Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008

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1. From the Editor- Lucy Goodwin

2. Downsize your ways to

upsize your faith- Lucy Goodwin

3. Hayley’s Comment- Hayley Brett

4. Testify- Sarah Swart

5. Double Take -Nicci Barnard

6. Elev8 Prayer Calendar- Lucy Goodwin

7. Eternity & the speck with

Grand Dreams- Katy Breytenbach

8. In the Spotlight-Lucy Goodwin

9. 8 ways- Leanne Barnard

10. Facin8- Lucy Goowin

Dear reader

The first thing that comes to mind when people from our generation hear

“All the Small Things” is invariably the song by Blink 182. In fact there

was always someone humming it while we were having our monthly

planning meeting for this issue of Illumin8! But All the Small Things is so

much more than that…

To begin with, this edition is about how small things, when

they add up, can make a big difference. There's an

anonymous quote that sums up the concept pretty well, “If

you think you are too small to make a difference, try going

to sleep with a mosquito in the room.” I sometimes look

around me and see how much pain and suffering there is

in this world, but I very seldom do anything about it as the

problems just seem so insurmountable. I know I can't

change the world on my own, so I don't even try. But if we

all helped just one person – there would be hundreds and

thousands of people better off. In a book called “Butterflies in Brazil”,

Glen Packiam uses a part of the chaos theory called the butterfly effect to

illustrate how small things can have large and lasting effects. The theory

poses the question - “If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, will it cause a

Tornado in Texas?” and makes you realize that small changes at the

beginning can lead to big differences in the end.

As you'll gather from the layout and design this issue is also about

getting in touch with your inner child. We are all children of God and are

called to be childlike in our faith, a topic which is covered in “Downsize

Your Ways to Upsize Your Faith”, our feature article this month. Beyond

that though, perhaps one of the most entertaining things about children

is their ability to enjoy life. They make absolutely everything into a game.

2

A clump of bushes becomes a fort and a stick is the sword to slay the dragon,

which is invariably the closest tree! Rose bushes become fairy cities. An old

blouse is a golden ball gown. Hours can be spent in happy oblivion with nothing

but a bucket, a spade and pile of sand. The ability to imagine can make the most

tedious task into an adventure. I have lost touch with this side of me to such a great

degree, that I struggle to play with little kids, because I actually can't see beyond

the ordinary anymore. Life has become about deadlines, bills and schedules. Fun

has to be planned and have a slot in my diary before it can happen.

But that is not how God intended it. We are here with a purpose, and

for a brief time only but we need to enjoy it. Enjoy spending time with

Jesus, the blessings you have, the people you love and doing the

things that excite you.

And so most importantly this issue is about FUN and lots of it! In the

words of Dr Seuss, who is featured in this month's “In the Spotlight”,

“If you never did you should, these things are fun and fun is good!”

There is a lot of negativity buzzing around the air right now, which is

understandable as there is a lot that can get you down. Petrol has hit R10 very

soon and continue climbing. R300 doesn't buy nearly as many groceries as it did a

few months ago. While you cuddle up to your heater in the evening, somewhere in

the back of your mind you wonder if the electricity bill at the end of month will be

worth it. And on top of it all, it's still dark when you wake up in the morning and that

never helps! But in spite of all this, there is still fun to be had. Use your imagination,

do something crazy, laugh a lot and I guarantee you, the future will seem a bit

brighter!

Have a hot chocolately month everyone!

Lucy

“If you think you

are too small to

make a difference,

try going to sleep

with a mosquito

in the room.”

Lucy KatyLeanne Hayley

Editor & WriterWriter & Designer

Writer & DesignerWriter

Contributors: Sarah, Nicci

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 by Lucy Goodwin

In Matthew 18:3-4 Jesus tells us, “I tell you

the truth, unless you turn from your sins and

become like you will never get

into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who

becomes as humble as this little child is the

in the .” (NLT)

little children,

greatest Kingdom of Heaven

Become like little children… what is it that children

have that God requires of us? Spend an afternoon

with a child and see for yourself...

