Christian Obama?

I was watching Brian Williams (CNBC) interview President Obama, in which Brian highlighted that upwards of a fifth of respondents of polls believe that President Obama is neither American or a Christian. The President humorously mentioned that he "can't spend all his time with his birth certificate plastered on his forehead"! Classic statement.  Does it really matter what religion he is? Is it not more important that President Obama is measured by the works he does, than by his religion?

I believe that sadly, Americans are obsessed with race and religious issues more than they should be. There is a lot of hate in America despite their First Amendment giving people the freedom to worship freely; and despite the famous Thomas Jefferson phrase "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". Indeed there is a lot of hate in the world.

Robert Simms wrote in his article for Broowaha that "We know that Obama and Limbaugh reportedly have the same view concerning the issue of same-sex "marriage" versus civil unions. Both Obama and Limbaugh are on record as having said they support civil unions between same-sex couples; that view doesn't conform to traditional Christianity. Like far too many people, Obama and Limbaugh have modified Christianity to fit their already pre-conceived opinions rather than allow themselves to be changed by the teachings of Christ". While I can never claim to know the level of Obama's faith,or indeed if he does have any, I do believe that Robert Simms does have a point in terms of how Obama demonstrates his faith. The Bible says in Leviticus 18:22 "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination".

The Bible also says in Matthew 7:7 "Judge not, that you be not judged", so I am not judging President Obama or anybody else, because I have to make sure I consider the 'speck in my eye', before looking at the speck in his eye. Being a President is a tough job, and he is a President to all Americans, no matter their race, religion, or sexual preference.

US man faces blasphemy charge in Indonesia

The Straits Times reported that Indonesian authorities "have arrested an American man for blasphemy after he pulled the plug on a loudspeaker at a mosque because it woke him up". The incident happened on August 22, 2010.

"Luke Gregory Lloyd, 64, was taken into custody after he disrupted a nightly Koran reading session near his home on Lombok island which was being broadcast over the mosque's loudspeaker during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

He could face five years in jail under the mainly Muslim country's blasphemy laws. Police also said Lloyd's visa had expired in 2006".

Blasphemy laws or no blasphemy laws, that is just plain RUDE!

How can a man go to another person's country and feel he has the right to disrupt their worship session?! He should have thought long and hard about his surroundings before taking matters into his own hands and disrespecting the worshippers, and by surroundings I mean the politics and laws of the country. The article does not mention how long Mr Lloyd lived in his home, but I assume this was not the first time he had heard the broadcast over the loudspeaker. So what could have led to his outburst I wonder?

I just hope he does not get tortured for this possibly spur of the moment act of madness.

Make It Right: Katrina five years on...

Hurricane Katrina completely devastated New Orleans and as is usual with any disaster, natural or otherwise, a lot of high profile people pledged to support and rebuild New Orleans homes and neighbourhoods.

One high profile celebrity who truly is making a difference is Brad Pitt with 'Make it Right', an organisation devoted to building low income, eco-friendly homes for people who lost everything in the hurricane. The homes are built to withstand category 4 hurricanes and have solar panels fitted, which save residents some electricity costs.

Speaking with Brian Williams of CNBC, Brad Pitt stated that he got really angry with the abandonment of the hurricane victims, and the lack of regeneration of neighbourhoods after the disaster. This motivated him to set up Make It Right.

He commissioned 21 architects, and so far 50 affordable homes have been built. The scheme is so successful that people are ready to move in as soon as the homes are built. 150 homes in total are scheduled to be built, but Brad Pitt expressed his desire to raise more money to expand the scheme to the whole of the US.

May the good Lord continue to bless Brad Pitt and his family, for through them, God is answering a lot of people's prayers.

Robbie and Gary relight the fire!

Whenever I think “Robbie Williams” I think “sad”. I don't mean he is sad. I mean I feel sad. I see someone who is so depressed and hurt, that he no longer feels he can go on living without 'medicating' himself with one 'recreational' drug or another. This is no news, as it is common knowledge that Robbie has been addicted to different drugs for a number of years; Robbie said so himself. I have found myself praying for Robbie from time to time, that God will heal his wounds so that his life is not just another wasted celebrity one!

I was a little sad when Robbie left Take That in 1995 to embark on his rather successful solo career. Not because he had a successful solo career, but because his sad and reckless life began to play like a movie for all to watch. Sometimes I wish I had a remote control that I could press to control the world and change everything for the better. I mean EVERYTHING. I wished Robbie would just be happy.

So, imagine my glee when a few weeks ago I heard from the faint sounds coming from my radio that Robbie Williams was to get back together with Take That. I did not dwell on the news though, I was happy, but I wouldn't say elated as I am not a huge fan of theirs, but a moderate one. I was however almost moved to tears when a few hours ago I saw on the news that both Robbie and Gary Barlow of Take That have rekindled their friendship and all five of them (Take That plus Robbie) have planned an album and tour together. No, not because I'm a Take That fanatic- because I'm not and never really was pre-1995 (I do love their album Beautiful World though)- but because surely that means that a lot of broken bridges have been mended?

If I go on and on about this you guys will think I'm a liar and really a Take That fanatic (not that there's anything wrong with that), so I'll stop here and wish Robbie and Take That all the best for the future. I hope they've realised that life is too short to bear grudges and it only makes you depressed and angry.

I hope Robbie is off the drugs too!

