John Wayne

GREAT GRACE— AND A GREAT SAVIOUR!

(July 28, 2025) Robert and Maureen McQuillan share…

As most of you know we like relaxing by watching old movies… especially these days as I (Robert) can’t do much as a result of that very bad fall I had early this month (Thanks to the many friends who are praying for me.. and Maureen, my first-aid specialist ‘nurse!’).

Yes, just to please me Maureen still lets me suggest watching old John Wayne movies! (and yes, she enjoys them too!). And yes, since I was a kid the Duke has been ‘my hero’… even beyond Batman, Flash Gordon, Cagney and Bogart.

Discovery
But… better still, and more meaningful, both Maureen and I at a very young age, five or six, discovered the greatest ‘hero’— Jesus Christ! And recently in my taking it easy to recover, we discovered the brilliant Rosemary Siemens singing those precious old hymns that so many Christians and churches don’t sing or even know these days! And what a precious gentle voice and her mastery of integrated violin playing. We’ve been so blessed!

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FULL STEAM AHEAD FOLLOWING THE FATHER!

(August 17, 2023) Robert McQuillan reflects on a lifestyle choice…

It’ll soon be Father’s Day and I’m reminded of my dad and my childhood. Let me share something personal here… since childhood I’ve had a thing about steam trains!

Many a Sunday afternoon my parents would take me for a walk in the country (few people had cars back then and walking was the in-thing). Sometimes we’d cross a railway line. If I heard train whistles from down the track, and realised a steam locomotive was coming, I would insist we stop and wait until little wide-eyed me would watch it come by!

Growing older I’d be off with mates to the Saturday afternoon flicks. John Wayne was soon my hero and the first movie I saw him in he jumped onto the rear carriage of a big steam loco.

Following one’s heart
But more than the Duke was on my heart. Locos were certainly were! Especially as dad was an engineer – the official title for locomotive drivers in those yesterdays of steam trains, and I was proud of him.

Came the day which I will never forget when Dad took me – just a ‘little fellow’ in short pants – down to the local, large city rail station and explained about the (to me) ‘huge monster’ that was technically called the engine. And then being lifted up onto the platform, his working domain. What a thrill, such excitement for a small boy… my heart was beating: this was like a dream come true.

The loco had been prestarted and Dad explained the controls, how the engine operated. It was a cold morning but the heat from the blazing firebox quickly warmed me physically – my heart was already on fire with curiosity. I had stared at the huge wheels, and now I gazed at the control levers that looked so heavy to little me, and then back at the tons of coal in the tender. I was elated to be on that platform, especially when Dad permitted me to pull the whistle!

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ANAPAUŌ – CHILL OUT!

(July 31, 2023) Robert McQuillan encourages…

Odd name for the title of an article, isn’t it? Let me explain…

An old friend called recently and happened to ask how I wrote articles, how I got my inspiration and so on. My answer was twofold… like sermon preparations where I’d have an idea of what I wanted to preach/teach, it would come together as I typed.

The second way is similar… and I say this humbly, not spookily – I’d start to type and find that I’m immediately being led by the Spirit and ‘words just come about through my fingers.’ It’s called ‘Being Spirit led.’ And that’s what’s happening here, even as I type this!

Now I’d already researched so many scriptures in respect of something I thought I’d be writing about… but now I find the blessed Holy Spirit taking me in a different direction – even an embarrassing one!

And that okay… I’m His to be directed and used as He wishes… as we all should be! And that’s a threefold principle all Christians should remember every day…

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‘… AND A KIND WORD’

(October 17, 2022) Robert and Maureen McQuillan drop a hint…

In the midst of all that’s bad in our world or on the local scene, our everyday living, our seeking to achieve whatever we’re led to aim for – despite sicknesses, heartbreaks – or whatever is bugging us, hindering us, strife  that causes us to feel low, there’s one thing that always perks us up!

What, you wonder, could that be? Just three little words… so meaning and powerful – A kind word.

Thankyous
Such  encouragement may only be a simple thank you… which we were parent-taught to say when someone gave us something, or did something for us.

Acts of kindness and thankyous and encouragements are often missing today! For example, on purchasing a very inexpensive 2023 dairy this morning we said a meaningful thankyou at checkout. The young clerk had been smiling but stopped in surprise. ‘Too many customers forget to say that’ he nodded sheepishly.

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PROBLEMS!

(September 24, 2022) Robert McQuillan shares a recent incident… er…problem.

Problem – situation, person, or thing that needs attention and needs to be dealt with or solved (Cambridge Dictionary).

A few weeks back I had a problem, to me a big problem!

Don’t exactly know how it happened, exactly what happened… but suddenly it had and I was rocked for a moment! Blood was flowing unstopped from the long slice in my middle right finger. No pain but unstoppable bleeding!

Peace
I had been feeling so relaxed after encouraging a friend on the phone. My mobile had buzzed when I upstairs about to change into my pyjamas and intending to return to Maureen to enjoy some old (Yes, those who know me have guessed it!) John Wayne DVD before retiring for the night. (No doubt Maureen would sighingly comment, ‘Not John Wayne… again.’ But, bless her, agree to watch).

Anyway, I took the call, sitting on the edge of the bed to relax as I listened to my friend’s concerns… and to drink from a cold glass of juice that I had with me, as our conversation went on.

I spent some time encouraging the caller, giving wise advice and counsel – and biblical explanations and examples. Then I prayed and he had felt becalmed and released and we’d said goodnight. And I stepped into the ensuite to place the now empty, heavy glass on the vanity bench top.

Panic
I was feeling quite at ease – maybe I was feeling too at ease with myself having been used by the Holy Spirit to help someone at a late hour and wasn’t watching what I was really doing– I don’t know. But suddenly I was aware of the noise of breaking glass – a resounding racket to me – and that I was only placing half a glass on the benchtop, that broken glass was ‘everywhere’ on the floor at my feet and blood was running from my finger!

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‘…AND A KIND WORD’

dr-robert-and-maureen-092016(September 9, 2016) Robert and Maureen McQuillan drop a hint …

Mentioning in a July Facebook that we’d just celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary, we received many congratulations from not only friends but also from strangers!

Non-Christians, even some Christians, we shared with about our celebration were very surprised. In some instances it was a case of jaw dropping and eyes opening wide, and comments of ‘Gosh…these days that’s a record.’

Naturally we were pleased. We knew the major reason behind our many years together – what we call the BMT – Blessed Marriage Triangle…God is the head at the apex and we’re at each corner of the base. He continually reaches down to each of us, connecting with us and ensuring we’re firmly connected with each other and with him. (more…)