To begin with, children believe. That's why Father

Christmas is a world-wide celebrity! Children will

believe you if you tell them that fairies are real or that

there is a wolf living in that shadowy part of granny's

garden. They believe in superheroes. They really

believe that if they jump off that wall with the umbrella

they will fly like Mary Poppins. Okay, I believed that.

Kids these days probably don't know who Mary

Poppins is, but they'll believe Narnia is through that

cupboard if you tell them it is. But age steals

innocence. As we learn more about the world we live

in we become more cynical and need to see

evidence before we will believe something. This is

possibly the most true when it comes to spiritual

Downsize your ways

to upsize faith

3

matters. Perhaps this is because we have

become so desensitized that we struggle to

believe in miracles. Our logic makes us want to

understand the mysteries of faith, instead of

being happy with just accepting them.

Circumstances, pain and deception can make

us wonder if God even exists. The point is that

as Christians we could use some of that

unquestioning belief of a child. After all, what is

Jesus if not the ultimate superhero?

Some people say that this absolute belief

makes children gullible. Not so! It makes

children trusting. Unless you have given a child

a reason to doubt you, he or

she will have absolute faith

that what you say, you will do.

How often do we question

Jesus? Whenever times get

tough, we question His

promises, we question His

love, and we question His

plans. The sad reality is that

people break our trust. This is

what takes away that innocent

conviction we had when we

were young. But God will never break your trust.

He will never let you down. He can be relied

upon at all times, for all things. Take some

advice from your inner child, let yourself believe

that, and have absolute trust in Him!

Another aspect of childhood is the lack of worry.

All your needs are taken care of for you by the

adults in your life. The job of parents is to protect

their children and provide for them. God calls

Himself our Father, so why would His role be

any different? He will provide for you in this life. He will

protect you. And while our earthly parents do the best

they can, the reality is that they cannot always keep us

safe from harm. But God is not limited. There is no

situation He cannot carry you through or give you the

strength to survive.

Perhaps another aspect that contributes to the lack of

stress in a child's life is the ability to obey. Certainly

there are little terrors out there who are impossible to

discipline, but when it really matters; kids do what they

are told. Children are very perceptive and if they sense

danger, or hear urgency in the voices of those

instructing them they will fall into line without a peep. As

we grow up though, we start to

believe that we know better and once

we hit puberty we think we know it all!

Trials make us stronger and God

allows pain in our lives to develop us,

mold us and test us. At these times,

we can make the road a lot less

bumpy by falling back on our

childhood habits and obeying Jesus

without hesitation.

We all know that the childhood years

are the most formative ones. We are in a state of

constant learning. We learn without even being aware

that we are doing it. We are sponges soaking up

everything around us! We don't doubt that the people

around us have the answers. And we ask those people

questions all the time! In fact we learn so easily that our

parents and teachers have to filter what we see

because everything we are exposed to, we absorb. But

as we get older learning becomes a chore. Learning

through play turns to learning through lessons and

sometimes we have to study things that don't interest

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 4

When it comes to

matters of

the heart, we need

to be patient

and stop

asking “Are

we there yet?”

us, which is always harder to do. By the time we've

finished with school or varsity, learning is something

we have to do, not something we want to do. How great

would it be if we could go back to that childhood attitude

to learning, especially in our spiritual lives? There is

more information out there than ever before! Even the

Bible, which is the only resource you really need,

comes in such a variety of translations and with so

many options in terms of study tools that we are, in fact,

spoilt for choice. As I have recently discovered, when

you find a translation that works for you, it can go a long

way to rekindling that desire to learn.

Having just expounded on the need

to learn, it must be pointed out that

children aren't afraid to learn with

baby steps. You don't see a toddler

giving up after he's hit the floor a few

times! Instead you see a baby often

chuckling with joy as he's finally

achieved forward motion after

weeks of rocking in one spot.

Children do not give up easily! They don't expect to

achieve everything today. And they get so much

encouragement from just trying! Time isn't important to

kids. They live in the moment. We need to adopt this

attitude in our spiritual lives.

