The Day Comes to an End

We have come to the end of another Christmas! Presents opened. Greetings exchanged. Food eaten. Christ remembered.

It is amazing to watch our kids grow up with a new perspective on Christmas. Emily is now 14yoa and she definately had a more "adult" view on things. Preferring to sleep in a bit longer despite delaying her gifts. Kaleb continues to have the excitement. He came into wake me up at 6 this morning, at which point we were able to send him back to his room. He opened up some gifts on his bed (santa sack) and then came and woke us up again at 7am. One good coffee later and we were good to go (thanks Em)!

My trip to Sydney went great. Kaleb was a surprise for his grandparents and friend, Tim. We had a whirlwind 5 days there full of fun and family. I was amazed to see how much my neices have grown up. It was great to be together for the first time in 8 years.

Hope you have had a great Christmas - look forward to seeing everyone next year after we get back from our holiday in Binningup!

disturbia

Couldn't resist this list of Christmas carols for the disturbed:-

1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?
2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are
3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas
4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores & Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....
6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me
7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why
9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?
10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells...

Holidays

Well, we are in the middle of packing (only 1 suitcase). Destination - Sydney.

My only brother, Steve lives in Sydney with his daughters, Jessica and Kayleigh and so I am going to stay with them. Very cool as it is Kayleigh's birthday tomorrow when I arrive. My parents are joining us on saturday for the first real family of origin reunion in about 7 years.

And if you are able to keep a secret, I am taking my son Kaleb with me. Only my parents don't know that he is coming. Big surprise!

So I am anticipating a great few days together, 7 of us in a 2 bedroom apartment should be fun! Fun or psycho! But I am going to vote "fun"!

Christmas is on monday night, for us, so it will be great!!! Stay tuned for an update...

Dispersion

1 Peter 1:1 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia..."

Lately I have been reminded of just how scattered the early church was. Saying goodbye to Marc & Jeanne last night (going home to the Seychelles) was just another moment of realising how a small church in Mount Lawley can be so global. It follows on from Lee returning to Korea and Zach going back home to the red U, white S and blue A. Not to mention the various people who are visiting home for Christmas (hi)!

If we know our church history, we would remember that whilst some people left Jerusalem and Rome for other places, the bulk of the church moved because of persecution. Nero had a big impact on Jews and Jewish Christians and this led to the dispersion. Dispersion is a fancy word for scattering.

There are 2 sides to every coin. Whereas early Christians fled persecution to the ends of the Roman Empire, they were actually obeying Christ. Jesus said "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel..." (Mark 16:15).

So my (going deeper) questions for today are:-

• Will we go willingly or be scattered by God in an effort to take the Gospel somewhere?
• Will we view the Gospel as more important than the comforts of home, family and friends?
• Will we keep reminding ourselves that the church is far bigger than the 4 walls of our sunday service?
• Will we pray for Christians who are suffering in difficult places?
• Will we celebrate the fact that the church doesn't look or sound like me - it is varied in culture, languages, colour, creed etc., to the Glory of God.
• Will we be missionaries in our own cities, as the world migrates at record rates?

The goal is not to twist anyone's arm into leaving a particular place for another place. The goal is to get us to be people of prayer, who seek the will of God for our lives, to be people who are global in our thinking. In the face of cholera outbreaks in Harare, terrorism cells in India and Pakistan, elections in Ghana, and global economic meltdowns, we need to keep our eyes on God.

How much our world needs God...God use me.

Christmas

It's now real. Christmas that is!

Our Christmas tree is up, and a brand new one too. After 18 years of marriage (how time flies) Natalee and I have splurged and bought our first Christmas tree. No more "hand me downs" for us. A beautiful, full, variegated green, Christmas tree. Covered in tinsel and decorations, oh and lots of lights! Kaleb and Emily were very excited but Kaleb in particular was just jumping out of his skin. There is something about kids that reminds you of just how special Christmas is!

But what a contrast to that first Christmas. A stable full of hay and animal smells just doesn't compare! It is hard to believe that the king of the universe was born in such an unspectacular place. Luke 2:7 says "she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." I like to joke that the angel in charge of accomodation must have been demoted after that mistake!

But it was no mistake. Jesus was not born to any particular fanfare in the worldy sense. He was not born in Herod's household, nor did He arrive as an adult. He came as a baby, fully vulnerable and dependant on His earthly mother. And that is part of the beauty of the story. The God of the universe came to a simple home, with simple needs. Emmanuel means "God with us". In the fullest sense, He became one of us. God entered into our world. In the same way that we do.

My deeper challenge this Christmas, is to make sure that there is room for Christ in my Christmas. That He doesn't get pushed aside for all the "fun" stuff. That while there was no room for Him in the first Christmas, I will make sure that there is room for Him this year.

What about you?

Welcome

Welcome to the first blog on this new site. Hope you enjoy it.

I was reading Pslam 14:1 this morning. David says "the fool has said in his heart, 'there is no God'."

In this present PC era, it is offensive to call anyone a fool. It is even worse to hinge that on Christian doctrine! But this is what the Bible says. The person who denies God is a fool.

Examples abound. Beyond pure athiesm, right now we see so many people going through all the preparations at Christmas '08, with all their planning, and celebrations. Yet so many of them don't believe in Christ. Their Christmas is ultimately hollow. They are fools! Why celebrate Christmas if you dont believe in Christ?

It is easy to read that, and think that "I am safe". I am a committed Christian, so that verse isnt talking about me. But the more I think about it, the more I realise that there is more to it than meets the eye. When I live in such as way that God isn't real, I am being a fool. In my times of fear, doubt, worry and pure panic, I am being foolish because I am living as if God isn't there. I have spent plenty of days being a fool...

So my commitment is renewed today. I want to know God. He is good, kind, loving and merciful. I want to know Him in my day, through decisions and crisis. I want to know Him more. This is wisdom!

What about you?