From the Original Idea to the Final Product

The Fire that Still Burns: Faith in the Grip of Power

As I wait for the imminent arrival of my new adult novel, I’ve realised a startling fact: of all the ninety-plus creations I have penned over the last four decades, (with the exception of a Grade 7 Text Book that I wrote in 2012), I have never, throughout my career, worked harder on a book.

This particular adult novel – The Fire that Still Burns: Faith in the Grip of Power – has not arrived without its hiccups, and without considerable help, for which I am extremely grateful. If Davida had not meticulously read the initial manuscript and re-read my first revised version, giving her constructive suggestions and advice; and if Lily had not trialled numerous versions of the title, sub-title, cover, font and inside pages, the novel would have been the poorer for it. Their patient persistence has paid off.

For me, one of the most inspiring aspects of creating any book occurs when my brain is flooded with a variety of potential ideas and themes which cry out for my attention. In the case of this new novel, and very much prompted by international events, the words corruption, leadership, persecution as opposed to resilience, perseverance and taking a stand against evil were very much at the forefront of my mind.

I wanted to write a story which showcased brave men and women who, in the face of intense opposition, were prepared to fight the overwhelming evil that was threatening to engulf their community.

Because of the universal themes in the novel, I deliberately chose the generic setting of a once prosperous, peace-loving city called Sanctum, which drastically deteriorates when the dictator, Melor, with the help of his cronies, forcibly removes the ethical mayor and his councillors from power.

But at the heart of the novel is the very personal story of Sarah and her husband, Bruce, who works for the missionary organisation, Quest. As an artist, he has been tasked with promoting the Christian message through his art: posters on notice boards, paintings in public spaces like community centres and libraries, and even murals on walls bordering busy highways. Although she doesn’t officially work for Quest, Sarah is also passionate about spreading good seeds in the world. As a former teacher and as someone who has a great love for storytelling, Sarah delights in re-telling Biblical stories to children all around the city, her favourite places being the conversation pit in the local library and benches and grassy patches in parks frequented by children.

Needless to say, after the coup, both Bruce’s and Sarah’s efforts to spread some light in the world does not go down well with Melor, who will stop at nothing, not only to glorify his own name but also to feather his own nest.

What follows is a plot filled with tension, drama and some violence. However, as readers journey with Sarah and Bruce through their difficult separation, they will be treated to glimmers of hope, especially as Sarah forges a close relationship with a beautiful young girl, Perdita, whom she has been tasked with hiding from ‘monstrous Melor’, who is wilfully indoctrinating the youth of ‘his’ city, ‘Fortress’ – a name change was the first thing he did after clawing his way to power.

Apart from the numerous plot and character revisions which this novel was subjected to, its words, sentences and paragraphs were also sieved and refined so many times that I lost count. I sincerely hope that the final product is as error-free as possible. And that the book will be intriguing and page-turning for readers. Hopefully, they will be able to empathise with my characters and walk with them through their many trials. And ultimately, that the light they shine in their small worlds will resonate with readers and inspire them, too, to make a difference of their own.

I am now eagerly awaiting the arrival of a box of new books on my doorstep and becoming excited about holding The Fire that still Burns: Faith in the Grip of Power, in my hands.

I will never forget, way back in 1989, the thrill of holding my very first book, The Biggest Pizza, in my hands. It is always such a fulfilling experience to open the cover of one of my newly published books.

And now to find my readers… watch this space for the announcement of a book launch later in the year.

Living A Full Life

What does living a full life mean? In our frenetic twenty-first century world, everyone seems to be chasing after the 'full life'.

People want to be busy, they want to be employed, they want to add value both in their homes or in their work. In addition, they want their leisure time to be satisfying, fulfilling, enjoyable. People want the latest gadgets, the latest clothes, especially if they follow the latest fashion trends. They want their children to have the best of everything, and they try very hard to give them as much as they can afford. Their children must be popular, they must achieve the best results, they must keep up with the latest trends.

Sadly, often chasing after these things can lead to disillusionment, discontentment, even resentment and jealousy, especially if neighbours, relatives or even acquaintances seem to have the very things people don’t have. And do they actually achieve ‘the full life’ that they’re so desperate to acquire?

Is living a full life merely an illusion? Can people be genuinely content with material possessions, entertaining experiences, popularity, successful results?

Or is there something more to life? Is there a secret to living a full life?

