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Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Blessings
(1) I love Christmas time ... it helps me to take extra time to meditate on God's tremendous love for His people! I try to write a blog on our Christmas focus on Christ - if you want to take a peek, but do find myself always running out of time for blogging. http://chritmaswithchrist.blogspot.com/
(2) Feel as if you are in a rut? Looking inward too much? Need to have your eyes lifted heavenward? Then I am sure this will bless you as much as it did me! Recently we have seen Giglio's DVD Indescribable, you can see it free on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewKtSKbWZUI ( Not crazy about the background screamers but definitely well worth getting beyond that to be blessed by what Giglio has to say about how big and awesome our God is! And then along similar lines the DVD God of Wonders See http://www.thebereancall.org/node/7254 , if you scroll down this page you will see a link to You Tube too!
(3) Are you interested in Christian counselling? We all should be..we all have family, friends who need our encouragement (and who need to encourage us too!) I was so blessed by this excellent article! http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Sword-And-Trowel/Sword-and-Trowel-Articles/The-Seven-Pillars-of-Counselling(4) Do you also grow weary of doing good and being strong? What beautiful words are found to encourage us in scriptures; what a wonderful example our Saviour is to us... it is only as Christians that we can find a supernatural strength and courage to keep going well!
I have been so encouraged by a sermon on Romans 15! See
https://cid-ab3e9013fc969cbb.office.live.com/browse.aspx/Sermon%20for%20Sunday%2051210?Bsrc=Docmail&Bpub=SDX.Docs
Just look at these wonderful verses (ESV) Romans 15: 1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
(5) Last but not least I have been blessed by our many recent cool weather outings in God's beautiful creation and occassions to be with friends and family. This is our seventh summer here in Brisbane and it is usually sweltering hot by this time of the year, air conditioners are usually necessary for our family to cope. But this year God has chosen to bless with months 'of out of the ordinary' cool weather and lots of rain, this is a welcome break for us from the strain of coping with the heat and humidity of Brisbane. All these pictures were taken in friend's garden on a lovely rainy day! What a blessing rain is after years of drought! What a joy to see my friend's garden mature over the last 6 years and see her young boy grow up and become a talented choek (chicken) minder and choek house builder! Indeed friends are blessings untold too! What a treasure to have family and friends surround us making our lives beautiful and rich!
May you all know quiet closeness to God this Christmas, love and may God bless, Joy
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Preparing our hearts to make Christ our focus this Christmas
My Christmas blog will start up again soon! SEE http://chritmaswithchrist.blogspot.com/
Here are some thoughts
I always plan to be ready for advent ahead of time and as always I am found scrambling around in thought as to what I am going to do! Last year I had started my own advent devotional, based on the character of God. I tell the story of Christmas as I explain the character of God. But then I had knee sugary just before Christmas last year and never finished it. This year in Mid-November I realised that I should have been doing it all through the year, so of course it is not finished – I must try and get it done by next year!
So I am left wondering, “What I am going to do this year?”
I think I will keep it very simple….many years ago I was inspired by Noel Piper’s book Treasuring God in Our Traditions ( http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/Books/377 ) to make every aspect of Christmas meaningful so that when our children as adults go into a shopping centre as see a Christmas tree or decorations they will be reminded of some meaningful aspect of God. For example when I see a Christmas tree now I am reminded of the wooden cross and crib. When I see little silver or gold strings of beads, I think of Christ’s humanness, of his tears. When I see strings of red beads I remember his drops of anguished blood as he agonised for our salvation and his suffering in the process. So far we have only got our trees up, and 3 little crosses made.( there is no point in remembering Christmas without remembering why Christ came, so that is why we are starting with the cross first this year) I am in no hurry and plan to do each meaningful decoration one at a time until Christmas Day, spending time explaining and enjoying a fuller meaning to Christmas. Of course nativity scenes are a must in our family. And I aim to get my cloth interactive one a bit closer to being completed! I trust this will encourage you to love our dear Saviour more this Christmas. It is a wonderful time to make your own family memories and traditions that can be passed onto new generations. Christmas Blessings and love 
Joy
http://mustlookgoodbook.blogspot.com/
http://joyz-own-dezign.blogspot.com/
http://joyz-own-dezign.blogspot.com/
http://chritmaswithchrist.blogspot.com/
Here are some thoughts
I always plan to be ready for advent ahead of time and as always I am found scrambling around in thought as to what I am going to do! Last year I had started my own advent devotional, based on the character of God. I tell the story of Christmas as I explain the character of God. But then I had knee sugary just before Christmas last year and never finished it. This year in Mid-November I realised that I should have been doing it all through the year, so of course it is not finished – I must try and get it done by next year!
