June issue 28
2022
DIMPHO, THE LADY OF MANY COATS
contents
TABLE OF
3 About us
4 Editor's Note
11 Watch your choices
20 Understanding the times sermon
30 Recovery from an injury
5 Our faithful God at work
14 Peace be with you
8 Real talk
17 Cover Story Dimpho-The Author
23
27
Farming Library
Book Review Pink lips& empty hearts
33
34
just for laughs
Where to go
About us We are an online Christian magazine that aims to share inspiring stories. We celebrate, recognize and appreciate Christian role models in their different capacities
Mission To share the Gospel truth, inspire, motivate and cultivate faith in our everyday lives
Vision To provide a platform and safe room for growth in the Christian lifestyle and exposure to local talent in the Christian community. Page 3
Greetings SAFE readers
Editor’s Note Welcome to another issue, I think you will really like this one. The winter is upon us and we are already getting the sniffles from the cold. In this issue expect some lovely reads. We bring you tips on parenting the Christian way, parenting is a journey so this will help you figure out a few things. In our last issue we had some thoughtprovoking literature that required some introspection, well, this issue is a continuation of that. We bring you something on patience a virtue we don’t all possess but wish for. You will also get something on “choices” another area that can be a very grey area in our lives. I hope you will enjoy this issue as much as we loved putting it together for you. Snuggle up with a hot beverage and dig in.
BOSA
OUR FAITHFUL GOD IS AT WORK IN US
K M Ntebang
Our God is a faithful God, His plans for us are high above our plans and are to prosper us. He is a giver of all good things and He gives to both the good and the evil alike because He is a just God. His ways are not our ways and His love for us is beyond comprehension. Once He makes a promise He ensures that it is fulfilled. It does not matter how long it may take for the promises made to be fulfilled but when the time is right, He releases them. From the beginning of time God has promised good things to us and continues to date, as we see in Ezekiel 36:25-28 (NKJV), the word of God tells thus,
“then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgements and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God”. Page 5
OUR FAITHFUL GOD IS AT WORK IN US Photo by Tony Eight Media
God wants us to leave a pure and simple life, He wants us to repent for our sins when we have done wrong. He wants to work with a willing heart and a willing spirit. He desires for us to be obedient and follow His statutes. If we fully open ourselves to Him, He will come in and make us His dwelling place. The word of God also tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, for this reason we need to keep our bodies clean so that we may be found worthy to receive Him.
The greatest blessing that has been given to us was fulfilled through the scripture in John 3:16, wherein God gave His only begotten son so that all those who believe in Him shall have an everlasting life. This is a promise of a lifetime, hard as it might have been, it was done for our salvation, it was done to deliver us from all forms of evil and it was done to bring humankind closer to their creator. In Deuteronomy 7:9 (NKJV), the word of God tells us that, “therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments”. Page 6
OUR FAITHFUL GOD IS AT WORK IN US
Photo by Ashkan Forouzani For us to receive and experience the goodness of the Lord we must live a pure life, we must follow His commandments with the greatest commandment being love. If we have love for one another, we will be able to see God’s work in our lives as He continuously cleanses us, purifies us and renews us. Let us learn and understand our God, let us cut down on the things that make us unworthy of His blessings, let us revive in us the spirit of obedience because it is through obedience that God’s hand will rest upon us. It is through obedience that our eyes and ears will be opened to hear His word and see clearly the path that He has laid out for us. Often times we fail to see His works in our lives because we let our steps falter, then the ever-busy lives we have created for ourselves, make us unable to hear Him when He guides and leads us. Page 7
Real talk P a r e n t s ,
c h i l d r e n &
J
c h u r c h
oshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” WHAT IS A Household? Mother, father and children
Photo by Marco Ceschi
WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE? As a parent what is it that you want for your children? Is it to have a lot of money or have a good life based on friends and jobs? Do you want them to walk in their purpose which you have a part in because God trusted you with His precious gift of a child? I want my child to walk in the purpose that God has for Him. I want my son to experience God for Himself. He should not hear what God has done for us (Parents) but see and hear it with his own eyes and ears.
