morning chuckle

I start off each morning by checking out my friends' blogs (seeing a new post makes me smile) and perusing over the various leadership blogs I read. I've got a pretty good list of blogs I read that are written by people I don't know -- church leaders who I find to be inspiring and intriguing. (A condensed list of some of them are in the links on the right...)

This post on askingY.com made me chuckle this morning. I've been guilty of a few of these myself at times... A good reminder to remain relevant -- so that our light shining in the darkness is one that attracts people rather than repels them...

soapbox

"Public servants" in South Africa (government workers) went on strike on Friday. This includes hospital staff and teachers! Schools across the country closed, just a week before the students are required to take national exams. Teachers who still wanted to show up and do their job were threatened with violence by the teachers' union. The union actually threatened bodily harm to the people they are supposedly representing -- the teachers themselves!

Entire hospitals are also closed down. Doors locked. Turning people away. One woman died at the door because they would not let her in to be treated.

Why aren't these principals, teachers, doctors, and nurses thinking at all about the people they are supposedly in their profession to serve?

True lasting change will not happen in this country until people in leadership use their influence to improve life, not for themselves, but for those they lead. I don't believe we'll see the this type of change with the current generation. That is why our focus is on raising up next generation leaders to be Godly, strategic influencers.

The future of this continent depends on it.

what i enjoy most

The features I enjoy most about our car:

• Automatic transmission (most cars in South Africa are standards) ~ Hands-free for snacking!
• Cup holders everywhere ~ The more the merrier!
• Cruise control ~ For my lead foot...
  
• Back 2 seats fold down for storage ~ Shop-ping!
• Parking alert (as you reverse, it beeps progressively faster the closer you get to whatever's behind you) ~ Just in case...
  
• Mirror on the driver's side sun visor ~ Joy in the little things
• Six-CD changer ~ For non-stop tunage
• Volume control on the steering wheel ~ I'm all about convenience!
• Seat-position memory (which is so great since Niel is much taller than me) ~ Easier to return to my perfect position 'sweet spot' after Niel drives
• That it's ours! ~ We can make ourselves at home in it!

thirty minute meal?

When I was home over Christmas, I bought one of Rachel Ray's 30-minute meal cookbooks. I've made a few different recipes from the book over the past several months, and, for the most part, have enjoyed the new meals.

Last night I attempted a new recipe. I picked it because #1 - I can get almost all the ingredients here, and #2 - I liked the name of it: "My Sister Rita's Lazy Chicken or My Lazy Sister Rita's Chicken".

It turned out great. Niel and I really enjoyed it and I think it is a meal I'll make again. However, the name is a bit misleading. As is the fact that it's in a 30-minute meal cookbook. It took me over an hour, from start to finish. I'm wondering what's so "lazy" about it?!

I wish I could see Rachel Ray make it. I want proof that it can be done in only 30 minutes!

rationers anonymous

Hi. My name is Alece, and I am a rationer.

For so long now, I've had to live on limited supplies of American goodies -- from hair products to snacks. Because I can't just run to the store and get more when I need to, I've gotten very good at rationing. Maybe too good. I've unfortunately found myself eating things that have long since expired (2-year old salsa con queso, anybody?!). But I've always enjoyed knowing my supply wasn't depleted -- that there was more still left in the cabinet.

When our grocery store started selling Snapple, I bought quite a few and stocked them into my fridge. And then never drank any. Even though I knew I could buy more in town, my brain was still telling me to ration. "What if they stop selling it?!"

Well, I decided yesterday that even if they stop selling it, I'm going to enjoy it while it's here. I drank two Snapples in one day!

The guilt was so overwhelming, I haven't drank any today.