So I am left wondering, “What I am going to do this year?”
 |
| (This is my little cousins Christmas table from last year. When we are spread out all over the world it is lovely to have photographs to keep us connected!) |
Joyhttp://mustlookgoodbook.blogspot.com/
http://joyz-own-dezign.blogspot.com/
http://joyz-own-dezign.blogspot.com/
http://chritmaswithchrist.blogspot.com/
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Today We Visted a Fish and Chips Shop...Or...Am I Homophobic?
I am pleased I left the kids in the car with an older sibling for a few short minutes...
two women are holding hands in front of me as they placed their order. I imagine an older woman holding a grief stricken younger women in comfort as they faced some sudden death of a loved one. They turn slightly and I realised they were the same age. Perhaps they are long lost sisters? They move back and I collect and pay for my order. As I walk out I can not avoid the couple for they are smooching passionately and openly in the middle of the tiny crowded shop! I am shaken.
I am so pleased I left the kids in the car with an older sibling for a few short minutes...
Am I homophobic? ....No I weep those two kids, I fear for them and for all who do not respect God's ways! Why? Simply put ... His ways are perfect and the only way to happiness. By not following Him they risk losing happiness, of any sense of fulfillment and direction. I remember Sodom and Gomorrah and remember Lot's wife who was foolish enough to look back against God's wish - all of that city and Lot's dear wife were destroyed. Lot's life and his daughters lives were never the same again - fear and frustration led to more sin, more misery.
I do not judge, I shake with fear. I live in a city like Sodom and Gomorrah, where no one thinks there will be any consequences, but there will be and God alone can help us!
I urge you...chose today whom you will serve, for you cannot serve two masters at once....one is the devil (often times in disguise of many religions) and the other is the one true livign God. Our lives last an eternity, we chose now where we will spend the rest of our time.
Am I homophobic? No I have had friends who are homosexual. I have no problem befriending such people. But am I afraid for their eternal well being? Yes, as I am afraid for the eternal well being of anyone who says they are a Christian but never shows any fruit or who openly deny they have a faith in God.
You think I am not being very PC ( politically correct)? :-) I am merely taking the liberty of exercising my right to freedom of speech!
Luke 19: 41 41 And when he (Jesus) drew near and saw the city (Jerusalem) , he wept over it.
How greatly must God weep over our cities today...for how much it has cost Him to send His dearly beloved Son for the benefit of our salvation. May we weep with Christ for our cities and be drawn to compassionate action!
two women are holding hands in front of me as they placed their order. I imagine an older woman holding a grief stricken younger women in comfort as they faced some sudden death of a loved one. They turn slightly and I realised they were the same age. Perhaps they are long lost sisters? They move back and I collect and pay for my order. As I walk out I can not avoid the couple for they are smooching passionately and openly in the middle of the tiny crowded shop! I am shaken.
I am so pleased I left the kids in the car with an older sibling for a few short minutes...
Am I homophobic? ....No I weep those two kids, I fear for them and for all who do not respect God's ways! Why? Simply put ... His ways are perfect and the only way to happiness. By not following Him they risk losing happiness, of any sense of fulfillment and direction. I remember Sodom and Gomorrah and remember Lot's wife who was foolish enough to look back against God's wish - all of that city and Lot's dear wife were destroyed. Lot's life and his daughters lives were never the same again - fear and frustration led to more sin, more misery.
I do not judge, I shake with fear. I live in a city like Sodom and Gomorrah, where no one thinks there will be any consequences, but there will be and God alone can help us!
I urge you...chose today whom you will serve, for you cannot serve two masters at once....one is the devil (often times in disguise of many religions) and the other is the one true livign God. Our lives last an eternity, we chose now where we will spend the rest of our time.
Am I homophobic? No I have had friends who are homosexual. I have no problem befriending such people. But am I afraid for their eternal well being? Yes, as I am afraid for the eternal well being of anyone who says they are a Christian but never shows any fruit or who openly deny they have a faith in God.
You think I am not being very PC ( politically correct)? :-) I am merely taking the liberty of exercising my right to freedom of speech!
Luke 19: 41 41 And when he (Jesus) drew near and saw the city (Jerusalem) , he wept over it.
How greatly must God weep over our cities today...for how much it has cost Him to send His dearly beloved Son for the benefit of our salvation. May we weep with Christ for our cities and be drawn to compassionate action!
Do we treasure each Moment?
"Teach us...... that we may feel the importance of every day, of every hour, as it passes."
— Jane Austen
— Jane Austen
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