Grace CRC Church - chatter box

When God throws a brick at you...

2009-07-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street,
going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out
from between parked cars and slowed down
when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared.
Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!

He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick
had been thrown. The angry driver
then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up
against
a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what
the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going
to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?' The young boy was apologetic.
'Please, mister....please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He
pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears
dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just
around a parked car. 'It's my brother,' he said, 'he rolled off the curb and
fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me
get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in
his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the
wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh
scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too
shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound
brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable,
but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the
dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast
that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God
whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have
time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or
not.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about
you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without
rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and
light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Jasmine

2009-06-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.

Geoffand the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting Animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick..

Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."

"But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.

"She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the Roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted.

"They are inseparable," says Geoff "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them." Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next Orphan or victim of abuse.

From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine with a Mothers heart doing best what a caring Mother would do... Such is the order of God's Creation.

Effective Communication

2009-06-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: 'I am blind, please help.' There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, 'Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?'

The man said, 'I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.'
What he had written was: 'Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.'

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.

Great men say, 'Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience.'

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling!!
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!

Can I Borrow $25?

2009-06-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man...

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish... I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.'

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

'Are you asleep, son?' He asked.

'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for...'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled.

'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.

'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love.

Very Touching : Am I a Fireman Yet ?

2009-04-20T05:04:00.001-07:00

In Queensland, Australia, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination.

Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up & fulfill all his dreams. Now, that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dream to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Ben, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" "Mummy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mum smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire Station in Brisbane, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Queensland. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her 6 year old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire c alls, the full Monty! A and if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat - not a toy -one with the emblem of the Queensland Fire & Rescue Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Brisbane, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Ben, dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting truck. Ben got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in that day and Ben got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines that day. He was also videotaped for the local news program. His dream having come true, with all the Love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Ben that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept - that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Ben had spent as a fireman, so she called the fire station and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Ben as he made his transition.

The Officer in charge replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favour? When you hear the sirens screaming and see t he lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system, that there is not a fire? It's the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?"

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Ben's third floor open window. 16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Ben's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him.

With his dying breath, Ben looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?" "Ben, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the O.I.C said. With those words, Ben smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing..." He closed his eyes one last time.

The Bible & The Diamond Ring...WOW!!!

2009-04-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

A married lady was expecting a birthday gift from her husband.

For many months she had admired a beautiful diamond ring in a showroom, and knowing her husband could afford it, she told him that was all she wanted.

As her birthday approached, this lady awaited signs that her husband had purchased the diamond ring.

Finally, on the morning of her birthday, her husband called her into his study. Her husband told her how proud he was to have such a good wife, and told her how much he loved her. He handed her a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, the wife opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the wife's name embossed in gold. Angrily, she raised her voice to her husband and said, 'With all your money you give me a Bible?' And stormed out of the house, leaving her husband.

Many years passed and the lady was very successful in business. She managed to settle for a more beautiful house and a wonderful family, but realized her ex-husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to visit him. She had not seen him for many years.

But before she could make arrangements, she received a telegram telling her that her ex-husband had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to her. She needed to come back immediately and take care of things.

When she arrived at her ex-husband's house, sudden sadness and regret filled her heart. She began to search through her ex-husband's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as she had left it years before.

With tears, she opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. Her ex-husband had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, 'And if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father, who is in heaven, give what is good to those who ask Him?'

As she read those words, a tiny package dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a diamond ring, with her name engraved on it -- the same diamond ring which she saw at the showroom. On the tag was the date of her birth, and the words.'LUV U ALWAYS'.

How many times do we miss God's blessings, because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others.

Do not spoil what you have, by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.

IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKAGED THE WAY YOU WANT IT,
IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKAGED THE WAY IT IS.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS;
THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO BIGGER & BETTER THINGS.

'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.'

HAVE A GREAT DAY

The Two Wolves that are inside us all.

2009-04-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is the best way I've ever heard it explained.....

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, 'My son, the battle is between 'two wolves' inside us all.

'One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.'

'The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'

IRON MAN Inspiration

2009-04-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

READ THIS BRIEF STORY BEFORE WATCHING THE SHORT VIDEO:

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.

They went on to complete the marathon together.

Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.'

To which, his father said 'Yes' too.

For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever.

The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island, Hawaii.

Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this race at.....
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

So how much does a miracle cost?- another moving story

2009-03-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicagowhom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it.! If it i sn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me ho w much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago.

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
I know you'll keep the ball moving!

Here it goes. ! Throw it back to someone who means something to you!

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Today I pass the friendship ball to you.

Pass it on to someone who is a friend
to you.

MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.

When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.

