Breakthrough

Looking in through tear-stained aching eyes,
Swirling threads of choking pain engulf the one I love.
The ever-tightening, overwhelming web keeps closing in.
Helplessly I cling to the One who shares our pain.

Faith the shield that quenches fiery darts,
Too small it seems to raise us from the depths.
In quiet desperation I call upon His precious name.
I wrestle with all my might to leave it with Him.

Building up, the wave intensifies,
Dark blue turns to deepest, blackest night.
Every fiber of my being stretched in burning anguish,
Breathing hurts too much and tears run dry.

When will You reach out and hold her hand?
Will You fill the gulf that can’t be crossed?
You speak of purifying fire that will burn up every thread.
I trust in You alone my God and King.

In loving memory of Gag

Hey G,

I can't believe you've been gone a year. It feels like yesterday that we were enjoying those lovely low clouds on a cold winter's morning. I miss you now more than ever! I'll never stop missing you my boet!

I miss flying with you so much! I really miss your smile! I miss your enthusiasm, your zest for life and your handshake! The world is not as bright since you left but you left us with memories that will never fade. I am so grateful for all the awesome times we had together.

I love you and I'm looking forward to seeing you again some day. Have a ball up there and enjoy the flying!

Lots of love,
Your big boet.

Fun at Keisie

We had a great weekend riding our bikes on a beautiful farm in Keisie Valley near Montague this weekend. The terrain is absolutely fantastic with great riding for all tastes. GraZer organised the trip for us after thoroughly enjoying the regional enduro event which took place there earlier this year.

I managed to drop my bike on a rocky section and smash my odo on the first day. Francois had a nasty fall in the same spot the following day. Charles got a puncture and little Jonathan almost passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration at one point. But despite all that, we had a ball!

GraZer was an outstanding host as always and patiently led us all through a variety of terrain ranging from easy to eish! The man is a machine! I don't know where he gets the energy from. The family rode like champions and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

This was taken on top of a koppie on the farm. There is an awesome 360 degree panoramic view from the top of it. We were so proud of Reece for making it to the top! It was the steepest hill climb he's ever done on his little bike.



GraZer managed to pack all our bikes into the braai lapa at night. The sun shining on the bikes in the morning reminded me of a bike shop showroom window.



We're hoping to go back again in January. It was really excellent fun!

It hurts!

Since Gareth died, I just haven't had anything to write about. Things I used to enjoy (like blogging) just seem so irrelevant now.

I have always sympathised with people who have lost a loved one but I never imagined how difficult it would be to bear the tremendous grief that comes with the sudden, unexpected loss of a brother in the prime of his life.

This grief is like an unbearable weight that never seems to lift. It comes in waves. Its effects are profound. There are good days and bad days. Life goes on but it will never be the same again. The world somehow seems just a little bit darker.

I know Gareth is having a ball! He is with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is rejoicing, reunited with Laddie, Nana and all the others who went before him. I know that we will meet again when my time comes, but I miss him so much! I am so grateful for the wonderful memories. Memories which I will treasure forever.

To G

Gareth Davies, my precious brother.
15 July 1973 to 10 September 2007.

Your radiant smile will never fade.
You were a gift sent from above.
You visited us for just a while.
You filled our lives with joy and love.

You lived your dream and gave your all.
You loved with love that will not die.
You lived each moment to the full.
Your gift you used, taught us to fly.

We find it hard to understand,
Why you had to go away.
We say farewell and not goodbye.
We’ll be with you again someday.

We thank the Lord for sharing you.
Our loss we know is just your gain.
You’re living out your dream with Him.
So long until we meet again.

PicooZ

A while ago, a friend of mine brought a tiny remote controlled helicopter called a PiccoZ to the office. I was really impressed with it and hoped that I would one day be able to get one. I searched online and found that they were quite reasonably priced, but the shipping costs, which would have been more than the cost of the helicopter, made it too expensive.

We were in Toys 'R Us on Saturday shopping for a birthday gift when to my delight, I found that they have them in stock. I bought one and have had great fun flying it in the house over the weekend. It is quite easy to fly and I'm hoping to teach the boys to fly it.

Here is a picture of it flying in our lounge. Great fun on a rainy day!

Flickr Toys

This is probably old news for Flickr veterans, but I thought I would share it for the benefit of other Flickr newbies.

There are some really neat free tools available on the Big Huge Labs web site. These tools enable you to create calendars, posters, cool photo widgets and a whole host of other fun things using your Flickr photos. The example above was created using the "Framer" tool, and the one below using the "Hockneyizer" tool.