Actor Denzel Washington Says God 'Always Had Faith in Him'

Actor Denzel Washington has spoken about the experience in his walk with God, saying at a recent function God has always had faith in him.

Washington, has never been shy in expressing his Christian faith, made his comments at a recent function by the Church of God in Christ in St. Louis, Missouri.

Denzel Washington 

"There's never been a time where God didn't direct, protect, and correct me," Washington said at the annual event. "There may have been times where I was less than faithful to him, but he had faith in me."

Washington has spoken out about his Christian faith before, previously telling GQ Magazine that he reads the Bible daily, adding that such an activity isn't difficult, as he is the son of a pastor.

"I read from the Bible every day, and I read my Daily Word," Washington said, adding that his preacher father "wasn't a taskmaster, but there were certain things you couldn't do."

"He had his own church, and it was a long Sunday, because you had to be there all day," the actor added.

"Everyone I grew up with didn't have a father," he continued. "I had a father. My father was a decent man. He was a very spiritual man and a gentleman."

The well-known actor also made his faith known during a graduation ceremony speech at Dillard University back in May, where he told students to "put God first."

"Number one: Put God first," he said. "Put God first in everything you do."

"Everything you think you see in me, everything I've accomplished, everything you think I have – and I have a few things," said Washington. "Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that. It's a gift."

The Boy Next Door: The Importance Of Communication

After almost a year of trial, I finally threw caution to the wind and decided to speak to the boy who lives next door. He is not what I thought he was after all. He is a only a boy trying to come to terms with the realities of life. He is just a boy. I have learnt the importance of communication.

The  Importance Of Communication File Photo

Everyday for the past year, I lived a life of suspicion. Always thinking the boy next door was out to do harm to me and my property. Ever since the boy moved in, my mind was always suspicious of everything about him. I would monitor all his movements and record them in the diary of my mind. In my mind I built a database of everything suspicious about the boy. I always viewed the boy as rebellious. Every perceived characteristic that I picked out from the boy influenced my thoughts and attitude towards the boy.

When my red rose flower was stolen sometime back, he was my first suspect. I never found enough evidence to convince myself that he was the one responsible for the theft of my beloved flower. My investigative instinct helped me gather important information about his name and background. I googled for as much information as possible about the boy next door. In a way I did a thorough job in searching all the social networks just to confirm my unknown fears.

It was after I had gathered all the relevant information that I yesterday called his name over my wall. He politely answered and we started a conversation that changed my general perception of him and other people around me. In short the boy revealed to me that he had come to live with his uncle whilst trying to look for a job to turn him around. I am generally a talkative person and so we spoke for a good three hours until I was called in to attend to some tasks that I had set aside the previous day.

Many times in life we create in our minds models of people we like and don't like. We fail to afford the power of the ability communicate with people a chance. When I spoke to the boy next door I was even shocked that the tone of his voice was not what I had thought it to be.

I have learnt that in life, everyone has a person next door. We become suspicious of people that we don't understand. Sometimes we label them as potential danger to our minds and as such every action they do is a perceived potential harm.

I now regard the boy next door as my son. He is only a boy trying to navigate the terrains and realities of life.

Discover a boy or girl next door and have a conversation today. Learn the skill to communicate with people around you.

Pull Out The Weeds And Let The Good Seed Grow

Now that the cold season is over in the Southern part of the world where I live I have been working in my garden, pulling out weeds and old plants; and putting new seed into the ground.

 I have been working in my garden; pulling out weeds and old plants; and putting new seed into the ground.

Observations of what is happening in the garden alerted me to two things that I felt are very important life lessons. In every garden or farm there is always competition going on between the good seed that you really want and the weeds. Somehow the weeds seem to have an upper hand over the good seed and they grow very quickly and many a times if left unchecked they almost always crowd out and choke the good seed. It seems the weeds are native to the patch of soil without any effort from me they just flourish whereas the good seed actually requires me to firstly clear the ground, hoe it, add manure, put them into the ground, water and tend them to maturity.

Allow me a little digression. Over the past three years I have had interesting experiences with one weed-cum-vegetable. In Shona Culture, like many other Bantu Cultures, the tender leaves of the blackjack plant are consumed as a delicacy in the rainy season. Being anaemic I am particularly fond of this weed-cum-vegetable because it is my opinion it is a natural iron supplement and when I moved to my current place of residence the blackjack plant was all over the yard and the garden. Being the man that I am I always allowed it an element of free reign certain sections of my garden so that I could enjoy it. The results were always catastrophic for the other vegetables that would be growing in the same section with the blackjack. Anyone with a little farming experience would tell you that weeds and "plants" compete for nutrients, water, and sunlight and if left unchecked the weeds have an upper hand in the competition.

I would liken weeds and the good plants to failure and success in that order. When you consider any area life from relationships, academia, business or careers we also have our weeds and good plants. Just like the weeds in my garden the weeds in these areas of life seem native to us and don't require much effort to flourish. Think of how easily we lie and cheat on our spouses. Think of how easily we break our promises to our children. Think of how we almost always neglect studying until the very last minute before the exam. Think of the many businesses that aborted before they even started.