What can parents do? Seek guidance from God This means to priorities their spiritual journey. You can only give what overflows. Sometimes we cannot priorities our children’s journey because we haven’t experienced God for ourselves. We hear about what he has done and know what He is capable of doing but we never experienced it in our journey of life. Google and YouTube are easy resources. Whatever you need you can find it on these two platforms. You can use these resources to find ageappropriate teachings for your children. Invest There are so many Christianbased books that you can buy for your children. You may wait for book sales if you have financial constraints You don’t have to buy books all the time. Get a book that you can use.
Make time We make time for what matters. How important is it that your children get this foundation? Allocate time to meet and talk/ learn about the bible. This could be a weekend or Friday evening.
This should be a time that you (parent) are fully present. You are not tired. The story teaches us to prepare ourselves as we wait for opportunities to present themselves to manifest or to show what we are made of. The story also teaches us that only wise people prepare themselves well ahead of time. We go to school to acquire knowledge in order to function properly when we get employed since we have been prepared for the job.
HINDRANCES Single parent “I can’t do everything because I am a single parent. There is so much to do and I am alone.” I believe that you need God more when you are a single parent because you need the strength to carry on day by day. Different beliefs at home (not equally yoked) I believe that you will kill for your children. Christianity is the same, we have different denominations. Decide as a couple (not equally yoked) to teach your children the bible Tired “I am always tired when I knock off so I can’t spend time with the children when I get home.” I believe that during the weekend you plan your week ahead.
What you should introduce to children to build their spiritual muscle
·Fasting This could be not having their favorite meal on a certain day every month and ask the children that they are doing this to get closer to God without the food interfering because they love it so much. ·Giving Children should be taught why they should give in the church so that the gospel can be extended to other people and to run the house of God. ·Church time Most kids come to church because they have been threatened and they do not have their own place to stay so they come along with their parents. Most children do not want to come to church on their own in their teenage years because no foundation has been put in place. When they have seen God move in their lives they will not see the world as better and Christian as boring.
Photo by Samantha Sophia
Paul saw Timothy’s commitment to the gospel because his mother and grandmother had taught him the holy scriptures when he was a child. A parent’s work is vitally important, at home and at church. Teaching our children is an opportunity and responsibility. Jesus wants children to come to him (Mathews 19:13-15). Just like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, do your part in leading the children to Christ.
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They say had I known is always at last, this is what some people are living on because of the kind of choices they have made in the past.
All of us are where we are today as a result of the kind of choices we made in the past. The choices you make in life whether good or bad has the ability to make you better in life or worse off. It is up to you to continue to smoke and drink after all that you have heard and read about the dangers of smoking and drinking. It is your choice to live a wayward life after all the caution by well-meaning people. It is your choice to abstain from sexual immorality and focus on your walk with God, education, life or sleep with everyone in a trouser and skirt, after you have come to know the implications of such lifestyle.
By Harry Tawiah Ussher
Photo by Jon Tyson
It is your choice not to serve God in holiness after all the sermons you have heard about the importance to live holy and what you read in your Bible. It is your choice not to read and study your Bible and continue to play church after all the encouraging words you have received, about the need for one to be serious with God and His Borcelle work. It is up to you not to focus on your education and become lazy to read, a gangster, party animal and a truant knowing how tough it is these days that without university and technical education one must resort to hard labor, security jobs, menial jobs to survive, prostitution, armed robbery, illegitimate means of making money, etc.It is up to you not to remain faithful to your spouse/partner and live in deception and lies after knowing its implications and the curses involved. It is up to you to live in lies and create wrong impression about your life, rather than to be yourself and make the whole world know who you really are, because it pays to be yourself rather than to live in false impression. It is up to you not to live in humility and become proud, knowing very well that God humbles the proud and gives grace to the humble to excel in life.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6. One of the things I am very much afraid of is the free will God has given to mankind. In other words, we have the power and freedom and liberty to do anything, but you will account for it whether good or bad.
photo by Canva
Hear what Apostle Paul told the church in Galatia in Galatians 5:15. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. When Joshua became the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses and he was admonishing them, he said.
Now, therefore, fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom Borcelle ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:14-15. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, the Bible says. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. In this text, the Spirit of God helps us understand that there isn’t temptation that we cannot overcome, but the one we have decided to because God is faithful to give us the grace to overcome it. John the revelator says to do the will of God is by choice. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. John 7:17 . Jesus in Revelation 3:20 says if you open the gate of your heart for Him, He will come in and dine with thee. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me. BE WISE WITH YOUR CHOICES.
