Omnipresent, is a good word. 

True creativity cannot be summonsed at the drop of a hat. No; creativity should develop subliminally and nurture itself till our minds can comprehend and bear fruit to this heavenly insight. Is it right that creativity should be assessed, judged? Who should be so honoured so as to deem what is creative and what is not? “Only God shall judge me.” But Him, none should. Yet this is a reality and cannot be refrained from.

The Arts is probably the worst offender. Whether it is creating images on a canvas, photographical, sewing melodies together or conjuring written pieces, these all come under scrutiny and criticism; and by whom? Why is it that some creations are better received than others? Are they mainstream and if so, why? Can it be that broad based opinion is ‘truth’ and ‘right’? Just because that which is crafted is denied, does not insinuate that it is not creative, not ‘art’, and should not dishearten the creator. That which is created on a whim is created with reason and depth; is beautiful and just.

Although creativity cannot be bartered and transferred, it is possible that it can be motivated or encouraged. If ever you feel that creativity is deep within you but that you cannot mount the hill of fruition then why not engage in some quiet time in contemplation. Consider sitting atop a mountain or building, any high place. Change your perspective of things. Buy for yourself a Gregorian Chant music album and a bottle of wine and submerge yourself in a pool of reflection. There is nothing like soothing chant to call it to the fore. Wine in moderation helps, too. Lose yourself in yourself.

Everyone is creative. It just takes a little bit of thought, some enthusiasm and desire to coax that smidgen of creativity out of its shell which will indefinitely grow exponentially into a fully fledged creation with life. Never, ever force it out. Premature development, as with all things, ends in a way which was/is never intended. 

Let us look for example at textual opinion pieces. This is one. This is to be assessed, on creativity among a few other criteria. This is meta-critique; a self-aware analysis. The topic was chosen out of free will but the actuality that it had to be done takes from this perfect freedom. Deadlines and target audiences need to be considered; competition and desired results as well. One cannot cleave from these binding constraints that limit the notion of creativity in a pure, unaffected form. 

Maybe these suppressing factors aren’t all bad. Sure, they make for streamlined review and contribute to a civilised style of expression and possibly even serve as a guideline of appropriation for such. This unfortunately reverts back to the aforementioned scrutiny and criticism, when that which is produced, is not deemed ‘creative enough’. The bottom line is that it cannot possibly be. The pressure to perform throws a net on creative notions, suffocating it from actualisation. 

So, when you are asked to present your ‘creative’ work for assessment and when returned, it is not thought creative enough, don’t despair. Authentic creativity, shaped in that way, is not achievable. The kind of creativity which requires a conscious effort is a farce which feigns its way into being accepted, or not – more likely. 

Is this creative then? The attempt has been made to be as creative as possible. But alas, despite the Gregorian Chant, despite drifting away into mentally unbound territory; this is still a matter of gaining credits. If you want creative, let it be. Let it be.

This, then, is not short of the unfortunate institutional constraints and is not virginally creative; it is just not possible. Sorry.

Wisdom of Epic Proportions - The Dalai Lama

A question that was posed to the Dalai Lama, “What thing about humanity surprises you the most?” His answer was as follows, "Man." "Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he doesn't enjoy the present. As a result he doesn't live in the present or the future. He lives as if he’s never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived."

All I can say in response is:
Remember this, every day.
Live it; love it.

My 'Alice in Wonderland'

In nature, where she belongs:

Taken and edited, by me.
December 2010

Perceptive Perspective

This is purely informational. It is by no means, all. This is a, conveniently compact, summary of me. This is where I come from, where I am, and where I’m going. This is just to give you some perspective, because I believe there is no better teacher. I intend for great things to follow this, my first textual post as a blogger. 

I was born in Cape Town, South Africa. The year was 1991. That was twenty years ago. I’ve always wanted to write an autobiography because I think that my two decades have been rather extraordinary. This should serve as a good idea of what I’d hope to achieve in my book of me, one day. This is not a carefully constructed piece. This is not everything. There are no tricks or underlying messages. Here it is, unrehearsed, straightforward and simple.

 I’ve never left the country and also never been tired of it. I love this place, it is my home. I am African. Sure, I’ve been around a bit. When I was two years old my parents and I moved from The Mother City to the heart of the Eastern Cape on the verge of the Transkei. My mother came from this place; she is still in the area although things are a bit different. My parents came to a fork in their road and they took separate paths.  I was 16 then. Also, I have a brother. He is three years younger than me and every day I love him more. I still remember the day our Mom and Dad sat us down and told us that we would no longer live under the same roof. The age difference between my parents is 13 years. When my Mom started school my Dad was in the Army. It was inevitable. So be it, April 1^st, 2007. Yes, April Fools’ Day, Irony couldn’t get any crueller. That’s not to say it wasn’t for the best. Things eased up in some places and got tougher in others. You grow up fast when you’re the ‘Head of the House’.  Being manic-depressive makes things interesting too.  ‘Another day; another vendetta’. 

To quote my Mom, “The toughest steel goes through the hottest fire.” It keeps me going. My Dad has since moved back to his home, Cape Town, after a few years of living life in a daze. I cannot blame him, it must be incredible difficult. I love that man so much. My Mom has found the man of her dreams in a strong, focused farmer and quite frankly I couldn’t be happier for her. My parents’ happiness is a yolk which I gladly carry. We are pulling a bit heavy on Dad’s side but he’s coming right. 

I regard myself as a farm boy. I grew up on a farm. The memories of that incredible place are deeply rooted in my being. I shan’t begin to explain it all here and now. The time will come when I will pour over those 14 years we spent in rural Africa and somehow come to terms with how much it means to me. I lived in town for three years as well. We decided that travelling in and out of town plus-minus 100 kilometres a day was getting a bit much after doing it for 12 or so years. I am immensely proud of the school I attended, www.queenscollege.co.za, where I was bred into the upstanding man I believe I am, today.

Since matriculating with good results I’ve moved to NMB – The acronym sounds better than ‘Nelson Mandela Bay’. It's more commonly known as Port Elizabeth. I’m in my second year of studies at this point in time, a Bachelor of Arts in Media, Communication and Culture. I am doing well in all aspects of the ‘student life’. I live in a very decent place with my much loved cousin, I drive the car of my dreams, I do well in my studies, I love the people who surround me, especially my fantastic girlfriend of 10 months. So, life is pretty much all I’ve ever wanted out of it. I wouldn’t swap it for anyone else’s. 

I’ll be done with studying soon. I don’t know where I am going or how I am going to get there but the big man upstairs always has and always will provide solid ground under my feet. I’m a believer who can testify to divine intervention. 

I am one with myself; thank you.

Here and now, I am.

Testing, 1; 2.

My first upload!

My face, in a hood.