ALL PRAISE TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR “Who’d have thought it …” Do we say this in a surprised or stunned voice? Is it said out loud or in the recesses of one’s mind? I would have to say that has been in my thoughts in the last 20 months. We are living in uncertain times; will this virus disappear? Or will it keep mutating? I don’t have the answer, but I know that our …
This is the day that the Lord has made … we shall rejoice and be glad in it … Wasn’t yesterday also the day that the Lord had made? And right back to the beginning of time, THIS IS the day that the Lord had made. Each day is a new day in Christ; as we walk the road to the cross, this Easter and all those Easters gone before and those still to come, …
Lutheran Women of Australia (LWA) Mid-Term Council Meeting 27,28 October 2020 This not being a ‘typical’ year initiated a different way of hosting this mid-term meeting of representatives from across Australia. We met via Zoom, commencing at 12 noon EST to facilitate a respectable time for all to participate, noting a three-hour difference between western and eastern states. Led by our Spiritual Advisors, Pastor Ernie Kiss and Pastor Chris Raatz, our meeting sessions were covered …
All things being New … Your guild or fellowship … OR YOU! New Year, new beginnings! Did you wait till now for your thoughts to process what this year, for you or your group, might bring! While processing my thoughts before putting pen to paper, or I should say fingers to the keyboard, I am very aware of the many things I do not know. What will this year bring, with COVID-19 still in the …
Trust, Love, Listen … Wisdom This year has certainly been a long journey for many! We have experienced in our different States, degrees of enforced isolation. Through this time many have been challenged in our trust of governments, sometimes we have failed to listen to the right messages! We have certainly had time to reflect, rest in the quiet ‘forced’ periods of 2020. I have ‘over done’ – glued to different forms of digital media …
Did I speak to soon? If you live in Victoria that certainly was the case! I’m speaking about COVID-19. We are not out of the woods yet, in these uncertain times. Yet I am reassured every day in my devotions and through online Morning Prayer on YouTube. Yet through all of this, certain daily routines are still happening, these are reminders of what we should do – IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS. Filling in my time, …
Are you ready to serve …? These last couple of months have put challenges before us. Have you been connecting with your friends by phone, text messaging or by online devises – emails. Have you been able to “head to church” in your pyjamas and been spoilt by church “hopping” to several congregations throughout Australia? I have been blessed to have the technology to be able to worship, at sometimes up to four different church …
‘Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day …’ for those of you that know the words to the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, there is one word I would change in the chorus: ‘Everything’s goin’ my God’s way’ (of course I would make the words a little more Aussie). Do you get the picture? We are going through some challenging times, and yet let us not lose sight of the magnificent gift from …
My brother, Robert Lindsay Faulks, came into this world at seven months gestation after my mum severely haemorrhaged. It was a long labour, and forceps had to be used, resulting in not only reduced oxygen to the brain, his beautiful head misshapen. The doctor at the delivery (a prominent professor) informed my parents that ‘he’ would not be any good and that they should just forget him and walk away. That was the start of …
‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. Without this I am nothing … We hear these words numerous times in our worship, in either songs of praise or in our liturgy. I was asked to choose the Bible readings for my older brother’s funeral just before Christmas. I was having difficulty, so I texted my Pastor Mat for suggestions. I knew that a lot of seasonal Christians would be attending, and I wanted the service to reflect …
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of the God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 With the words “in everything give thanks”, I had to stop and reflect, do I enact this every day? Sometimes each day just rolls over; we have our routines. As I have mentioned in previous editions, reading my daily devotions is a jump start to the day. I reflect on …
How good is it to buy new sheets! I visited a new outlet in town only to be told that they had been there for over one year. Town to me usually means groceries and paying accounts, window shopping comes down the list. This outlet also shares the same name of an AFL iconic football brand! That was the first surprise; the second was the price of the sheets! My original set was in need …