The Verve said it best

“The drugs don't work”

Life Application Study Bible

Not that I want to shove Christianity down your throat or anything, but if like me you have been a Christian all your life, but the pleasures of the world have not allowed you to really take the time to understand the Bible and its relevance in your modern life, then you will love the Life Application Study Bible! (phew, that was a long sentence wasn't it?)

It comes in different versions (I’m not exactly sure how many) but I personally like the New King James Version, so that’s the version I bought.

The Bible gives a chronology of Bible events and world events. It gives important background and historical information, explains difficult words and phrases, and provides interrelationships within the Scripture. It would really help one understand how different books of the Bible from both the Old Testament and the New Testament link together. In the contributors’ words “over 75% of the Bible is application based”, so it can help one to see the relevance in ones life either at work, at school, during conflict etc. The Bible also has a Dictionary/Concordance, which defines them and points to the important occurrences in context.

I would say this Bible is the best buy I have made in my life, because whilst I have bought beautiful dresses, shoes, cars, makeup… I could go on and on; I believe this one book will help me live a fulfilled life and help me preserve my sanity!

Now all I need to do is read it and meditate on it!

Prayer for Pakistan

What is going on in Pakistan? What happened in Haiti? What is happening in the world?

It is quite heartbreaking to see what is going on in Pakistan. The pain and suffering that the people of Pakistan have to endure at this present time is really quite scary.

According to the BBC "Andrej Mahecic of the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, said about 80% of the town of Jacobabad in Sindh province was under up to 1.5m (5ft) of water and the floods were moving quickly towards Balochistan in the south". EIGHTY PERCENT! This means that a lot of people have been displaced from those areas, approximately 8 million according to the BBC.

The sad thing is that "the World Food Programme says it already has enough food in Pakistan to feed six million people for a month but distribution has been hampered by a lack of resources and the country's shattered infrastructure". I cannot even begin to criticise the way the Pakistani Government has handled the situation. I do know that there is talk that it is mainlyIslamic charities that are assisting flood victims. I think it is highly commendable of them as they are showing true charity to their people who are in urgent and desperate need.

Various charities have appealed to the public to donate money that would be used to help those in need in Pakistan. Call me a skeptic if you will, but I'm not so convinced that every organisation pledging to help the needy with donated money does what they pledge to do! This is exactly what happened with the Haitian disaster. It was well documented by the BBC and other news channels, that months after the earthquake, people were and are still living in makeshift homes. Nevertheless people living far away from Pakistan need to be able to do something to help if they can, and donating money may be their only other option.

Of course money will be needed in the long run to rebuild the area and peoples' homes, but in my opinion the Islamic charities are doing the right thing at the present time - providing medical aid, food, and shelter to those who need it, at least until the floods stop and regeneration of the damaged area can begin.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Pakistani people.

Lord please be with the people of Pakistan. Please give them hope for the future. Please settle the floods, so that people can start rebuilding their lives. Lord please give strength to the pregnant ladies and new born babies; strength to the sick and disabled. You did not create those people in vain o Lord, so please give them life so they can glorify your name and proclaim that you are God. In Jesus name, Amen.

SALT

OMG I saw the film SALT over the weekend and I have to say the downside of the film is that it is not long enough! As a world renowned film critic (let me clear my throat), I give the film a 10 out of 10 for 'watchability' and 'captivativeness'!

Phillip Noyce (director) and Angelina Jolie (if you ever read this post (yeah right! hehe)) I hope part 2 is coming soon!

I am not going to spoil it for those of you that haven't watched the film, but the plot summary written by SonyPictures is as follows:

As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"

Eyeshadow galore

My friends know that I am generally late to new fashion and trends. I tend to ponder on the idea of me wearing, or using new things, before I finally decide to buy them!

This is exactly what happened with me and eyeshadow, it's like I have just found this new me, and splash on the colour on my eyelids like there's no tomorrow!

I recently bought the 120 palette (Five years later right?) and I am 'chuffed' with my purchase. I am constantly matching my eyes to my outfits, boosting my confidence and feeling good about my 'look' lol.

Just yesterday I bought two L'Oréal Paris Colour Appeal Trio palettes. The colours are so intense I could just swim in them.

I'm not a professional make up artist, but I do try! One day when my eyeshadow looks decent, I'll post a pic!

Argumentative Boss

"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned" (Titus 3:10-11).

So, you are having problems with your boss at work, and he/she is on a secret but open mission to counter everything you say, by being the most argumentative person ever?

Try not to despair. As long as you do your work to the best of your abilities, be rest assured that it's not you, it's them! It is most probably an indication of low self-esteem, and this person is probably not secure in who they are as a person. Hopefully they change their ways before they have a catastrophic event in their life!

Please pray for them to change, and just keep smiling! Do not erupt or they will have a reason to get rid of you...

I had to smile a lot today!

Wow it's been a while!

Ok folks, sorry for being away for so long. I've been doing a lot of soul searching since I left my last job I complained about on 13th August 2008. Wow that was TWO YEARS AGO! I have been away for TWO YEARS!

I am hopefully going to give you my hair success stories, but I will also hopefully inspire you with Bible passages to encourage you, whatever your religion. I am by no means a perfect "Bible basher" as some people would like to call me. For most of the two years I have been away, I have battled with my self-esteem and spirituality. I have also held a lot of anger in my heart - anger at family members, anger at my employers, anger at God.... I could go on and on. To be honest I still have a teeny little bit of anger in me but I am learning to let go and let GOD.

I'm still nappily happy, and I am working on my self esteem and happiness by the grace of God.

1 Peter 5:7 - Cast your worries on God, because he cares for you.