For what purpose are people really on this earth? Why are we all here? To honour Christ? And if only for this life, as Paul mentioned in one of his letters, we are to be pitied:

‘If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied.’
~1 Corinthians Ch.15, vs19

As people strive toward living a full life, is it possible that many are missing the things of priceless and eternal value?

Jesus offered His disciples and the people in the crowds who would listen to Him ‘life’. In His own words He said:

‘The thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’
~ John Ch.10, vs10

It’s very appropriate around Easter time to be probing this “full life” that Jesus is offering. The awe-inspiring resurrection of Jesus changed man’s hopelessness into hope, his insecurity into security and his slavery into freedom.

Because of the wonderful news that Jesus conquered death by rising from the grave, those who believe in Jesus can have hope that after death, Jesus will take them to be with Him forever. Jesus’ followers have been promised life after the grave. Because Jesus took on their sins, they, too, will rise from the grave as their sins have been forgiven; and so God can look on them as spotless; their sins have been paid for by the precious blood of the lamb.

Not only will they have ‘life’, but they will also have a ‘full life’.

While Revelation does give us very vivid visuals and strikingly symbolic pictures of what heaven will be like, the exact location of the place and its description will remain a mystery until one day God chooses to reveal some of the details about heaven to us.

What we do know from the bible is that we will be with Jesus forever. Instead of death, which is the punishment for sinners, Jesus has offered us eternal life.

The message of Easter is so profound and yet, in some ways, it is so simple. How do we receive this full life in heaven? The Bible tells us that

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.”
~ Romans Ch.10, vs 9-10

The message of Easter – Jesus’ death for the sins of the world and God raising Him to life – is such good news for those who would believe in His name. Jesus not only offers life but He also offers abundant life.

Those who accept His offer will indeed experience a full life of many wonderful blessings in this life and the next.

Happy Easter to you all!

The Easter Story - The Courage To Say No

For me, one remarkable aspect of the Easter story was Jesus’ sheer grit and determination in saying ‘No’ to temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane.

How extreme must have been His mental torment when Satan tempted him to reject the cup that God was asking Him to drink, the cup of His wrath.

Apart from the physical agony that Jesus knew He was about to endure, the intensity of His mental suffering must have been extreme, unendurable. To take on the sins of the whole world, to be separated from His Father, to be a sin offering when He knew His Father could not bear to look on any sin and would turn away, even from His beloved Son as He bore the disgrace that should have been ours.

No wonder He was sweating blood when isolated, alone, being tempted by His arch-enemy, the devil to reject the cup of extreme suffering, He prayed to His Father, if it was possible, to allow Him to bypass that cup.

However, His famous words, “Yet not my will but thine be done” highlight just how obedient He was to His Father; He accepted that there was no other way to reconcile sinners to God than by His extreme sacrifice, the ultimate sacrificial act of willingly giving his body up to cruel torture and death, of willingly preparing to be separated from His own Father in that dark and violent moment on the cross.

How remarkable that Jesus was prepared to take our place on that cruel cross, that He endured an agonising death He didn’t deserve, and all because He loved us so much and wanted to reconcile us with His Father. How easy it would have been for him to reject that horrifying cup of God’s wrath, to rescue Himself from torture, to preserve His life, to stay close to His Father.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would go through so much unbearable physical, mental and spiritual torment for sinners all over the world. And it’s so sad to think about the billions of people who have rejected Jesus’ sacrifice, His offer of new life and His promise to be with Him forever in His kingdom.

When I reflect on the Easter story, I’m sobered by the thought that nothing can possibly compare with the severity of our Lord and Saviour’s temptation and suffering; the temptations I’ve experienced seem so paltry and insignificant compared to my Lord and Saviour's. I’m ashamed to admit to the countless times I’ve given in to temptation.

However, it is incredibly wonderful that God can and will forgive me over and over again because of the sacrifice of His Son; that I am covered by the blood of Jesus and that God looks on me as if I am pure if I believe in what Jesus has done for me. Because of Jesus’ great sacrifice for me, I can try, in God’s strength, to resist, or even to flee from, temptation when it assails me, especially when I consider these words from Colossians:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
~ 1 Colossians Ch.10, vs31

With this understanding of the Easter story, and in God’s mighty strength, I can indeed resist temptation if I make a habit of reading the Bible, praying daily and pondering on Jesus’ extraordinary example. Gradually, one moment at a time, one day at a time, I am trusting the Holy Spirit to keep transforming me into the likeness of the Son.