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GUEST ARTICLE (John 20v19)!
Peace be with you
In our journey in faith as Christians, one virtue that we have to garner and master is that of Patience! We grew up hearing phrases like “be patient” or “ patience is a virtue”. We probably thought of it in terms of waiting patiently to finish our supper so that we can eat that birthday cake! Or you were probably anxiously waiting to show off your new school shoes and you were told to be patient, sleep, you’ll get to wear them tomorrow! But alas, patience is a big quality in our life as Christians.
Photo by Duane Mendes
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Imagine Abraham, the father of our faith, He was chosen by God (Genesis 12). Promised land that he had to travel to and how many years he had to wait for it. Imagine Noah being asked to build an Ark, Moses, traveling over 40years to the promised land! Yes, these required a tremendous amount of Faith but I would also like us to look at the patience side of it! I am pretty sure that when you were reflecting on what the bible tells us about Patience, one of the scriptures you thought of was the common one written by Paul - Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; it is not arrogant (1 Corinthians 13v1) You may even say that is attributed to Love, but hey God is love! On the backdrop of last months article on “My Journey in prayer”, I am reminded that in our situations, we are urged to pray, pray earnestly in the Lord. We sometimes make our prayers and supplications to the Lord, we pray and have that “expectation” that it would be granted right there and then. Yes we saw that when Elijah prayed and asked for rain, it began to rain after years of no rain. For some their requests took more than an instant to be provided, but for others it took years. Imagine Hannah, Samuels mother, how she prayed (1 Samuel Chapter 1&2). All of these required PATIENCE! Scripture tells us of another account in Psalm 40v1 - "I waited Photo by Osama Saeed patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry” or Romans 12v12 when it says "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Another account is that of Ephesians 4v2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Emphasis on waiting patiently, knowing that God has heard your request and waiting patiently! Page 15
You see, God communicated with his chosen ones either personally, (when they got to hear his voice like Abraham, Moses), He also communicated by Prophets through visions and also by dreams. It is amazing how, even up to now, generations later, we the descendants of Abraham(by grace) are still here and God still communicates with us through these. I am generally not a patient person, I want to see a situation and wham bam, pray for it and I want to see an improvement there and then. As we come to a closure, I am reminded of the Prophets of God who are amongst us at this time. These men and women who are genuinely being fed by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Take time to talk to some of them, and let them relay how their lives have transformed and their views on patience! My paths have crossed with one Prophet who once shared a prophecy in my presence and It came to pass after 3days! On the other hand, I have seen another prophet, who can give you a prophecy that can come to pass after a year! These men and women have a great deal of patience, patience in the Lord, and as such, we also as children of God, should also aspire to be such. In each journey, in each circumstance we face, there is a lesson. Patience! My fellow brothers and sisters, "If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8v25). In your journey know that “The end of something is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride.” (Ecclesiastes 7v8) and as we walk in our faith, do not forget that “Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.” (Proverbs 15v18).
Till we meet again, I Remain, The Deacon in Christ, TEDB.
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June, 2022
I am an Author, Entrepreneur, blogger and content creator I graduated in 2015 from the University of Derby, BAC campus with a bachelor’s degree in tourism management. I worked at the Department of Tourism as a temporary assistant tourism officer for three years. I am currently the Director of Transformation Media and head writer for candid conversations with Dimpho. I'm passionate about helping people dealing with mental health issues and trauma. I use my writing and speaking talents to spread awareness and impact of the life of many through my blog and social media content.
I have always loved writing but I was always discouraged by the fact that I wasn't good with spelling. So as a child, the constant failure and disappointment caused me to give up on the dream. In the past, I have written many manuscripts that never made it to the publishers. During the COVID19 lockdown, I made a decision to discover myself because I felt like I had lost Dimpho in all the things I had gone through. So I felt the Holy spirit leading me back to writing and that is how Trust the process was born.
