This issue is about a few of our favourite things! We've put together a compilation of articles from some of our past issues; a Quality Street collection of articles that touched our hearts and taught us something new about God. The added bonus of this is that we are, in fact, sending you six issues in disguise as one!

The Bible is full of fire – from the fire that Daniel was thrown into, to the offerings, burnt on an altar, that are a repeated feature in the Old Testament. We also feature a beautiful testimony about bringing beauty out of ashes, and are taken back to the days of Ezekiel and God setting fire to wet wood. We look at that old adage – where there is smoke there is fire in Double Take. And further explore that burning emotion – anger.

This issue has been another great example of how God inspires and guides the illumin8 team. I would never have thought we could get so much out of the theme 'Clouds', and yet here it is! We have a wide range of articles, from a variety of writers and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

This this issue is dedicated to words and their impact. We explore the power of words in ‘Life and Death’, spiritual language and the celebration of Pentecost and speaking to God and the impact this has on the power of our prayers. Then we have an entire section dedicated to the Soccer World Cup which everyone has some thoughts on!

The search for identity and the desire to know who we really are, probably influences more decisions than any other factor.The Bible tells us that when we become Christians we become new in Christ. But I have to wonder how many of us have truly taken hold of that knowledge? Are we really living as new people? Are our minds really focused on the unseen? Are the fruits of the Spirit growing in our lives for all to see? Is our relationship with Jesus more personal than
any other in our lives?

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this, The KISS Issue, is about Valentine's Day. You would however, be wrong! The God we love is a God of, well… love and is definitely not restricted to the 14th of February so we are not supporting this commercial holiday. Instead the KISS Issue is about simplicity, or more precisely Keeping It Sacrificially Simple!

The Spirit Issue is our first “sequel” and was initially thought of as a follow up to the Body Issue. As so often happens though, the final product has been a
bit of a surprise to us!

To start off with there's a lot more of a focus on the Holy Spirit than we anticipated. I'm not sure why this came as a surprise to us – I mean the Holy Spirit is most likely the first thing that comes to mind.

We bring you , a concept that has been in the pipeline for a few months now. Ironically, the one thing you won't find is fitness tips! In typical illumin8 style, we've taken a fresh and out of the box approach to this theme.

The bible is full of references to gardens and plants. The SOW WHAT issue is not about literal gardens though. We are consistently growing – either towards God or away from Him.A garden is not a temporary project.It is not something you can start and just forget about later. It needs constant care and attention. There is always something to do – it's a never ending process of improvement! We are much the same – unfinished works, gardens God is consistently
working on, in all circumstances and at all times.

We explore the role that numbers play in the bible: 70x7 – forgiveness; The 12 Apostles; 1(3) = 1 (The Trinity) and the 1 that makes it work – 5000 people, 5 loaves, 2 fish and 1 Savior of the World. Double Take explains Rest Stop 7: a mental and physical state you need to escape to once a week in order to recharge, reassess and realign your focus on God.

This issue is about diversity. We are all different and have a unique flavour to add to the world. Sometimes these flavours complement others and sometimes they clash – we explore how Jesus is the perfect addition to any life. Senzo explores indecision in the Tepid Taste of a Fencesitter. Megan Greenwood shares her experiences of God in the kitchen. Double Take is about Tasting Eyes: Peeling away the layers of deception in order to savour God’s goodness in its pure and true form.

We explore money – the effect is has on us and how God intends us to use it. Tithing, generosity and relying on God are all topics in this issue. Double Take explores Scroogeuenza: A wave of stinginess & greed that inhibits your ability to reach out to others and give for fear that you're depriving yourself of benefits.

It’s the first Christmas issue and in it we explore ways to rest during this busy time. The edition is an expanded elev8 calendar, featuring a different topic for each week: Be You, Be Grateful, Be Social, Be Merry and Be Still.

In this issue we explore how God cleans up our lives through the process of sanctification; how our view of ourselves limits us and explore holiness in The Opposite of Ordinary. Soup Bubble Christians is the  topic: Christians who isolate themselves from the world and needs of the world by only associating themselves within their safe Christian comfort zones.

This issue is all about you and the articles you sent us. We feature What Women Really Want by Karen Dieterich, an appeal against chain emails by Leanne Barnard and a review of the Spin 2 Care event by Nicci Barnard. Katy Breytenbach also explores the value our testimonies have and why it is so important that we share them.

"Where, O death, is your victory ? Where, O death, is your sting ? - 1 Corinthians 15 This issue explores the origins of sin, how the world sees sin, how sin gets into our lives and how we can overcome it. We feature the amazing testimony of Ryan Viljoen and a review of the Passion Conference which took place at Gallagher Estate on the 9th of August 2008. Empty Bunny Syndrome is this month’s Double Take: is the feeling that sin leaves you with: it’s sweet and satisfying at first but leaves you empty & unsatisfied afterwards.

Double Take explains the title: God has many more uses for you than you might think you have and He can use anything for good if you are willing to take action for Him.This issue is about two things: 1) How God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things and 2) How we need to act out our faith. We also have a review of Loftus for Jesus, which took place in Pretoria on the 19th of July 2008. “Does this Sound like Church to you?” explores different ways of worshiping God. The Wright Brothers are featured in In the Spotlight.

There are a number of aspects addresses in this issue: 1) How God calls us to be like children in our faith; 2) How small things can make a big difference; 3) How God places grand dreams in our hearts and uses us to achieve His purposes. This issue is also about rediscovering your inner child and that ability to have fun in all circumstances. In the Spotlight features Dr Seuss. In Double Take we learn to bow down to God and humble ourselves before Him through Rainbow Prayers.

In this issue we explore the effects our minds have on our lives and how God can use our thoughts to transform us. In the Spotlight features Henry Ford, a man who allowed his dreams and thoughts to rein freely and as a result changed the modern world. Peppermint Peace is this month’s Double Take : The feeling of fresh, life-giving air entering and restoring your soul as you walk in line with God's will.