Isaiah 9:6 (New International Version)

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Opening hours for Christmas shopping

Recently, at a shopping centre I know quite well, I saw mentioned that it has extended their opening hours by an extra hour on Sundays. People have an extra hour on Sundays to go shopping.In many shopping centres, the shops will now be opened up for longer hours to cater for the demand of Christmas shopping. Therefore, employees can earn extra money for the extra hours they work.

However, I am wondering if it is beneficial for all.
What would it mean if that one less hour of shopping was spent on meaningful relationships with people you don’t know, eg. inviting a neighbour you haven’t talked to over for a BBQ, or if that one hour could be spent on loved ones, including spendimg time with your children on leisure activities?

Whether you or I do lots and lots of extra shopping leading up to Christmas, priorities can be hard, espeically living in world where lots of people are busy.

For me, an important priority is for the materialistic view of Christmas with fabulous times,food and fun times, to not get in the way of my relationship with God-for Christ came at Christmas, the greatest gift of all.

$ spent on Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is run every year in Australia in November. I am not really into horse racing however I have gone to a race day(derby day in Melbourne) with work colleagues two years ago to see what it was 'all about.' (it involved a lot of persuading even though I was quite reluctant at first)

Every year, lots and lots of money is spent betting on which horse will win. A lot of people will bet hoping that their horse will win, and if they do win big, then, it will be the best thing that happens to them. As I was reading online after the Melbourne Cup this year, I read that the 'race drew total bets in excess of $150 million'. That is A LOT of money..and it causes me to feel very uncomfortable, especially through my childhood and overseas experiences of seeing people who live on a few dollars a day.

Couldn't that money be used in other more worthy ways to help vunerable people in our society or help communities that are struggling or even help put extra resources so that people can come to know God through Jesus?

Does our life depend on just money all the time or living for him in his world? In the Bible in Matthew 6:24, Jesus says “You cannot serve both God and money.”
I am wondering what your opinion is.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Dust Storm...... and Jesus

Recently, a rather interesting dust storm left a mark on the city of Sydney. For a few hours on 23rd September it was something to behold. It was a rather strange day for a lot of people who had never experienced this before. In Sydney ( and even other parts of the world) there was news about it on the television, radio and through word of mouth.

Please see picture below of Sydney harbour..



The next day I was thinking quite a bit.. Wouldn't it be great if people were so passionate about Jesus that the coverage of him would be like what we saw on Thursday 23rd September in Sydney. It would be something quite amazing. Here in Sydney we have the Jesus All About Life Campaign.. What a great opportunity for people to talk about Jesus..

An image of dancers.




With life so busy and hectic, it is great to be able to take time out enjoying the wonders of God's creations.
Viewing dancing ,drama, art or something else are things people do to relax . I wonder what does it for you?

Sacrificial Love

This is what the world finds hard to understand, especially in a world where it is all about ‘me’. But what would it be like for humans to understand this in more depth? It is hard work for all of us at times however loving others is important. Its barriers may be giving up your time, energy and money. On the other hand, showing others God’s love is well worth it and if it means reconsidering the barriers then it is an amazing challenge to have a think about. Jesus offered his life to save you and me, so what can I/you do in terms of sacrificial love this week?

James 5 v 7-8

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

What an amazing and encouraging verse!

There are times when I have uploaded pictures or maps or any other photos on this blog. The reason this photo is up is that I spent some time living in West Malaysia and is a country where people still need to be told about Jesus, the Son of God. I hope and pray that more and more people can come to know who Jesus is in this country

Honour Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ.

1 Peter 3:15-16

South East Asia

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2 v 5-11

Hospitality

God gives each of us different gifts and abilities. I admire those who are able to utilise the gift of hospitality to connect with people and serve God’s Kingdom. In a number of cultures around the world, being hospitable is a normal part of their daily life. They are keen to serve others in a very simple way even if many of these people are very poor.

I am constantly thinking how I can use the gifts God has given me to further God’s kingdom whether here in Australia or overseas.

Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

This picture might be random however it is a picture of the old house I used to live in when I was living in Indonesia. The house was not very stable, it leaked when it rained and the house did flood (only a few centremetres) a few times however it was 'home'.

It is very easy to get caught up with everything that is going on in life and forget about great memories with friends and family. Having this photo reminds me of a number of years back and creates fond memories. I am sure you can relate to memories from the past too.

Refugees

This is a word we hear often, of people leaving their homes and fleeing a country due to war,famine or persecution. Refugees usually leave without any possession or documents and look for refuge in a place they can call 'home'. With my involvement in volunteer work with refugees, I am amazed by their resilience and happy nature. Yes, they have been through a lot however they are able to have normal conversations with people like me. It is important Christians pray for refugees around the world that they mind true peace with God and come into a relationship with him.

North Korea

I have a passion of letting people know what is happening around the world. It is happens that I will be doing a major project shortly on social justice issues so I thought I would let you, the audience know about North Korea. This country borders China and South Korea.



From a Christian point of view, it is the No. 1 perseuctor of Christians worldwide. There have been people caught trying to escape from this land.Its repressive reigme is a major concern for the many people living in North Korea with many thousands struggling with the basic needs of food, water and shelter.

Pray for Many North Koreans who are still living in horrible conditions. Pray that the Christians will always trust in God.

Statistics on Poverty

In one of my TAFE classes, we have looked at poverty and inequality. Here are some statistics I have found, which makes me think more about what is happening in our world.

• Over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day.
• 121 million children are out of education worldwide.
• 25 000 children died every day as a result of poverty.
• Around 1.8 million children die as a result of diarrhoea.
• 2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized


(Source: http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats)

Psalms 136

Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea [a] asunder His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
17 who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.
23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
25 and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.