“With the Lord a single day is

like a 1,000 years, and a

1,000 years are like a

single day.” (2 Peter 3:8,

ISV) His timing does not

always fit in with what we

wish it would be. We don't

always know what God's plan is

or where the path is leading us. At

the uncertain times in life, we need to

remember that God's word is a lamp unto our

feet, and take it one baby step at a time!

(Psalm 119:105)

Finally, it's so important as we continue to

walk with God not to despise small

beginnings. When it comes to matters of the

heart, we need to be patient and stop asking

“Are we there yet?” Very rarely does God's

timing coincide with ours. Big trees grow from

tiny seeds and it's the same with our faith. It's

a life long journey and we need to

remember that. Taking time out to stop

and listen for the small, still voice will go

a long way to making sure you

s t a y o n t h e p a t h t o

righteousness.

In conclusion… in order

to become like little

children, we need to

believe and trust in God. We

need to rely on God to protect

us and provide for us. We must

obey and we must want to learn

more about Jesus and our faith,

but must be patient when that

learning takes time. And perhaps

most importantly, we need to do what

our parents were always asking us to do

and…. BE QUIET!

5

It's so important

as we continue

to walk with

God not to

despise small

beginnings

6

There are no great things; only small things done in great love. Mother Teresa

- Hayley Brett

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 7

Hi guys,

I love the theme of Illumin8 this month…I'm such a big fan of the small things in life!

Since I've been living overseas I've almost found it easier to be grateful for little things…a seat on the bus, an

unexpected compliment, a day when the sun makes an appearance (however brief it may be!), a good night out with

friends, Marmite toast, a parcel from home, a great song on the radio, sales in Oxford Street, finding something I'd

lost…these are just some of the many little things that make me smile and give me spurts of energy to carry on.

A while ago I was having a bad day and to be honest, I was quite prepared to wallow in self pity. Fortunately, I saw a phrase

that I have in my room while I was getting ready for work. The same expression was waiting for me in an email from a

friend and was mentioned again when I was chatting to someone. Coincidence? Albert Einstein once said the

coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous, and I'm inclined to agree! That small thing of seeing the same

phrase over and over was enough to get me through that day and enjoy the other small (and big) things that God put

in my path. The magic words? 'When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely

opening your hands to receive something better. The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not

protect you.'

Now while it's all very well to be grateful for things big and small, I think it's important to remember who to be grateful

to. I'm so quick to enjoy things but don't always remember to thank God for putting those things in my path. I often

have the grateful feeling, but I don't always thank the source. I think you become more grateful for small things when

you've had big things to deal with, and even more grateful for big things when you're aware of where they come from.

So enjoy the little things as little gifts of God's grace and see them (as small as they may be) as blessings…be they in

the form of chocolate, sunshine, laughter, a parking space or in my case, one free seat on a very crowded bus! Once

you start appreciating, you'll be surprised at how many blessings God really does give us, and how big a difference

they make!

Love,

H

I am also a firm believer that God has a great sense of humour and that He takes pleasure when

we laugh, enjoy things and are grateful for little things that, well, make life a little easier!

Our overseas correspondent

I have been a Christian my whole life, but I remember the year

1999 as the year in which I officially and permanently gave my life

to God. It was at Friday night youth, in a place where the

teenagers were cliquey and I wasn't part of the clique, but I knew

that I wanted God in my heart. It was at the same youth where I

was soon after filled with the Holy Spirit for the

first time. That was a weird experience! My right

knee started jerking and shaking uncontrollably

during worship, and it just wouldn't stop. I

remember that my parents were coming to fetch

my friends and I that evening, and I was so

worried that my mom would notice my knee and

think that I was a fanatic, as she wasn't a Christian.

That was actually my biggest fear, as it was

drummed into me by my dad from when I was

little: becoming a fanatic. Or as he referred to them: 'happy-

clappers'. In my book, being a happy-clapper was near to

committing a mortal sin, and happy-clappers were to be avoided

like the plague. And so there I was at a happy-clappy youth (my

dad didn't know!), feeling a little uncomfortable, but unable to

stay away. And my life changed.