I’m hoping that more and more each day, I will have the courage to say “No” to temptation and “Yes” to Christ. May I wish you all courage and strength this year in your battles with temptation, especially as you consider how Jesus triumphed over temptation, sin and death.

God's Instruments

We are God's instruments, His hands and feet in this world. I find it quite incredible that God chose to use us as His instruments, since He is all-powerful, omnipotent, and He rules the whole world. How gracious is He that His plan to spread the word is through ordinary human beings who have been created by Him.

As I consider my responsibility as one of God's instruments, that I should honour and glorify Him, I can’t help remembering the many times I‘ve fallen short, behaved selfishly, been lax, forgotten about Him or tucked Him away in a back pocket, to be pulled out only when I needed him most. It’s not my intention here to beat myself up in public, but I wanted to get that out of the way before turning this into an uplifting, encouraging blog that hopefully will contain a seed or two for you to take away and enjoy.

To do that, I’ll begin this blog by quoting an inspiring and thought-provoking verse from Ephesians:

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2,10)

The idea expressed here about us being God's instruments, ties in with my last blog, ‘Who’s Plans?’ which is about God’s purpose for our lives.

Most of us like to be so independent, to plan our days, weeks, months and even years according to what we want to do, how we would like to run our lives, in which direction we would like to be moving. Therefore, it’s very refreshing to meet people with totally different priorities, who are so focused on running their lives according to God’s priorities that they literally shine for God.

At our local church, for example, we have so many service teams, people who serve tea, others on the welcome team who greet and smile, making newcomers and regulars alike feel welcome, members of the congregation running Bible study groups, people making sure all the technology goes smoothly, people on the music team. The list of volunteers extends to helping the local community outside the church: we have visiting teams for the elderly and the sick, knitting groups providing blankets for the needy, a food storage space for weekly donations, amongst other initiatives.

However, it is so good to remember in the busyness of carrying out various tasks and responsibilities that we didn’t even plan these ‘good works’ ourselves; that long before we even pour the first cup of coffee after the service, smile at one person coming in at the door, prepare one Bible study session, connect one wire or play one song, that it was God who prepared all these ‘good works’ for us to do in advance. That He actually created us so that we can be His hands and feet in a broken world. And that profoundly, beyond our understanding, we were created ‘in Christ Jesus’, which I find both daunting and encouraging.

For we have an exceptional Master to follow, a Master who lived in this world as we do being tempted in every way, but not ever sinning. Jesus Christ is the ultimate shining example of perfection, and although we will constantly fall short of the high standards He set for us when He lived on this earth more than two thousand years ago, we can attempt to follow in His footsteps.

There is a Sunday school song I used to sing as a small child which is coming to mind now:

Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus,
Anywhere, everywhere, I will follow on.
Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus,
Everywhere he leads me I will follow on.

I’ve only just discovered now, all these years later, that there are many words to this hymn and this is only the chorus, but to my recollection, we only used to sing the chorus. But I’m reflecting now on how wonderful it is to commit one’s life to such a perfect Master and role model. And how much better the world would be if more people believed in Jesus and did exactly that: followed Him.

A Christian friend I speak regularly to told me that her group leader said the pendulum is turning. There has certainly been extraordinary things happening to the American youth at certain USA universities.

So as I pray, read my Bible, go into schools, do readings, teach, write and welcome at my church door, I’m going to consciously try to remember that all these ‘works’ have been prepared a long time in advance for me by God himself, and that I am ‘God’s workmanship’, created by Him to carry out His purpose for my life. And I will remember that I am one of many of God's instruments in the world.

Whose Plans?

If you’re anything like me, you regularly make plans for your life, but whose plans are they?

From a very early age, I was in the habit, on the 31^st December, of making plans for the new year. My standard practice has been to take a long, slow walk, preferably alone, to plan, dream, reflect, think about some important decisions and even plot out a new picture book in my head. Those old year’s eve walks for me have always been very special as they give me some perspective for the future.

Having been a teacher all my working life (I’m still actively teaching for two days in the week to free up some space for my writing), life starts to crowd in with all sorts of demands like lessons to plan, marking to do, strategies to change, particularly with the proliferation of AI everywhere, I sometimes feel that I don’t allocate enough time for reflection, writing and considering other peoples’ needs.

But as I begin yet another new year, my biblical explorations have reminded me that I can make all the plans I like, but it is God’s purposes and plans that prevail.

