Transferring to the next generation

'Tell the next generation...of...His power, and the wonders He has done.' Psalm 78:4 NIV
Karl Marx said that to conquer a nation you just have to block the transfer of values, morals and beliefs between generations. Our kids are like mirrors, they reflect what they see. 'Tell the next generation...of...His power….' If we don't; who will?
www.thewordfortoday.com.au

A back door

“… God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it" (1 Co 10:13 NAS).

God builds a back door into every temptation with a lighted 'exit' sign over it. The way of escape comes with the temptation. So while you will never be exempt from temptation, you can be victorious over it.
www.thewordfortoday.com.au

We are still becoming

"God planted a garden...there He put the man whom He had formed."
Genesis 2:8 NKJV

What does it mean to plant? To bury seeds beyond human view so that they germinate and eventually produce fruit. You're still becoming what God planted. There are talents in you that haven't been discovered and dreams that haven't been fulfilled. It means God believes in you - even when you don't believe in yourself.
www.thewordfortoday.com.au

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Multnomah Falls, Oregon
Originally uploaded by bhojman

In May I visited friends in Oregon. They very much wanted for me to see as much of Oregon's beauty as possible. One thing we did was to drive down the Columbia River Gorge stopping at all the waterfalls along the way. They were breathtakingly beautiful! Here is one view of the Multnomah Falls. The Multnomah Falls were the only ones I'd heard of. What a sight to see all that water plunging down the cliff face...
Each waterfall had its own particular beauty, no two were the same.
God's artistry was abundantly manifest all along the way. Even the moss and the small forest flowers had such a delicate beauty that my soul was fed and I was blessed more than I can say.

Joy comes in the Morning

“His favour is for life; weeping may endure for a night but joy comes
in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b NKJV

Joys are always on their way to us. They are always travelling to us
through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they
are not coming – Amy Carmichael.

Raise the bar!

"Do it...in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through Him." Col 3:17 NIV.

Whatever our work, let's 'raise the bar' because we're Christ's
representatives. Let's set the industry standard for excellence.
Knowing we follow Christ should give employers and customers
confidence they'll get nothing but the best.

www.thewordfortoday.com.au

My friend Paulette

My very dear friend Paulette Hopple died on Thursday morning. It was sudden, yet not unexpected. For 20 years she'd had a death sentence over her because of a rare form of scleroderma which had attacked her lungs. Through much prayer God gave her more strength, vim and vigour than most of us without any disease. She was someone who never did anything by halves... it was always full on.
I've always been impressed with her keen interest in people, and no matter who they were she wanted to know them, was concerned for them and wanted to encourage them in whatever way she could. I remember on a visit with her earlier this year in Mae Sai. She would always speak with the beggars who'd come across from Burma; she wanted to know who they were, what language they spoke and what were the circumstances of their life that had brought them to begging. Invariably she would give them some money or pay for a good meal for them. I found this care about people to be quite overwhelming.
She had been serving God in Asia. While on a 6 week trip for language data collection and a literacy workshop she experienced increasing difficulty with breathlessness at the slightest exertion. She knew it was bad but did not stop until completing the literacy workshop in which training was given to speakers of the ethnic language with whom she worked. These folk were being trained to be literacy teachers for their own people in their own language. After this her breathing become more laboured and she ended up in hospital. Her heart was unable to oxygenate her blood and gave out just after midnight December 18.
I miss her, and will continue to do. She was a good friend to me. We've been friends since being in grad school together in the mid 70's, so it's been a long blessing.
All her friends and colleagues around the world are in shock, and feeling deeply the effects of sudden loss. Though it seems as if her life was cut short, it wasn't. It was God's time for her. It might not suit us, or make sense to us, but it was definitely God's time.
This mornming I was reading John 14:1-3 and was impacted afresh by Jesus' words when he said: "I am going to prepare a place for you ... When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." Jesus had finished preparing Paulette's place and came to get her! Wow! And, I'm sure she was ready to go and knew it was time.
When will our places be ready? Will we be ready to go with Jesus when comes to get us? I pray we will. I pray I will.
Bless you all!

Koalas at Cape Otway

Koalas at Cape Otway
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Having just returned from a few days travelling along the Great Ocean Road along the souther coast of Victoria, I can't help but post this photo of a koala in a gum tree in the national park at Cape Otway. There were many in the trees along the road to the lighthouse. Koalas are always so cute!
Nothing seems to phase them... and they were observing us as much as we were observing them.
There were so many of them that there was plenty of time to observe and move around to het a good view of them.