I was fortunate enough to be attending a Christian High School,

where it was actually cool to be a Christian! There was a

proliferation of bible studies, lunch time meetings, chapel

services and courses which we could attend if we wanted, and so

I began to get involved in as many of these as I could. I know that I

have always been interested in serving the less fortunate, but it

was incredible that the more time I spent with God and learning

about Jesus, the more I wanted to get

involved in the community. I started

studying verses in the Bible which

encouraged outreach and giving to the

poor. I really believe that God wants his

children to serve all of

their brothers and sisters

in love. I believe that we

should feed those who

ask for food and give

shelter to the homeless. I

believe that we should

leave some crops in our

fields for the hungry to

collect (metaphorically

speaking, of course!). I also believe that

these tasks are incredibly difficult in

South Africa today, where any man

asking for food could be a hijacker in

disguise, and every single robot has a

hungry child and a desperate beggar

asking for food and money. Not to

mention the car guards at every parking

space; the street children living without

shelter, food or care; the immigrants who

have sought refuge in our country but are

instead encountering poverty, hatred

and violence; or the thousands of

children who have been orphaned by

We are living in a

fallen world,

a depraved

society, a strange

community.

!

Send us yours!!

* See terms & conditions

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 8

Each month we will feature

someone's testimony in this section.

So please, write yours, send it to us

at illumin8ezine@google.com

Sarah Swart is a twenty something from Natal, currently doing a Masters in Human Rights at the University of Pretoria. She will be spending the last 6 months of 2008 in Ghana working for an NGO and writing her dissertation in order to complete her course.

HIV/AIDS and are surviving in child-headed households with little money and little guidance. It's impossible to

help them all! And especially if you are a student, it's impossible to give to everyone who asks. But I still believe

there is something that all Christians can, and should be doing.

My policy is this: when someone at a robot asks me for money, or when someone comes to my gate asking for

food, I give, unless the Holy Spirit tells me not to. The Bible tells us that God has sent us the Holy Spirit to be our

counsellor and guide, and so I just pray that He would let me know when I shouldn't give. If I feel funny about

giving to someone, I don't. Now I know this policy is controversial. Some Christians believe that we shouldn't

ever give to individuals, and we should instead devote our time and money to organisations which look after

the poor, to avoid giving to the wrong people. Other Christians feel that street children should never be given

anything because that is what is keeping them on the street, and if no one gave to them they would be forced

into shelters or back to their homes. And still other Christians believe that instead of giving money or food they

need to give their time, in outreach and community service. I cannot advocate one of these approaches over

the other, because I truly believe that there is no single approach to serving those in need, and that we each

need to work out with God what our approach is going to be. What I can do, however, is explain my approach.

I know what hardships children in our country are suffering, especially because of HIV. They are often left with

no family to look after them, and children as young as 7 become responsible for the well-being of their

younger siblings. So they forget school and instead go to the street. What good will it do to put this child in a

shelter when his younger brothers and sisters are starving at home? We are living in a fallen world, a depraved

society, a strange community. No, children don't belong on the street, but until we solve the problem of child-

headed households and orphans in our country, what else are they meant to do? I will support them as much

as I can. I also believe that when someone asks me for money, and I don't feel like the Holy Spirit is saying no,

then it is right to give. Many people say it's stupid, as the person will probably just spend it on alcohol. I say – so

what?! Firstly, in giving to him I have done my part, and how the money is spent is not up to me. He will be

judged for how he spends the money, whereas I will be judged for whether or not I gave. And secondly, the

chance that he will spend it wisely is enough for me. Yes, this may be naïve, and yes it may be too idealistic, but

I'm proud of being a bit naïve and idealistic.

So instead of encouraging you to follow my approach, I simply encourage you to follow an approach. If you

don't have one already, sit down with God and discuss with Him what he expects from you, and how He wants

you to serve the poor in our country because our country needs us. People in our country are suffering more

than we are, and surely it should be the Christians who make the difference? Surely it should be the Christians

who are giving to the poor at robots and routinely paying car guards? Think about it!

!

Do you have comments?

Send us yours at

illumin8ezine@google.com or visit

our facebook group “Illumin8"

People in our country are suffering more than we are, and surely it should be the Christians who make the difference?

9

#

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 10

The Meaning…

The part of rainbow can refer to two things:

“Rain” can be the storms and troubles in our lives.