Who am I to think that I can single-handedly plot out the course of my life, when my times are in His hands, He will use me for His purposes and He holds me in the palm of His hand:

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Psalm 33,11)

So in all the pressures of teaching, relationships, looking after my health and the general busyness of life, I need to ensure that I keep focusing on God who ‘will fulfil his purpose for me’ (Psalm 138,8). I need to remember that any gift I have, has been poured out on me by my generous Father, that I can do nothing without Him, that I will be totally ineffective if I don’t pray regularly and earnestly and that I am dependent on Him for fruit.

When my mother was alive (she passed away in 2007 at the good old age of 89 – I had been living with her for six years before this happened), we had occasional conversations about the existence of God, especially after she had attended a church service with me – I remember the pastor being put off by the fact that she regularly fell asleep during his sermon.

She said she found it difficult to believe in God because everything was so complicated, for example, during all the years that the earth has been in existence, billions have people have died. How could a God know everything there was to know about all these people? In her mind, which was a very mathematical mind – she was a brilliant bridge player – the puzzle pieces about the world, life and people just did not fit together.

I believe that many people, like my mother, either find it difficult to believe in God or they make God too small. He is, after all, the creator of the universe! How can we, three score years and ten men and women, possibly understand the mind of such an awesome creator?

A verse from Jeremiah expresses these sentiments better than I can:

O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve. (Jeremiah 32,19)

I am really hoping that this year I will pray more, trust more, hope more as I take one step at a time, one day at a time into my unknown future. But whatever happens this year, I know that God will be watching over me, guiding me through His word and loving me every step of the way.

Whose plans? God’s or mine?

God’s overall plans for the world, for my life, so with the help of the Lord, I will venture into 2026 with hope in my heart and the knowledge that even in possible future daily difficulties, He will be with me as He has promised to never leave me or forsake me.

My prayer for you, my reader, is that you will feel God’s presence in your life this year and in the years to come.

Purposes, Plans and Priorities

At the beginning of a new year, we are always making exciting plans for the year ahead.

Sometimes, we make plans that come to nothing: a planned family holiday has to be cancelled due to illness, we don’t manage to get into a team or we’re disappointed with our academic results or we’ve planned to participate in an event but at the last minute we’re laid low with the flu. These kind of disappointments can drag us down, making us feel very sorry for ourselves. Unless, of course, we look at the bigger picture and consider the real purpose of our lives.

Our church has been running a short series entitled ‘Why do we exist?’ consisting of three sermons, which were based on both online and shopping mall surveys. People throughout the centuries have been reflecting on this important question, especially as their answer points to their values, also directly impacting the way they live their lives.

The people who believe they are on this earth purely for their own pleasure are likely to milk every single moment for the satisfying pleasures they yield. Those who insist that they’re living for their family and friends will pour their efforts into building earthly relationships, but those who have delved into the real meaning of life will be focusing on different priorities, like praising God daily for all the gifts He keeps showering on them, beginning with the gift of life itself. For if God hadn’t created us, we wouldn’t even be on this earth to contemplate these questions.

There are so many non-fiction Christian books which explore the purpose and meaning of life - Rick Warren’s ‘The purpose-driven life’ comes to mind - and the Bible has much to say on the subject. I can’t help thinking of three of my favourite verses relating to this topic, one from the wisdom literature of Proverbs, the other from the poetic book of the Psalms and the third from a New Testament letter. I quote all three of them here in the hope that they will inspire you and even perhaps encourage you to find a focused direction for the year ahead.

The first one is such a well-known verse highlighting the importance and significance of prayer in our lives:

Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed. (Proverbs 16,3)

This is not to say that absolutely everything we plan for or dream about will definitely come to pass, but it is a helpful reminder to share everything we do with our loving Father in prayer, and to trust Him to bring about what is best for us.

The next verse from the Psalms I find deeply humbling as it reminds me that God’s care and love for me is so personal that He has mapped out a purpose for MY life. How awesome and affirming is that!

The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me. (Psalm 138,8)

I close this blog with a profound truth from 1 Peter which outlines every Christian’s awe-inspiring, joyful and wonderful purpose to glorify and honour God. What better way to acknowledge the person who made us from dust than to give Him all the praise that is due to Him:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2,9)

Sharing Messages Of Hope

I'm sharing messages of hope with my new strategy of ‘going out into all the world’. My intention is to step into my tiny corner of the world at the tip of the African continent, to literally step into the schools and read some of my stories to the learners.

