Full Speed ahead Portia!

On the 7^th day of the 7th month of the year 2007, the 7^th Prime Minister of Jamaica The Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller announced at approximately 7:07pm that nomination day for the next elections will be on August 7^th and that general elections will be on August 27^th 2007. What a whole heap ah 7!

Well that would have been really interesting if that were so, but it wasn’t. What really happened is that on Sun. the 8^th day of the 7^th month of 2007, the 7^th Prime Minister of Jamaica The Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller announced, well after 10pm near or after 11pm ( so dem tell me I was sleeping) that nomination day for the next elections will be on August 7^th and that general elections will be on August 27^th 2007. Still a whole heap ah 7! So much so that the front page of Mondays Observer was talking about “PM under 7’s flak”

When there was not contention Monday morning about the use of so many 7’s there was contention about how long the PM’s speech was and the length of time between the announcement and nomination day, and the length of time between nomination day and Election Day!

Well at least now the airways not just flooded with JLP ads you also have the PNP ads so we will now have more balanced ‘entertainment’ on the air waves. No longer will it be just “Not changing course….” but you will also have “Full speed ahead Portia…” with both party leaders claiming to be di “Driver”

That brings me to another issue. Why are both parties using a song that talks about the transportation of an illegal substance on the platforms of their presentation to the nation? Does the popularity of the song among the masses with its exclamation “Driver! Don’t stop at all.” justify it's use?

Anyway, let me not get into anything here this entry was just meant to serve as a public service announcement of the election date.

Bless

Derri

Congrats to Rev. Neville Callam

Rev. Neville Callam is the new General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance! Not only is he the first Jamaican to hold this post ( yes, i doubt he will be the last :-), but he is also the first non- European and North American to fill the post. This was announce, in of all the places, Africa, Accra in Ghana to be specific.

Now i definitely must have had a lot of faith in the electorate who would vote on this decision, as i considered him as having received the post from the day his nomination was announced last year. Thus on Friday, while at CCP when Gillian excitingly told me it was now official, I answered with a composed "Oh cool thats good". She must of been thinking "This girl don't have any idea of the magnitude of the situation."

Truth be told i could never claim to fully understand the magnitude of his appointment, but to me i see him as the "Face" of the Baptist movement worldwide. Now thats amazing!

So congrats Rev. Callam and though we will miss you as you take up office away from our shores we look forward with pride at the contributions you will continue to make for the wider baptist community.

The Key to Life

The Key to Life

What I’m about to recall is a rather embarrassing episode but one that someone may learn from so I’ll tell it.

Last Sunday afternoon I returned from Ochi and after having a quick nap I went out to the closing night of crusade at my church. Before leaving the house I used my keys to lock up, then caught a ride with a friend. Well Monday morning I got up in a rush not able to do much of anything ie read my bible. Just trying to get stuff together for work and looking forward to a lime of chilaxing at a friend after work. As I attempted to leave, my keys were nowhere to be found. Oh well I’ll just use Daddy's bunch. So I was off certain I’d find the keys later. Well that night I left my friends house late and reached home late, still with no key daddy had to let me in. The routine of going to bed late and rushing out in the morning continued up to Thursday morning and still no key! Had it dropped on the road somewhere? Had someone found it and now had easy access to my house? I couldn’t let my parents know, how irresponsible they’d think I am. I'd definitely not be getting another set of house keys.

With my hectic schedule from Monday I didn’t read my bible. I consoled myself by attempting to pray long-winded prayers to God each night which would almost instantaneously lead to me sleeping somewhere in the first five lines.... Hey I thought, the communication is still there, like I’m prying to God. It's not like I left him out altogether.

By Thursday I was staying in town with my sis. We shared the same room and as she had just become I Christian. I felt obligated to set the example. (What example? not sure now but that’s another story) So I took out my bible case and proceeded to unzip its contents. As I opened the case, something fell out. Low and Behold it was my set of house keys! What I had been searching for had been by my pillow every night, every morning but I ignored it as I didn't want to make the time.

How ashamed I felt. It hit me that more than not having the use of the keys to my house (sorry the house) for those 4 days of the week, I had made a conscious decision to neglect the key to life, God’s word. Here was one of the proven ways of hearing from God to get the direction I need each day. I was constantly complaining to God that he doesn’t talk to me, yet I reject opportunities to hear from Him.

So that’s the sordid tale. Maybe many of you can’t relate to this as you know the importance of God's word and daily partake in it. I just thought I should share this though and in the same breath thank God for his mercy towards us all.

Thanks God.
Bless
Derri