Oupa sings with the angels:

My dear grandfather has made his final journey home today. He lived to be 90, and is much missed by family. My Ouma has been his faithful help meet for many, many years and will miss him dearly.

Oupa became a Christian when my mother was in her teens or early 20's. He turned from a drunkenness at the time of his conversion, and his life was transformed. I will deeply miss his daily prayers for me and for my family too. Deeply etched in my memory is the time my sister and I stayed over with my grandparents and saw Oupa waking up at 5 AM on a freezing cold morning to pray. He and Ouma literally kneeling next to their beds to pray, Ouma inviting us two little girls to kneel beside her. ( How my little knees ached after a minute or two!) I wonder how many pains we have been spared by the grace of God through their prayers!

Oupa lived through a war, the depression, apartheid, and phenomenal changes in technology and South African politics. He is of Jewish descent, and is the last of his siblings to go to heaven. He has worked in the South African navy, built railways in Rhodesia, and worked for the South African post office for many, many years. He has been involved in the same church for something like 40 years.

I have sadly not seen my Oupa and Ouma for 16 years, as have been unable to travel due to family commitments and the financial limitations of travelling with a big family. I am deeply saddened not to have seen Oupa for so many years, but I know I can look forward to being with him in heaven one day. My favourite memories of him are when he jovially teased. When I was sweet sixteen, I had never been kissed before and how he teased me! Each visit would have a teasing session. The last time I spoke to Oupa was no exception....He always asked me on the phone, "so Joy, do you have any news for me" ....meaning, "if you are pregnant be sure to let me know first!" Sometimes he would even ask, " so is it a boy or a girl?" way before I was even pregnant again.

One of the saddest aspects of immigration is that my children do not know Oupa, and also that we will not be with family at this time ...I grieve for my children that they cannot grief fully for the man who has prayed for them and loved them for so many years. I have grieved for 16 years now, over not seeing my Ouma and Oupa. And now I grieve that I will never see Oupa on this side of heaven. We are the poorer without him, he is the richer in heaven and free of pain, filled with pure joy and happiness. May we rise up to pray faithfully as he did!

The only effectual reformer of the world!

(From Grace Gems again!)

The only effectual reformer of the world!

(Samuel Davies, "Serious Reflections on WAR" 1757)

"When He comes--He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment!" John 16:8

The Holy Spirit is the only effectual reformer of the world! If He is absent--
legislators may make laws against crime;
philosophers may reason against vice;
ministers may preach against sin;
conscience may remonstrate against evil;
the divine law may prescribe, and threaten hell;
the gospel may invite and allure to heaven;
but all will be in vain!

The strongest arguments, the most melting entreaties, the most alarming denunciations from God and man, enforced with the highest authority, or the most compassionate tears--all will have no effect--all will not effectually reclaim one sinner, nor gain one sincere convert to righteousness!

Paul, Apollos, and Peter, with all their apostolic abilities, can do nothing, without the Holy Spirit. Paul may plant the seed--and Apollos may water it; but God alone can make it grow! "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything--but only God, who makes things grow!" 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7.

Never will peace and harmony be established in this jangling world--until this Divine Agent takes the work in hand.

It is He alone--who can melt down the obstinate hearts of men into love and peace!

It is He alone--who can soften their rugged and savage tempers, and transform them into mutual benevolence!

It is He alone--who can quench those lusts that set the world on fire, and implant the opposite virtues and graces. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are mentioned by Paul, as the fruit of the Spirit, because the Spirit alone is the author of them. And if these dispositions were predominant in the world--what a serene, calm, peaceful region would it be, undisturbed with the hurricanes of human passions!

Oh, how much do we need the influence of the blessed Spirit . . .
to break the heart of stone,
to enlighten the dark mind, and
to comfort the desponding soul!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We have posted Samuel Davies very insightful sermon, Serious Reflections on WAR

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When our children hurt....

We cannot take our children along a perfect path, or make their lives perfect for them but we can take their hands and take them to God as we walk along the way; we can talk with them and pray with them; we can share their pain and we can pray for them...knowing that even when we do not have the words to say anything, our Jesus intercedes on our behalf as we groan. We can know that our perfect Lord always loves us and our children, and much more than the sparrow that falls. That nothing can separate us from the love of God. And when we cannot help our children 'enough', we can entrust them into the loving arms of our Saviour again.

Psam 23:5 ....my cup overflows ( I have no needs my Lord cannot satisfy)
Psam 30:5 ....Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

"Dare double dare, meet up the top of the... Wet and Wild Surf-rider

My men are as follows...

Douglas was absent for the day, but would have loved to have joined in all the manly adventures my young men had at Gold Coast's Wet and Wild! The most scary adventure being the Surf-rider! Josh and Jo and their good friend Eli were champions to give the surf rider a go! I have never seen my boys so pale after this adventure, fortunately they planned to do it just before lunch! They did a 100 times better than the rest of us 'chickens' by actually giving it a go! Jonathan excelled in bravery here, going on it 4 times by the end of the day! See him on the Surf-rider in the video below! Sorry filming does not do justice to the grand event!

Wet and wild successfully sorted out the men from the boys, but as for us adult ladies, we just did not feature! I felt like a wrinkled old prune! Erica and her friend Suzanna did all bar 3 rides/slides. And deserve medals for such bravery as far as I am concerned!I went on one slide too many, the Mammoth Boat Slide was enough to make me scream all the way down, and refuse to do anything else, except sit in a hot pool to recover and take photographs, only I ran out of batteries far too early! My kids all thought that my slide was a tame ride, and proceeded to do more scary rides/slides - and mostly without screaming too!

"Dare double dare, meet up the top of the ... Wet and Wild Surf-rider."

"No ways, go it alone buddies...I'll stick to Buccaneer Bay, with the little kids, better still - the hot pools where I just have to sit!"

Burning Down the Shack

http://www.monergismbooks.com/Burning-Down-The-Shack-How-the-Christian-Bestseller-is-Deceiving-Millions-p-19115.html

This looks like another interesting read!

One Million Arrows

This is a new book I have just discovered....can't wait to get my hands on it! What do you think?
http://onemillionarrows.com/The-Book/

A beautiful Blog posting:

'Not Just an Ordinary Life' is a blog written by an amazing woman who has adopted disabled children who would not normally have a family of their own....here is a very touching post as she comes to terms with grief issues yet again. http://blessedby10.blogspot.com/2010/05/kiss-of-angel.html