The plan is to visit schools in Cape Town with my books, where I will read to learners of various age groups and stages. One week at a time, one school at a time, which will probably keep me busy all year!

I began my arranged school visits last year already. I went to a couple of pre-schools where I read my stories, The Rainbow Game, The Whirling Twirling World and Celestia’s Dancing Prancing Doves. The children responded particularly well to these stories especially when they are asked to copy certain actions, for example, making the arch of the rainbow with their arms, making a circling motion of the world with their hands or fluttering their arms and hands to represent the flying motion of a dove’s wings.

The stories are also accompanied by many sounds which delight the very young children, for instance, the tweeting of birds, the roaring of lions and even the fantastical rumbling sounds that the earth makes.

While the children were having fun and getting totally involved, they were learning about the story of faithful Noah who built the ark that saved his family and the animals from the flood, the beautiful rainbow that God created in the sky after rain as a sign of His covenant to never again destroy the whole world with a flood, and of God’s love and the fruits of the Spirit. All these messages are woven naturally into my Christian stories, whether I am writing for very young children, for young adults and teenagers or for adults.

I am so grateful to the schools who hosted me last year. And because the school visits in 2025 went down so well, I am planning many more school visits as part of my strategy for 2026. I have already met with the librarians at some of the local schools and we have set provisional dates for readings in the first part of this year.

There has been a particular interest in inviting me to special events around the book calendar, like World Read Aloud Day in February and World Book Day in April. I so appreciate the efforts librarians, in particular, and teachers put in to encourage their learners to read, to make reading an exciting adventure and to schedule regular library visits for their learners.

Parents, also, have a huge part to play in making reading special for their children. Some parents I know plan regular visits to the local library, buy and swop books and make an effort to read regularly to their children, especially at bed time.

I write stories and novels for older children too, also sharing messages of hope. Many of these stories deal with relevant themes like how to stand up against bullies, how to find the joy in sharing your possessions and using your talents, and how to cope with being in love when there is competition from other sources. The effects of being in the classic love triangle for example, is explored in one of my young adult novels, ‘Brighter than the Sun’.

While I am constantly searching for relevant, meaningful themes which might resonate with my readers, I'm sharing messages of hope in all of my books, which are inspired by biblical stories, moral principles or advice on how to live life fruitfully.

As I visit the schools this year, I hope to add value to the learners as they listen to stories which have been crafted with the intention of countering the dark messages that appear in print, on screens and in songs - possibly exciting but definitely unwholesome, and sometimes even untruthful and damaging messages.

Here’s to a productive and fruitful year of visits sharing messages of hope. And here’s to a fulfilling, productive year for all of you.

Happy reading everyone!

Sowing Good Seeds In The World

I am hoping that 2026 will be a productive and fulfilling year for everyone who is reading this blog.

For me, it is heralding some exciting changes: changes in my blog content and my messaging. While it’s not completely new content on which I will be focusing – my stated intention of ‘sowing good seeds in the world’ is very clearly stated on this website – I would like to be more intentional about the messages, specifically the Christian ones, that I write about in my blogs.

There is so much content that is based on biblical teachings that I want to share with my readers, especially as I feel that we’re frequently being swamped with the dark and depressing realities of the world around us. So instead, I intend to fill my blogs with uplifting messages of hope, with helpful messages of guidance, of inspiring messages of how to navigate the confusing and unfortunately very often destructive messages millions of people are being surrounded with on a daily basis.

A couple of decades ago while I was still teaching in Johannesburg, I attended a Cesa church in Wendywood where I was part of the music group. At one of our practices, the music director, a guitarist, shared with us a song he’d composed, then played a few cords and challenged us to come up with lyrics which I remember we all did with enthusiasm, one member coming up with one line, the next person with another line, a phrase or even a word and so on until the song was complete.

It was such an exhilarating exercise for me that as soon as I got home, I began experimenting with short combinations of musical phrases on the piano. A caveat: I’ve never been very competent on the piano – it takes me ages to master a simple song after practising it repetitively – I’m certainly not a natural pianist, but I have to read every single note in order to eventually master a tune.

However, to my great surprise, I did eventually manage to come up with a basic tune I was comfortable with. Then began the satisfying exercise of matching words to notes.