It represents the times when we are desperate for

help and a way out. It's those times when we look

up for the answers and all we can see are dark

clouds. We are unable to hear God's answers

through the rain which is beating down on us or

see a reality beyond the storm.

Rain can be the blessings that Jesus showers

down into our lives. When things are going well

for us we often tend to lean on our own strength

and forget that everything we have comes from

God. We forget who is behind the clouds!

Through Rainbow Prayers we learn to bow

down to God and humble ourselves before

Him.

“rain”

Take one

Take two

The second application of Rainbow Prayers is

actually a homonym for We need to bow

down before God in prayer, no matter what type of

“rain” we are experiencing.

When you are going through a time of testing, you are often

driven to your knees out of desperation. God is not moved by

men of standing but rather by men of kneeling (Max Lucado).

Remember that God has control of the storm and He will bring

you through it. His promises will shine through the rain, so look

for that rainbow and hold onto it!

When “happy rain” is falling it is important to thank God. Get on

your knees and praise Him! Thank the source of all the

blessings in your life. By doing so, your gratitude will increase

even more and like the rainbow arching across the sky, those

blessings will be even more beautiful to behold.

“bow”.

Take one

Take two

Rainbows appear after mighty storms

When things look their very worst

Just when skies are darkest gray

Look for the rainbow first

The rainbow is a sign of God's promise

That He will guide us through any storm

That He will see us through all our troubles

No matter what their form

When we feel bothered by life's storms

And you are filled with doubt and dismay

Just remember God's rainbow will come

For it's only a prayer away

- Author Unknown

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 11

Thank Him Family The Nations Reflect A Friend Local is Lekker People who don't know God's Love

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5

Find a political, social or economic issue relevant

to the country or continent listed.

Africa

Ask God to show you something about

yourself that He wants you to pray for.

Pray for a friend who you know is going

through a crisis. Really focus on them and lift

them up to God throughout the day.

Crime in South Africa – need we say more?

Pray for someone you see everyday who isn't

a Christian

7 8 9 10 11 12 Thank God for things He has done in your life and the prayers that He’s answered

Parents North and South America

Spend t ime listening to God about the issue from last week. Write

down verses, songs or words that come to mind

Pray for a friend that you've lost touch with or for a friendship that isn't as strong as you'd

like it to be.

Pray agains t the corruption and greed

which is so rife amoung state organisations

Pray for someone who was a Chris tian but

has stopped believing

6 14 15 16 17 18 19 Thank God for the things He has done for a friend or family

member

Siblings Asia - China, India, Japan, the Middle East

Ask God to show you more and take you further along the

process of change.

Practice Intercession - ask God to put

someone on your heart that He wants you to

pray for.

Inf lation - the rising cost of living.

Pray for someone who calls him or herself a

Christ ian but who hasn't truly

experienced God's love and a relationship

with Him 13 21 22 23 24 25 26

Thank God for who He is, the power He has and the endless

love he shows

Cousins Europe, Australia and New Zealand

Spend t ime listening to God about the issue from last week. Write

down verses, songs or words that come to mind

Find a pray request in your church pew leaflet or on a website such as

www.bible.com

Your local community or Church

This is good, and pleases God our

Savior, who wants all men to be saved and

to come to a knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4

20 28 29 30 31 Thank God for the amazing world we live in and all the miracles we see

everyday

Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles

World Issues - global warming, rising food

prices,

Reflect on the month and see how your mind has been transformed

and your heart has been changed

Pray for a colleague at work

Eternity

In comparison to God I am really tiny.

With one of His fingers He could

squash me like I would a random ant

wondering across my path (they

always are random don't you think?!). The truly amazing thing though is that He hasn't

squashed me. In fact He has done the opposite. He has

given me freedom to be who He made me to be. Even

random ants are not so random in God's eyes because

He created all things for a purpose, however big or small

they are.

