Let me share some thoughts with you. Let me be a source of encouragement and support. May you never forget your dreams and remember miracles happen every day. Let us laugh, have fun, and inspire one another.
We’ve been asked to urgently assist 25
families, including children, who are living in a squatter camp under difficult
conditions. With winter approaching, the need is critical.
In addition, we’re supporting two special
needs children who require help with their school transport costs.
To raise funds, we’ve been gifted beautiful
Swarovski jewelry, which we’re raffling off for a small donation.
By participating, not only do you stand a
chance to win a stunning prize—you’re also making a real difference in the
lives of those who need it most. 🌟
1st Prize - Bracelet
🎁 RAFFLE
PRIZES – SWAROVSKI Jewelry
1st Prize: Bracelet,
Necklace, Earrings, and another Bracelet (4 items) 2nd Prize: Necklace and Bracelet 3rd Prize: 3 x Bracelets
🎟️ How to
Enter
Donate R50 per entry (you can enter as many times as you
like)
Use your name and cell phone number as the reference
You’ll receive an email confirming your donation
📅 Draw Date:
16 May 2025
Our accountant will draw 3 winners, who will
be notified via phone or email.
Winners in Johannesburg will receive hand delivery of their prizes; all others
will receive them via courier.
💙Most importantly, your contribution is bringing hope and help to
those who truly need it.
Thank you for your kindness and support!
– The CLR Foundation Team
I’m not sure when I first encountered the Serenity Prayer, or when it first occurred to me to ask who wrote it. For much of my life it never occurred to me that prayers were the kind of things that people actually wrote down, especially something as popular as the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to tell the difference.”
This simple, powerful sentence has been reprinted on everything from key chains and coffee mugs to tattoos and tea towels. For many people, it is probably most closely associated with 12-step recovery programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. There, the prayer serves as a reminder both of human limits and of the fact that they do not define us.
Originally, however, the prayer was written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. For him, it was a call to confront the realities of the world with courage – relying not on one’s own power but on God’s grace.
Christian realism
Over the years, the prayer has often been attributed to other Christian writers, including Thomas Aquinas, Augustine and Francis of Assisi. Many people might be surprised to discover that, far from being penned in an ancient European monastery, the Serenity Prayer was written less than a century ago in a cottage in western Massachusetts.
Niebuhr was born the son of a German American pastor in Wright City, Missouri. He became a pastor himself, serving a congregation in Detroit before moving to New York to teach at Union Theological Seminary, where he gained recognition as a theologian, activist and social critic. His brother, H. Richard Niebuhr, also became a well-known ethicist and theologian, as did his sister Hulda.
Today, Reinhold Niebuhr is probably best known as a founder of “Christian realism.” As I describe in my book “The Niebuhr Brothers for Armchair Theologians,” it is an approach to ethics grounded in the insight that human beings are called to strive toward their highest moral ideals, while recognizing our inability to fully achieve them.
This idea is captured by the title of one of his best-known books, “Moral Man and Immoral Society.” There Niebuhr argued that, while individuals are sometimes capable of acting purely from love for others, groups are not. When human beings form collectives, those collectives are ultimately capable of acting only from self-interest.
Therefore, the most that can be expected from any society is not love but justice – which approximates, but never fulfills, the demands of love.
Over the years, Niebuhr’s thought became particularly influential in politics. His work was read and respected by liberal politicians such as Arthur Schlesinger and Hubert Humphrey, who was vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson. Some of these admirers had little use for his religion, and even dubbed themselves “atheists for Niebuhr,” but they respected and embraced his insights into society.
2 versions
How then did Niebuhr come to write this prayer?
His daughter, Elisabeth Sifton, recounts the story in her book “The Serenity Prayer.” She was a girl when Niebuhr first composed the lines for a worship service near their summer home in Heath, Massachusetts. Later, as she tells it, he contributed a version to a prayer book for soldiers being shipped off to fight in World War II, and from there it eventually migrated to Alcoholics Anonymous.
A sobriety medallion used in an addiction recovery program, imprinted with the Serenity Prayer.Joe van petten/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Niebuhr did not believe that prayers should be copyrighted, she writes, and never profited from its popularity – though friends would gift him with examples of Serenity Prayer kitsch, such as wood carvings and needlework.
Yet the best-known version of the prayer is not quite the version that Niebuhr originally wrote. According to Sifton, his first version read, “God, give us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, the courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”
The differences between the two versions are subtle but significant, emphasizing themes that were central to Niebuhr’s thought. He did not simply pray for serenity, but for grace. He did not pray for courage to change what can be changed, but only for what should be changed.
And crucially, it is not an individual prayer, but collective: “grant us,” not “grant me.” Niebuhr believed that while the highest moral achievements could be attained only by individuals, constructive social change was possible only by working together for justice.
‘Saved by hope’
The Serenity Prayer in all of its forms rests on Niebuhr’s hard-won sense of history’s tragic dimension, borne of his experience of two world wars and a global depression. He recognized that even the most courageous actions are not guaranteed to succeed.
But Niebuhr was no fatalist and did not believe uncertainty was a reason not to act. On the contrary, he believed that as human beings we are obligated to enter the fray of social conflict – not with an arrogant sense of our own superiority, but with a humble recognition of our limits.
As he wrote elsewhere: “Nothing worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.”
In the end, for Niebuhr, it is God’s grace that determines the final course of history, rather than our own actions – enabling us to accept the reality that the outcomes of our actions are often out of our hands.
Johan Erasmus on ANC millionaires, water pollution, and the National Dialogue. We are swamped by sewage, corrupt officials, and lame-duck law officials. Investigations rarely lead to criminal convictions.
A comment**
I agree to many of your points, I believe the ANC is pulling the wool over our eyes (using crime/unemployment/water and energy crises) to keep citizens focused on these while they corrupt our economy for their own pockets. I don't trust the Chinese they know how easy it is to bribe their agenda into African politicians minds. Economic Colonialism is cheap when it comes to most African leaders.
For many years, I (Delores), along with
Joulene and Christopher, and a few other wonderful volunteers, have been
dedicated to supporting underprivileged communities on a personal level. We
have committed our time and resources to uplifting children and the elderly.
Often, we personally visit those in need, offering both financial and spiritual
support. Regularly, we distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to the elderly
and assist children by providing school uniforms, books, and stationery.
Recognizing the growing need for structured
support, we decided to establish the CLR Foundation to expand and enhance our
efforts on a larger scale. We have partnered with organizations such as the
United Cerebral Society, Reuven Old Age Home, Cortlands, and several special
needs schools. Through collaboration with these entities, we aim to provide
meaningful assistance in any way possible.
Our mission is to empower communities in need
by:
Providing educational resources, including school uniforms, books,
and stationery, to underprivileged children.
Delivering fresh food parcels to elderly pensioners and struggling
families, nourishing both body and spirit.
Supporting children with special needs through building
connections, securing funds, and fostering inclusivity.
With a heartfelt commitment to creating
positive change, we strive to bring hope, opportunity, and support to those who
need it most.
We are in the process of launching a website and there will be a link for people to request assistance. We will be posting photos and videos of people we will assist, so updates will be continuous.
THE BEST CHARITY IS INDIVIDUAL TO INDIVIDUAL
We would be most grateful if you will consider donating to this worthy cause -