Once again, after much experimentation, I composed a song with the title, ‘Go out into all the world’; the song was inspired by Jesus’ command to His disciples to do exactly that; to share God’s life-giving message of hope and redemption with the world. My song was simple, both the tune and the lyrics, but I found it an incredibly satisfying activity pouring out my thoughts and feelings both into the words and into the music. Here is the first verse, plus chorus, of this very basic song:

Go out into all the world,
To share the good news with the lost,
That Jesus our Saviour is coming again
Who suffered and died on the cross.

Chorus:
Wake up, look up, and open your eyes
To Jesus our Saviour who offers you life. (Repeat)

The words of that song mirror my motivation for both writing my blogs in 2026 that will hopefully reach many interested readers, and my desire to indeed ‘go out into…the world’ as I visit Cape Town schools where I am offering to do readings of a selection of my books.

I am hoping that you, my blog readers, will be inspired by my positive message around the subjects of love, grace, forgiveness, prayer, hope and concern for other people, amongst others. A couple of years ago, I was writing regular blogs with similar content; I would now like to re-visit those areas of thematic Christian content in my writing.

Every time a hopeful message goes into the world it counters hopelessness; it gladdens hearts and overcomes sadness; it revives and restores faith in the future instead of ruining and quenching expectations about what tomorrow will bring.

So here’s to facing 2026 with hope in our hearts, with trust in the King of Kings and the knowledge that, as the Negro spiritual goes,

He’s got the whole world in His hands.

A King Like No Other

The King of the whole world is born? How incredible, a King like no other! That the King who created, and who sustains our wonderful world actually came down from heaven to be born on Christmas day as a helpless baby in a manger.

Has there ever been a king who has given up so much?

This King gave up his exalted position in heaven, His close union with His father, the adoration, worship and respect of the angels, all the heavenly beings and the saints. Instead, He was born in a lowly stable and when he grew up, He became a servant to all; he lived on earth amongst a flawed, working class family – even His own brothers didn’t believe in him; He endured the scorn and derision of the priests and the hordes of people who refused to believe who he was, despite the numerous prophecies in Scripture which point to this very King being the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

Even as a baby, there was a very real threat against His life as the earthly king Herod attempted to murder Him. But this is a King like no other: nothing, or nobody, will succeed against God. Nobody will be able to thwart God’s purposes for mankind. Nobody could do it then, nobody will do it now, and nobody will be able to do it in the future.

So once again this Christmas season, Christians all over the world will be celebrating the birth of The King. And what a King. A King like no other. The King of the whole world. A King who loved the world so much, who had so much love in His heart that He was prepared to sacrifice everything, even His very life, so that He could save even the very sinful people who crucified him.

So amongst the excitement of this Christmas – the great joy that the event brings to millions all around the world – and amongst all the Christmas trees, the glittering decorations, the delicious and sometimes elaborate feasts, the Christmas carols, the festive atmosphere, it would be good to step back for a moment from the busyness and bluster of the celebration to worship this King of the whole world. To stand in awe at that famous nativity scene. To be stirred to worship by the age-old crib amongst the lowing cattle and the bleating sheep, the choirs of angels, Mary, Joseph and the baby. The Christ. The Son of the living God.

I hope your Christmas will be especially blessed this year. If you’re surrounded by family, enjoy each others’ company; if you’re not and you’re feeling lonely, maybe you can draw closer to the King of the whole world. Jesus. A King like no other.

In my life, I’ve enjoyed the blessings of big family Christmases: my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews and my own children all congregating in our holiday home at Great Brak River on the Garden route. What fun we all had decorating the tree, preparing the meal, meeting on the island tennis court for one big happy ‘family’ reunion, singing carols and listening to messages about sharing, going for pre-lunch swims, and the crème-da-le-crème, feasting on the turkey, ham, Christmas pudding, pulling crackers, making jokes.

Fortunately, only a couple of times in my life, I experienced a solitary Christmas away from my immediate family. On one occasion, I put out an invitation on my fellowship group for lunch at my house for anyone who didn’t have family around. (Just about everyone I know has some family around for Christmas, so I wasn’t expecting anyone to accept my invitation.) Luckily, two people accepted, so I wasn’t alone for Christmas lunch.

On another occasion, a friend from a retirement village invited me to a bring-and-share lunch, a rather sad affair where everyone brought sandwiches and appeared to be locked in worlds of their own. And once, I recall spending Christmas entirely on my own. I had to shake myself out of feeling sorry for myself, particularly when I remembered what Christmas is really supposed to be about. It’s about celebrating the King. The King of the whole world.

Happy Christmas!