Failure is so native in and to us and no wonder it is all over : failed marriages, failed businesses, failed and failing students, and recently Africa and other parts of the world have started producing failed states. Just like the weeds in my garden it does not require effort it rolls out on its own. The good plants of success on the other hand like the good plants in my garden require deliberate and conscious effort if we are to enjoy their fruits. The ground has to be cleared, hoed, manured, good seed planted and tended to maturity. And as you consciously grow the good seed of success you have to consciously uproot the weeds of failure because the two can not exist side by side. One of the reasons we fail in life is simply because we do nothing and the weeds just grow. As a teacher, and a lay leader in church I have met a lot of people whose sole problem was inactivity or what I would like to call an, " I am going to do nothing about my situation syndrome " or worse still an " I know what's wrong but I am not going to do anything about it attitude ". With this attitude the weeds will definitely flourish and failure becomes commonplace.

As I conclude let me provide justification for my earlier digression on the blackjack plant. Life also gives us our blackjack plants and these are usually weeds which can be enjoyed as vegetables but in the greater scheme of things are damaging to the rest of the good crop in your garden. Our blackjack plants differ and it is your duty to identify yours. At a personal level I generally love reading, and for that matter I read on almost any subject that comes my way. I remember in my first two years as teacher I reached a stage where I could miss work because I was engrossed in one form of reading or another. Just like the blackjack in my garden this delicacy called reading for the love of reading was crowding out the good plants in my teaching garden. For another it may be the blackjack of flirtatious conduct at the office which may end up crowding out a happy marriage or the blackjack of uncontrolled use of social media which my end up crowding out your relation.

For another it may be the blackjack of flirtatious conduct at the office which may end up crowding out a happy marriage or the blackjack of uncontrolled use of social media which my end up crowding out your relationships or academic work.

Written By Tendayi I Mawango for Arthur Mutambara

Creating An Atmosphere For Success

About a year ago I met a man from Ghana, an ex-teacher and a businessman called Joe. I didn't get his surname, it was as much a tongue and mind twister as mine was to him so we settled on first names, in my case it was the second, Isaac, which he found easier to call. But enough of the pleasantries.

I have leant a lot from a great athlete Usain Bolt. In the face of all challenges and competition he still manages to create an atmosphere for success for himself. It is in this spirit of creation of an atmosphere for success that I am writing about a personal experience I had with Joe.

Usain Bolt has become an expert at creating his own atmosphere for success.

My meeting with Joe and all that I subsequently learnt about him from the friend who introduced us were very instructive. Joe, like me, is an immigrant who came to South Africa to pursue a teaching career. After working for a period of time he got tired of the way the system treated teachers of foreign origin. Yearly contracts which can be terminated at any time, delays in payment of salaries that can go up ten or more months, a hostile policy environment and many other irritants were amongst the various reasons that Joe cited as reasons for his resignation from his teaching position.

As part of the process of quitting his job and breaking away from the system Joe paid up all his accounts, reduced his expenditure on rent (moved into a single room in a cheaper area) and groceries and decided to forgo an number of luxuries that he had previously enjoyed. After this Joe looked for a product that he could sell in the Umuzimkhulu area where he had relocated to and what followed was a period of trial and error with second hand clothing, fruits and vegetables and other products until he settled on selling potatoes at slightly above wholesale prices. His strategy entailed maximising on his turnover rate and not on a single sale.

Over a two year period Joe's potato business grew from pushing about 100 pockets a week to a place where he was selling an average of 500 pockets every three days. Limited overheads meant a net profit of about R3.50 per pocket and this effectively meant that in one month Joe was now making an amount that approximated the salary that he had left. Controlled consumption habits saw Joe expanding into hair products and a hair salon. Details of how the hair products and hair salon ventures fared I don't know but I can only conclude that he did very well in that area as well.

Two months ago Joe left South Africa for Ghana after selling his business. Over the past few years he had been setting up a car import and sales business in Ghana and he believes it's time to go and manage it from the ground. I don't know how established the business in Ghana is but I know for a fact that Joe left South Africa with savings in excess of R500 000.

I don't want breakdown Joe's story and point at those elements that one could call instructive that, I leave for you to do as we both both pursue our own success.

Written By Tendayi I Mawango For Arthur Mutambara

CYBER-FRAUD: How To Stay Safe On Social Networks.

With the availability of Smartphone's and other sophisticated gadgets more and more people are using social networking sites for their day to day interaction. Social networking sites, every so often referred to as "friend-of-a-friend" sites, build upon the idea of established social networks where you are linked to new people through people you already know. The purpose of some networking sites may be just social, allowing users to establish friendships or passionate associations, while others may spotlight on establishing business associations.

Most people do not exercise caution when they reveal their personal details over the Internet.

