Paint the Canvas, my Son!

© J. Francois Barnard – January 2020

The year is 2020, and the month is January. Ahead of you lies the blank canvas of your life. For the last 22 years, you, your mother and I have been preparing you to make those first strokes of the brush. It is with great anticipation that we look at what you and your Heavenly Father plan to paint!

The above may seem to relay so much pressure on you, but this is not it. The pressure is off. Gone are the days of assignments, tests, and exams. The fun is about to begin!

The Buffer and the Bad Blood

© J. Francois Barnard – 28 December 2019

More than 22 years ago, I held my baby boy on my lap and looked at his sweet face. Absolute perfection! A perfect baby born into an imperfect world.

As I reminisced about my childhood, I wondered about what my boy would face in his life? What impact would this imperfect world have on a boy born so perfectly?

The Oil, the Ozone and the Odor

J. Francois Barnard – 2 February 2019

In 2008 I found myself without an income. My IT-Company was sold, and a restraint-of-trade agreement prohibited me from re-entering the IT-Industry. Being a businessman at heart, I looked for business opportunities. I wanted to get involved in the manufacturing of products, preferably in an area with less competition than I experienced before in IT.

Civilization

J. Francois Barnard – February 2017

Three hundred years ago, my ancestors traveled from Germany to the harbor of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, to set sail for Africa. With them they brought their Christian Faith and their dreams for a better life.

The Cape of Good Hope gave them exactly that – hope. They set off as farmers cultivating the land. They moved a little more inland towards the Little Karoo and later took part in what later became known as the Great Trek.