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In the past year or so I have been going through a lot as a result of trying to find healing so every time the pain became unbearable I would begin to write. This helped me to identify my feelings and deal with the pain. It also helped me embrace the pain and deal with my issues head-on. It took almost 10 months. My plans include establishing transformation media, starting a tv show, building a shelter for people dealing with mental health and other family or societal issues and publishing more books under the journey to healing series. I have received support from Batswana and I hope it will continue as they have shown great interest in local books.
My message to the SAFE readers is to trust God and trust his timing. In difficult times, he will make a way for you. Never give up on your dreams, rather keep on working towards fulfilling them.
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The book will be available at the launch. I urge everyone to get a ticket for the book launch which will be on the 30th July 2022 at Aquarian tide hotel. The tickets start from as little as P100 and they can call 77022821 to get their tickets
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UNDER STANDING THE TIMES Photo by Mario Dobelmann
1 Chronicle 12:32 “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.” Page 20
Photo by Chris Lawton
Time is the only common thing we are given as human beings. The billionaire and the beggar, the Old and the young, the black and the white, are all given the same amount of time in a day or year. Time is also unstoppable but rather controllable, it is up to each person to control how they use their time. What you can become is solely dependent on how you use your time. Dr. Myles Munroe shared that God created time but does not live in it, so it was given to us to measure our purpose.
It is very important to know and understand the seasons and times, so that you can do the right thing at the right time. If you don’t know what time it is, then it means you don’t know what to do, it also means you are probably doing the wrong thing with the wrong person. Ecclesiastes 3 details that for everything there is a season/time, this means everything that God created has a purpose which has a season attached to it, so time was created for purpose to be fulfilled. It can be said that you were placed on earth for a purpose, and your life will not be measured by your age but by the fulfilment of your purpose. You ought to work hard to discover your purpose, so that you will not discover it while you are old, as you would have lost time. Page 21
The Sons of Issachar were a special tribe because unlike others they understood the times and were able to advice the Israelites on what to do at a certain time. This was very important to the Israelites because it would then advance them into the right path with God. If one fails to understand the season, they will do the right thing at the wrong time and end up being ineffective. To attain effectiveness in your life, you ought to wisely understand time, do not plant during harvest time, do not laugh during the mourning time, and do not keep when it's time to throw away. Time changes everything, nothing lasts forever. Whatever you invest your time in, you become. It is therefore very important to decide to try to understand the times/seasons. I challenge you to start doing everything at its time so that you live a purposeful life.
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Farming Library COMMERCIAL HORTICULTURE, HOME GARDENING AND PLANT PESTS & WEEDS
What does the word AGRICULTURE mean to you? Agriculture may sound a bit dirty, like a ton of work, spending long hours in the sun, vegetables, chicken, farming_ or whatever the case may be to you. These may be true, however, it may not reflect the full essence of what agriculture is. In simple terms, Agriculture can be brought down to the growing of crops and rearing of animals. That’s right, growing crops and rearing animals. These two can further be broken down to Horticulture and animal husbandry, of which for this series we will be mainly focusing on Horticulture.
Although agriculture plays a pivoted role in our lives and existence in general, sometimes it does not get the proper recognition it deserves, it’s not as praised as other practices, it’s not as practiced as other professions, and that is why we are here, to break the ice and also share a few pointers on how one can turn this into a lifestyle and probably make a living out of it. Page 23
It is very important to understand why agriculture is deemed important and upheld to a certain standard. Farming is something that has been practiced over the years by our ancestors and later was revolutionized with time to adapt to modern technologies and also to fit into the times we are in so as to make it much more bearable while simultaneously producing great yields.
The following are a few points on why agriculture is important. 01.
Source of raw materials
02. Food supply
03. Employment opportunity 04. Revenue from exports 05. International trade 06.
Reflects our future
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All of the above points are reasons enough to compel one to dive into farming right away, even if it’s at the back of your own house, as a home gardener. Not only will this be refreshing and soothing to your soul, this is a step in the right direction, a constant supply of freshly grown produce and a ticket to a healthy lifestyle. 06.
07.
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ARTICLE BY
Thuto Noon Gaselemogwe Page 26
Pink Lips & Empty Hearts Author: Heather Lindsey Contents: 210 pages Publication date: December 28,2012 An invitation for every woman who’s ever felt like she isn’t good enough, pretty enough, saved enough, content enough or doing enough. Like millions of women, Heather Lindsey wanted to have it all together. But as life went on, she found herself searching to fill her insecurities with temporary voids and ended up broken, rejected, exhausted and frustrated. Desperate to let God change her from the inside out—she shares her story, struggles and triumphs as she went from having Pink Lips & an Empty Heart to having Pink Lips and a Heart that is completely surrendered to God.
