Features

GOD’S PRECIOUS CONCERTO!

(September 22, 2023) Norman and Margaret Moss reflect…

Listening to the introduction to a BBC Prom the other evening, we learned that Schumann’s Piano Concerto has a romantic secret.

The Clara Code
A key theme of the concerto is a series of notes which represent the name of Schumann’s beloved Clara. Sometimes this is referred to as the Clara code.

What a precious tribute to her! Schumann had written a whole concerto through which Clara’s name is enshrined forever. A very precious concerto indeed!

But – there is another concerto that is even more precious!

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YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT? YOU’RE KIDDING!

(September 21, 2023) Richard Winter shares a challenge…

I better warn you – this is about those one of those hard sayings of Jesus, in fact one that believers must look at and act on!

Something Jesus wants us to be doing that involves denying ourselves and saying ‘Yes’ to God’s will. And it’s one of the most difficult things for all of us to do!

And what is it? you cautiously ask. It’s Jesus’ command about forgiving other people who have wronged us!

Now that’s difficult!
Yes… and no wonder that the like of Collins English Dictionary explains ‘difficult’ as ‘not easy to do, understand, or deal with: requiring effort.’

Now we humans know all about anger, bitterness, resentment, revenge, hate and grudges when we’ve been hurt. After all, aren’t these normal emotions of people?

But… you’re asking me to forgive those who have hurt me?

No, I’m not! Please stay with me here…

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HAVING A CHRIST-LIKE ATTITUDE

(September 08, 2023) Carol Round shares about a most important character trait…

As a former high school teacher, I recall students who had a good attitude and those who had bad attitudes. It was often challenging to be nice to the ones with the latter. However, that still small voice always reminded me I didn’t know what was going on in their lives that might be leading to their bad behaviour.

This past month, I’ve been blessed to interview people who are on a mission to help others in our community. As a freelance writer for the local newspaper, I’ve been selecting stories to inform others about the ministries and organisations available to aid those in need.

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HAVING BAD HAIR DAYS?

(August 31, 2023) Norman and Margaret Moss share good news…

So, it was 9am, and we were parked outside the local hairdressers.

Actually, we had been parked where we were from about 8.40am as we try not to be late for appointments. But where was the hairdresser?

The shop was dark and empty. Hairdryers, clippers, and scissors lay half hidden in sepulchral gloom. A further twenty minutes dragged by, and Margaret decided to do the rest of the shopping leaving me to keep watch.

I waited a further ten minutes and still no one appeared.

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MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!

(August 28, 2023) Mama Lava challenges us regarding our language…

Words are essential every day… some describe feelings, others tell of actions.

1. Complaining Words
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about words.

Guess that is to be expected when starting to write something, especially a blog… What is the message I want to convey? How do I want to say it?

When I write, I can be thoughtful and intentional – I have the benefit of backspace. But spoken words can be harder to manage.

The poster-sized James 1:19 reminder to the right? I have it hanging in my house:

I intend for my audible words to withstand rigorous checkpoints before they get through my lips, but they often escape with astonishing ease. The Bible points out the inconsistency of my tongue very well: ‘With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness’ (James 3:9).

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WARNING! BEWARE OF –

(August 26, 2023) Richard Winter shares some warnings!

Warning signs are everywhere!

  • Beware of Imitations!
  • No Overtaking!
  • Beware of Dogs!
  • Warnings on cigarettes packs.
  • Warnings regarding toxic chemicals.
  • Warnings about poisons.
  • Warnings on storms, volcano eruptions and tsunamis.

Such warnings are helpful to protect and preserve life and property. But… more importantly, warnings about spiritual dangers should be constantly issued to people!

Acts 20:31 tells that when Paul was with the church at Ephesus for three years he warned them to beware of the devil’s deceptions.                                                                         

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NO MATTER WHAT…

(August 19, 2023) Carol Round inspirationally shares encouragement regarding storms of life…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18TLB is a very inspirational scripture – ‘Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.’

The emphasis here is on the word ‘always,’ and this simply means ‘at all times, on every occasion.’ But note Paul’s encouragement… ‘No matter what happens.’

I remember a discussion of 1 Thessalonians in a Sunday school class. One member shared this about the above verses: ‘Until our family was faced with cancer, we did life as usual. I’m actually grateful, not for the cancer, but that it changed our lives.’

Unexpected crises are a part of life!
Disappointment, heartache, pain and other challenges in our lives are sometimes the motivating factor in seeking salvation or our spiritual growth.

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PASTOR ONCE BLINDED BY SHOTGUN BLAST

(July 27, 2023) Michael Ashcraft shares a good news testimony…

A shotgun blast to his face left Leonard Williams blind! He was only 19 and the gun blast should have blown his head completely off.

‘It was the grace of God that kept me alive,’ says Leonard who grew up in Yuma, Arizona, at a time when the only economic activity revolved around the military base and agriculture.

Looking for excitement… falling into drugs
For a young man looking for excitement, there was little besides playing shuffleboard at the county centre, so Leonard fell into drugs and the streets just like his eight older brothers and four sisters in the 1960s.

Leonard met Patricia, the girl who is now his wife, in high school and they had a child, moving in together when he was 17. He dropped out of high school because of one assignment that involved an oral report. Terrified of public speaking, since an oral report was required to pass the class, Lionel dropped the entire shebang.

In 1977, gang culture hadn’t developed too much. Mostly, kids fought by neighbourhoods. Somebody from a rival neighbourhood had stolen his Chevy Impala and burned it.

Along with his buddies Lionel went out looking for revenge. His head was sticking out of the window as he looked for the culprits. Before he could see or do anything, the culprits fired a shotgun at him! ‘My head should have been taken off at the shoulders,’ he says.

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SATISFYING SLEEP

(July 22, 2023) Mama Lava caringly seeks to help sleepless readers…

Hi precious readers!

If I were to give you a cushy reclining chair, a pillow, and a soft blanket, would you be likely to fall asleep?

As much as I’d love to provide a nap for you, I’d rather talk to you about why you could not be having satisfying sleep .

I’ve had some sleep issues myself and in working to resolve them, I’ve discovered a few tricks. But first things first…

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WHEN YOU NEED REST, SEEK JESUS

(July 23, 2023) Carol Round shares great advice.

Badly needing rest
Although fireworks ended around July 6 where I live, thunderstorms have intensified in our area, leaving me tired because they’ve been striking at night while I’m trying to sleep.

My eight-year-old Chiweenie, Harley, has suffered, too. His restless nights, due to the loud cacophony of both noisemakers, have interrupted my sleep as well. Swaddling him in a vet-recommended anxiety jacket and dosing him with prescription medication hasn’t helped. After research, I recently began playing classical music, hoping it would help. It hasn’t.

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