I have been struggling recently, having entered the

workplace in the last three years, which is maybe

something you can relate to. I have this urgency in me

that wants to achieve these big things with my life, make

a difference and like, obviously, “create world peace”! It's

a dream so big inside of me that it feels like it wants to

explode even though I have no idea what it is! But life

seems to be passing me by like a really fast fish

swimming around and around in an extremely small

fishbowl. In the rush, and at times monotony, of

everyday life it has become so easy to give up and lose

hope and sight of my future dreams and the purpose

that God has for me.

with Grand Dreams!a n d t h e s p e c k

By Katy Breytenbach

12

So what does this mean? It feels like my life is running away from me and sometimes I

would rather just be squashed like an ant? Paul writes to the Ephesians and says "For

we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the

good things He planned for us long ago". So God created me with desires, dreams,

passions and gifts to use on this earth and I have an urgency about it because in light

of eternity, my time here is SO short. He made me unique with a unique purpose to

fulfill, a purpose that no one else can do. I need to sit back, take a time out and really

listen to God. Still my life for an hour ,or however long I can, and ask Him to remind me

why I am doing the things I am doing. Where I am is where He wants me to be right

now, so am I using what He has given me to glorify Him? Are the dreams and things

that I am working towards in this life for me or for something greater? Are they

pointing towards something BIG, the creator of the universe, to eternity, or are they

pointing to small finite me, a small speck with grand dreams?

In Romans 12:12 Paul tells us to be joyful in hope and in Galations 6:9 he tells us not to

become weary or give up in doing good because we will reap a harvest of blessing at

the appropriate time. God would not tell us to rejoice if there wasn't a reason to. God

would not command us to keep doing good for no reason. He has given us

something BIG to look forward to. He's planted His HUGE and awesome dream in our

hearts! When I lose hope and feel like my dreams are passing me by, I remember that

it's ok to feel like there's something more, because there is!

My worries become so small in light of eternity, I can take a deep breath and my dry,

weary bones can come to life and be refreshed because I have been reminded of a

greater hope. I will live my life being faithful in the small and big things and I can

follow the dreams and passions that God placed inside of me before time (although I

can't even fully comprehend that!). All of this is possible because I have something

SO much BIGGER to look forward to and have someone SO much BIGGER, who exists

from eternity to eternity, walking with me every step of the way!

There is a song by Switchfoot which resonates deeply in my soul. One of the lines reads as

follows: “We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves?” My focus has

become so totally engrossed in just trying to keep up with my own life here on earth that I have

turned my gaze away from heaven and lost the plot. Then Ecclesiastes delightfully pushes its

way into my thoughts:

”Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted

eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole

scope of God's work from beginning to end.” (3:11).

No wonder I have a dream so big in my heart that it wants to explode. We WERE made for so

much more. It is clear from this verse that the God of everything, that was and is and will be, has

put something HUGE in our hearts. It's SO BIG that we can't contain it. God has a BIG, never-

ending dream for me. He loves me so much that He made it possible for me to live forever with

Him. He wants to be in a relationship with me so much that He planted eternity in my heart. He

let His son die for me so that my sins would be forgiven once and for all so I could be in

relationship with Him for all time. Little me! Who sometimes doesn't even know if she still has a

point in her rushed and busy life. Who sometimes doubts whether God even hears her prayers!

My worries become so small in light of

eternity, I can take a deep breath and

my dry, weary bones can come to life

and be refreshed because I have been

reminded of a greater hope.

13

14

SPOTLIGHTWhen it came to finding someone for this month's In the Spotlight, there was

one obvious choice! He is a writer loved by children all over the world, but

whose underlying messages we would all do well to remember. He is the

ultimate example of keeping in touch with your inner child. He inspires fun and

fantasy through his rhymes. He is none other than and the

following quote by the man himself sums up the theme of this edition:

As he was such an interesting guy, and because all of us at Illumin8 are huge Dr

Seuss fans, this section is much longer than it was last month. We just couldn't

do the genius of the man justice with a few bullet points!

Theodor (“Ted”) Seuss Geisel was born on March 2nd, 1904 in Springfield,

Massachusetts. He first used a pseudonym when he was at Dartmouth during the

1920's. He had been the editor of the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern but was fired after

throwing a drinking party that violated the prohibition laws in place in the United States

at the time. In order to continue contributing to the magazine he adopted the pen

name “Seuss” which was his mother's maiden name as well as his middle name. Ted

credited his mother with his ability to rhyme as she had often chanted stories to her

children when putting them to bed.