Although the kind of social networking sites vary, they all allow you to give details about yourself and offer some type of communication instrument (email, forums, instant messenger, chat rooms,) that enable you to hook up with other users. On some sites, you can surf for people based on certain criterion, while other sites require that you be "introduced" to new people through a link you share. Many of the sites have communities or subgroups that may be based on a particular importance.

What Are The Security Risks Presented on These Sites?
Social networking sites depend on connections and communication, so they persuade you to provide a certain amount of personal details. You should make a decision on how much information you are going to reveal. For most people the decision is often ill conceived. Most people do not exercise caution when they reveal their personal details over the Internet.

The internet is unlike meeting a person in real life. It is known that many people are reluctant to give away information in person than on the internet. People feel much more comfortable with the internet as it seemingly provides a sense of anonymity

Over the internet, people style the information for their friends to read, forgetting that some the same information is accessible to other people as well.

People are people, they always desire to offer insights to astonish prospective friends or acquaintances.

Most users of social sites do not pose a threat. While the bulk of people using these sites do not pose a threat, malicious people may be drawn to them because of the ease of access and quantity of personal data that is easily accessible. The more information malicious people have about you, the easier it is for them to take advantage of you. Predators may form interaction online and then convince unsuspecting individuals to meet them in person. That could lead to a dangerous situation. The personal information can also be used to conduct a social engineering attack. Using information that you provide about your location, hobbies, interests, and friends, a malicious person could imitate a trusted friend or talk into you that they have the authority to access other personal or financial data.

In addition, because of the popularity of these sites, attackers may use them to distribute malicious code. Sites that offer applications developed by third parties are particularly susceptible. Attackers may be able to create customized applications that appear to be innocent while infecting your computer or sharing your information without your knowledge.

Protecting Yourself On Social Sites?

· Use strong passwords - Shield your account with passwords that cannot easily be guessed. If your password is compromised, someone else may be able to access your account and act as if it is you.

· Limit the amount of personal information you post - Do not post information that would make you defenceless, such as your address or information about your timetable or habit. If your connections post information about you, make sure the joint information is not more than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing. Also be considerate when posting information, including photos, about your connections.

· Be skeptical - Don't believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities. This is not necessarily done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, an exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any information before taking any action.

· Be wary of strangers - The Internet makes it easy for people to misrepresent their identities and motives. Consider limiting the people who are allowed to contact you on these sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be cautious about the amount of information you reveal or agreeing to meet them in person.

· Evaluate your settings - Take advantage of a site's privacy settings. The default settings for some sites may allow anyone to see your profile, but you can customize your settings to restrict access to only certain people. There is still a risk that private information could be exposed despite these restrictions, so don't post anything that you wouldn't want the public to see. Sites may change their options periodically, so review your security and privacy settings regularly to make sure that your choices are still appropriate.

· Remember that the Internet is a public resource - Only post information you are comfortable with anyone seeing. This includes information and photos in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once you post information online, you can't retract it. Even if you remove the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still exist on other people's machines.

· Be wary of third-party applications - Third-party applications may provide entertainment or functionality, but use caution when deciding which applications to enable. Avoid applications that seem suspicious, and modify your settings to limit the amount of information the applications can access.

· Check privacy policies - Some sites may share information such as email addresses or user preferences with other companies. This may lead to an increase in spam. Also, try to locate the policy for handling referrals to make sure that you do not unintentionally sign your friends up for spam. Some sites will continue to send email messages to anyone you refer until they join.

· Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date - Install software updates so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, you should enable it.

· Use and maintain anti-virus software - Anti-virus software helps protect your computer against known viruses, so you may be able to detect and remove the virus before it can do any damage. Because attackers are continually writing new viruses, it is important to keep your definitions up to date.

Children are especially at risk to the terrorization that social networking sites present. Even though many of these sites have age limits, children may misrepresent their ages so that they can join. By teaching children about Internet safety, being aware of their online habits, and guiding them to suitable sites, parents can make sure that the children become safe and accountable users

Zimbabwe In New Investment Drive As Africa's Richest Man, Aliko Dangote Plans To Invest,

The good news coming through from Zimbabwe is that Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has indicated plans to build a cement factory in Zimbabwe.

Mr Aliko Dangote plans To Invest In Zimbabwe

Mr Dangote is walking the talk about investing in Africa as he also plans to invest in coal mining and power generation in the South African region.

Mr. Dangote disclosed this on Monday after a closed-door meeting with Zimbabwe's vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Reuters report that Mr Dangote said the proposed plant would produce 1.5 million tonnes of cement yearly,

"We've already decided to invest in Zimbabwe, that's why we are here," he was quoted as saying.

Mr. Dangote is billed to meet Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe soon.

Although he did not state the estimated cost of the new plant, he affirmed that construction would commence in 2016, following the government's approval.

The investment will probably see the resuscitation of the Zimbabwean economy.

Source: Reuters