Hi there
You'll notice this e-zine is very dominated by the Olympics. Beijing fever has gripped SP HQ, even to the point that this update is being written between intermitent glances at the BMX racing - go Kiwi!
Anyway, there's a lot of other things happening much closer to home that you should definitely check out... Promise Keepers and it's teenaged alternative, Transition, is touching down in Tnga (29-30 Aug) and Wgtn (12-13 Sep), Random Act of Kindness Day on 1 Sep, Count'd 5-6 Sep (Pacific Christian Conference), Samstock Music Festival 26-28 Sep and In His Honour just around the corner 11 Oct.
Thanks to all those who responded to our recent appeal - we appreciate it very much! And if you've been thinking about supporting SP regularly please check out the support pages.
Finally, be sure to pass Nick Willis' testimony on to friends - it's a great story of God's love!
The SP Crew.
Top 5 Olympic 2008 Moments
6. If Phelps was his own country he'd still be ninth on the medal count.
5. Bolt breaks the world 100m record
4. Bolt breaks the world 200m record
3. Willis sprints home for bronze
2. Vili claiming gold on her first throw
1. Mahe literally pours out his heart (and guts) for bronze.
(Sorry it's not quite five, but we just couldn't narrow it down any further! All links open on the tvnz.co.nz site.)
Punching Above Your Weight
by Ben Kendrew
You know it's something special when you're allowed to watch TV in your classroom at school!
There are only two times I remember teachers letting us have the television on while we were in class – the Olympic Games and the America’s Cup. Sure, they are major international sporting events that only happen every few years – so the fact that they’re irregular means our interest spikes when they come around – but I think there’s something else about these events that makes them popular in our little island nation at the bottom of the world…
We punch above our weight.
While we may be in the top tier of countries in regards to living standards and we’re not as poverty-stricken as many other nations, our relatively small population, our isolated geographical position and lack of any major cities (by international standards) can mean that other countries might not consider us much of a threat. I mean, compared to the size and power of countries like China, America, Australia and Russia, the Kiwis could easily be overlooked.
However, our history of results at these kind of major sporting endeavours proves New Zealand to be a nation that surpasses what may be expected of us. Middle distance runners like John Walker, Peter Snell and Murray Halberg have done us proud; as have boardsailors Bruce and Barbara Kendall, swimmer Danyon Loader, cyclists like Sarah Ulmer, Ian Ferguson the kayaker and a bunch of rowers and triathletes. In fact, there’s a long list of sports that we have obtained Olympic medals in across the years. We have outdone ourselves!
And you know what’s interesting? We expect those kind of results. When we hear about our athletes attending sporting events like the Beijing Olympics, often New Zealander’s natural assumption is that we should at least challenge the winner, if not come out on top.
It’s a peculiar part of our culture, pinning such high hopes on sportspeople, particularly because our expectations of ourselves in our day-to-day life are often so low. We can have a habit of being understated, of speaking down about ourselves in a way that unfortunately goes past being humble and starts having a negative impact on how we see ourselves. Yet we believe our sportspeople can achieve to the highest level.
Here’s a thought: why not put that kind of belief in yourself? In the same way we watch the news expecting to hear about Kiwis winning medals, increase your expectation to see yourself to succeed in whatever you’re involved in. It is, after all, what God had in mind for us when He said He has plans for us to prosper – He loves to see his kids punching above their weight!
A Kiwi Girl in Africa: Final
by Sarah Anderson
The battle of facts against truth. Hindsight has to be the most valuable tool! But how do you begin to process five months of pretty loaded experiences in a foreign world? Well, while my memory is fresh and I’ve got all the time in the world, I’ve started to... More »
Rockquest Finalists Announced
The dream of all high school bands to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Evermore and win the National Rockquest have been narrowed down to just six bands, including FUSE 08 stand outs, The Stray Dogs. More »