The first time he signed a piece as “Dr Seuss” was when he was working for humour

magazine, The Judge. His father desperately wanted Ted to earn a doctorate degree

at Oxford and although he started his degree in literature he never finished it. The “Dr”

in his pen name is an acknowledgement of his father's unfulfilled dream. Incidentally,

although Seuss is most often pronounced as rhyming with “juice” the correct

pronunciation in fact rhymes with “voice”. This is from the German pronunciation of

“eu”.

Ted has a long and varied career which included working as an illustrator for

advertising campaigns and a political cartoonist for a New York magazine, PM. He

was introduced to animation during World War II when, being too old to enlist, he

Dr Seuss

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient

in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, which

is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”

iN THE by Lucy Goodwin

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 15

“Don't give up.

I believe in

you all.

A person's a

person no

matter how

.”small

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 16

created propaganda and training films for the Army. He won the 1947 Academy Award for

Best Documentary Feature for the film “Design for Death”.

Ted's first big break in children's literature came, not from writing, but from illustrating when he

was asked to illustrate a series of children's sayings called” Boners”. While the book was

unsuccessful, Ted's illustrations received great reviews.

The first book Ted wrote, “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street”, was rejected 27

times before being published by Vanguard Press, and so it is perhaps not surprising that it

was not considered the defining book of his career. “The Cat in the Hat” is the book which is

awarded this honour and it was written in 1954 in response to an article published in Life

magazine by John Hersey. Hersey commented on the high level of illiteracy among school

children and named one of the causes of this as boring books. Ted's publisher made a list of

400 words that he felt were important for children and “The Cat in the Hat” was published 9

months later using 220 of these words. It was an instant success and led to Ted developing

two streams of children's books; Beginner's Books and the others written in his older and

more elaborate style. In 1995 the University of California, San Diego's (UCSD) library was

renamed the Geisel Library in honour of Ted and his second wife, Audrey and their generous

contributions and devotion to improving literacy among children.

Ted's honours include two Academy Awards, two Emmy awards, a Peabody award and the

Pulitzer prize. Not bad for a guy whose best known as a children's author! However, he

considered his greatest work of art to be the Lion Wading Pool which he donated to the Wild

Animal Park in San Diego in 1973!

Ted had a vast collection of weird and wonderful hats so when he was experiencing a writer's

block he would quite literally “put on his thinking cap”!

He was married twice. His first wife, Helen Palmer Geisel died in October of 1967 after a very

difficult illness. He married Audrey Stone Diamond in June of 1968. She became the president

of Dr Seuss Enterprises after his death and still holds this role today.

Theodore Seuss Geisel died on the 24th of September 1991. At the time of his death over

200 million copies of his books had been sold and translated into more than 15 languages.

Six books were produced posthumously, based on material found in his studio. Since his

death, sales of his books have increased well beyond the 22 million mark.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver announced in May

2008 that Ted will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame later this year. Audrey will

accept the honor in his place on the 10th of December 2008.Though he devoted most of his

life to writing children's books, Ted never had any children of his own.

If you've never read any Dr Seuss then “Oh! The places you'll go!” is a great place to

start. Alternatively you can rent “Horton Hears a Who” which was on circuit a few

weeks ago and will be hitting the DVD stores soon. This is a great pick-me-up when

you've had a blue Monday or need to forget your troubles for a while.

DR Seuss Says: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than

You.”

“I have heard that there are troubles of more than one

kind. Some come from ahead, some come from

behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready

you see. Now my troubles are going

to have troubles with me!”

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and

the answers are simple.”

1. All About Dr Seuss Available: http://www.catinthehat.org/histroy.htm 2. Dr Seuss's Seussville [O] Available: Accessed: 5 June 2008 3. Dr Seuss [O] Available: Accessed: 9 June 2008 4. Dr. Seuss [O] Available: Accessed: 5 June 20085. Dr Seuss [O] available: Accessed: 9 June 2008

[O] www.seussville.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seusshttp://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dr._Seusshttp://quotes.miraclesalad.com

“This,” cried the Mayor “is your town's darkest hour! The time for all Whos who have blood that is red To come to the aid of their country!” he said “We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts! So open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!”