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In a society where women are encouraged to portray a certain image, Heather challenges women in saying that it is not enough to just get dressed up and portray a “perfect appearance” when deep down, you’re empty. As a result, we try to hide who we really are from everyone, including God. Join Heather Lindsey as she offers witty, fresh advice that you would expect from your best friend over dinner. Compassionate and practical, Pink Lips & An Empty Heart is a step-bystep guide that teaches women how to:
Books by Heather Lindsey Dusty Crowns Silent Seasons: Trusting God When you don’t understand Purpose Room Running on Empty The pressure trap A perfect recipe The runaway bride
•Be content whether they are single or married •How to develop a deep, intimate relationship with Christ •Resist the desire to compare your life to others •Prioritize their busy schedule •Develop in the gifts that God placed inside them •BONUS: Practical tips on hair, beauty and other money saving resources About the Author Founder of The Pinky Promise, an organization that promotes honoring God with your life & body whether single or married. Pinky Promise was founded in January 2012 and has grown to over 60,000 women making a promise to honor God with their life. Founder, Heather Lindsey, challenges teens, young adults and women to rise above cultural pressures to stay determined to live for Christ regardless of their circumstances. Facing consequences women in previous generations couldn’t imagine, ladies receive straight talk from Heather on how to say no in a yes society.
A native of Michigan, Heather was the 10th of 23 children adopted by her parents. Raised in a home with brothers and sisters of different nationalities, she learned early lessons in diversity and applies those in her dynamic presentations. Heather has written nine best-selling books including Pink Lips & Empty Hearts, Dusty Crowns, The Runaway Bride, The Purpose Room, Silent Seasons, A Perfect Recipe, Fighting Together, The Pressure Trap, and Running On Empty. She is committed to raising a generation of women who are unafraid to live their lives sold out for Jesus. Sign up to join her 365 With Heather – Phase 2 community to receive weekly Bible lessons/teachings that cover a range of topics.
RECOVERING FROM AN INJURY BY ONNEILE KEALOTSWE FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
In 2014, I decided to register for my first full marathon. I was excited and looked forward to it. But before I could even start preparing for the marathon, I started feeling pain on my lower back. I ignored the pain at first and I was adamant to proceed with my preparations. However, one visit to the doctor confirmed my worst fears, I would not be participating in that marathon or any race for a foreseeable future. One thing that anyone fears the most, from an elite athlete to a social runner, cyclist or just a regular gym-goer, is being told to take some time off training because of an injury. No matter how careful one can be with their training programs, injuries may.
happen. The good thing is most injuries if attended to well in time and properly, one can recover from them and become fully functional and back to their pre-injury activities. I did not run a marathon in 2014 but since then, I have completed multiple marathons (42.2), and ultramarathons (50-55km), I have successfully completed comrades marathon (90km) and I am a certified personal trainer and injuryfree. Here are some of the tips I applied to get from not being able to move my legs without feeling pain to
running marathons pain free:
1
Minimise further damage and let the body begin the healing process. Stop any activity that may aggravate the injury;
2
Some injuries may cause partial or total loss on movement, the next step is to start recovering movement and mobility. Start stretching and flexibility exercises.
3
Increase/ build strength: add strengthening exercises to stabilize muscles around the injured area;
a.Concentrate more on isometric exercises (static contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint) b.Do frequent, low-intensity exercises to activate the injured area and accelerate the healing process; c.Small weights may be used during the exercises if safe to do so; d.Avoid explosive high intensity movements as they may aggravate the injury and slow down the healing process; e.Use proper form to avoid further injuries.
4
After you have applied the above, you can start to carefully and slowly progress from basic exercises to those requiring higher skill level as you heal and have the muscle control to tolerate them without risking further injury. Finally, you can now start restoring coordination and balance, improving speed and agility.
The most important thing is to be patient with the healing process, it takes time and if followed properly, you should be able to return to your pre-injury activities.
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