Illumin8 - Edition 2 - July 2008 17

to make a little

petrol go a long way

8ways

Over the last few months we have

experienced a cataclysmic rise is

in fuel prices. This has, no doubt,

added a great deal of strain to our

already suffering wallets. Every

time I fill up at the petrol station I

catch myself reminiscing about

the good old days when I could fill

my little Fiesta for only R210. I

realised however, that there was

no need to sound like my Gran but

that I needed to make the best of a

bad situation and do some

research. Illumin8 to the rescue!

We've done the searching for you

and have found some small ways

to help you make every last drop of

petrol count.

MINIMIZE...

5

It's the simplest way to save

your hard earned cash. Walk

to the cafe or ride a bicycle. In

this way you will be killing two

birds with one stone – getting

to your destination and

burning some calories while

you're at it.

Make a list of all you would like

to get done and try to accom-

plish multiple objectives with

each trip. It will not directly af-

fect your mileage but it will help

you to drive less. You may also

want to take the route with the

least traffic and stops because

braking and idling uses far

more fuel than driving at

a consistent speed.

Plan your trips.

When driving less is not practical you can start with your car itself. Go

through your car and boot and take out all the things you are

carting around with you that you don't really need. Weight is one of the biggest causes for loss of

kinetic energy. So essentially the more weight you carry

around the more petrol you use. It has been said that an extra

45.5 kg's increases fuel consumption by 1-2%.1

Lighten the load.

Properly inflated tyres can

also reduce fuel consumption.

Your tyres lose pressure

during the month and even

more so when it is cold. It is

recommended to check them

weekly. As a bonus, this will

also help you avoid uneven

wear on the tread.1

Inflate your tyres!

If you are like most people in a

parking lot, you probably spend

quite a while looking for that

perfect spot right at the

entrance. This may save you a

few steps but uses far more

petrol than you realise. So next

time you're out shopping, park in

the first spot you find and walk

those few extra metres to the

shops.

Park in the first spot you find!

Drive less.

You may know this as a means of driving safely but it can actually save you money too. Don't stick to the bumper of the car in front of you as this will make you brake and accelerate unnecessarily. Take it easy. Hang back a little. Either way you are still going as fast as the car in front of you.

Obviously, we are not

suggesting you drive 60km/h on

the highway (this would be

madness). Rather, by sticking to

the speed limit and driving at a

more consistent speed you will

definitely burn less fuel. Check

out your car manual to see what

the most economic speed for

your car is.

Keep a safe following distance

Drive Slower

Fill up before the price goes up again!

by Leanne Barnard

1.How to Increase fuel mileage [O] Available: http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Fuel-Mileage-on-a-Car Accessed: 9June 20082. How to save money on gas [O] Available: http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Money-on-Gas Accessed: 9 June 2008

Fascin8

Illumin8 - Edition 1 - June 2008

1. Strange Facts [O] Available: www.strangefacts.com Accessed: 9 June 20082. Indian Child [O] Available: www.indianchild.com Accessed: 9 June 20083. Amusing Facts [O] Available: www.amusingfacts.com Accessed: 9 June 2008

18

? A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court. 1

? One litre of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million litres of fresh water.1

? During your lifetime you'll eat about 28,000 kilograms of food (That's roughly the weight of 6 elephants). 1

? There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building. 1

? There are approximately 50 Bibles sold each minute across the world. This adds up to 26,280,000 Bibles a year. 1

? Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second. 1

? A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.1

? Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day. 1

? If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction. 2

? An acre of trees can remove about 13,000 kilograms of dust and gases every year from the surrounding environment. 3

? The world's termites outweigh the world's humans 10 to 1. 1

? The average four year-old child asks over four hundred questions a day (Which is maybe why they learn so easily). 3

As these facts show, small things can have a big

impact, add up to large numbers and generally just

boggle the mind!

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Illumin8 - Edition 1 - June 2008