When you are worried.....I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I will help you cope.

And when you are lost....And can't see the light, I shall be your beacon....Shining ever so bright.

This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask?.....Because you're my friend.

Signed: GOD

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE - Moving Story

2009-03-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

'You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine' (Be prepared to get watery eyes!)

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling.

They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy.

He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown , Tennessee

In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor.

Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition.

With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to
the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville , Tennessee The days inched by... The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.

Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying.

Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over.

Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not.

If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. I looked like a walking laundry basket. The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line 'He is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.

He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.

After a moment, he began to sing.

In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang:

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.' Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes.

'You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away.

'As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr 'Keep on singing sweetheart.'

'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms'. Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.

'Keep on singing, Michael.' Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed.

'You are my sunshine, my only s unshine. Please don't take my sunshine away.'

The next day, the very next day, the little girl was well enough to go home.

Woman's Day Magazine called it 'The Miracle of a Brother's Song'.

The medical staff just called it a miracle.

Karen called it a miracle of God's love.

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.

LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

Life is good.

Have a Wonderful Day!

Afrikaans Carol Service 2008

2008-11-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

The girl with an apple - remarkable story

2008-10-06T02:35:00.001-07:00

PLEASE READ. IT'S WORTH IT.
The Girl With An Apple

(This is a true story and you can find out more by Googling Herman Rosenblat. He was Bar Mitzvahed at age 75)

August 1942. Piotrkow , Poland .

The sky was gloomy that morning as we waited anxiously. All the men, women and children of Piotrkow's Jewish ghetto had been herded into a square.

Word had gotten around that we were being moved. My father had only recently died from typhus, which had run rampant through the crowded ghetto. My greatest fear was that our family would be separated.

'Whatever you do,' Isidore, my eldest brother, whispered to me, 'don't tell them your age. Say you're sixteen.

'I was tall for a boy of 11, so I could pull it off. That way I might be deemed valuable as a worker.

An SS man approached me, boots clicking against the cobblestones. He looked me up and down, and then asked my age.

'Sixteen,' I said. He directed me to the left, where my three brothers and other healthy young men already stood.

My mother was motioned to the right with the other women, children, sick and elderly people.

I whispered to Isidore, 'Why?'

He didn't answer.

I ran to Mama's side and said I wanted to stay with her.

'No, 'she said sternly.

'Get away. Don't be a nuisance. Go with your brothers.'

She had never spoken so harshly before. But I understood: She was protecting me. She loved me so much that, just this once, she pretended not to.
It was the last I ever saw of her.

My brothers and I were transported in a cattle car to Germany .
We arrived at the Buchenwald concentration camp one night weeks later and were led into a crowded barrack. The next day, we were issued uniforms and identification numbers.

'Don't call me Herman anymore.' I said to my brothers. 'Call me 94983.'

I was put to work in the camp's crematorium, loading the dead into a hand-cranked elevator.

I, too, felt dead. Hardened, I had become a number.

Soon, my brothers and I were sent to Schlieben, one of Buchenwald's sub-camps near Berlin .

One morning I thought I heard my mother's voice.

'Son,' she said softly but clearly, I am going to send you an angel.'

Then I woke up. Just a dream. A beautiful dream.

But in this place there could be no angels. There was only work. And hunger. And fear.

A couple of days later, I was walking around the camp, around the barracks, near the barbed-wire fence where the guards could not easily see. I was alone.

On the other side of the fence, I spotted someone: a little girl with light, almost luminous curls. She was half-hidden behind a birch tree.

I glanced around to make sure no one saw me. I called to her softly in German. 'Do you have something to eat?'

She didn't understand.

I inched closer to the fence and repeated the question in Polish. She stepped forward. I was thin and gaunt, with rags wrapped around my feet, but the girl looked unafraid. In her eyes, I saw life.

She pulled an apple from her woolen jacket and threw it over the fence.

I grabbed the fruit and, as I started to run away, I heard her say faintly, 'I'll see you tomorrow.'
I returned to the same spot by the fence at the same time every day. She was always there with something for me to eat - a hunk of bread or, better yet, an apple.

We didn't dare speak or linger. To be caught would mean death for us both.

I didn't know anything about her, just a kind farm girl, except that she understood Polish. What was her name? Why was she risking her life for me?

Hope was in such short supply, and this girl on the other side of the fence gave me some, as nourishing in its way as the bread and apples.

Nearly seven months later, my brothers and I were crammed into a coal car and shipped to Theresienstadt camp in Czechoslovakia .

'Don't return,' I told the girl that day. 'We're leaving.'

I turned toward the barracks and didn't look back, didn't even say good-bye to the little girl whose name I'd never learned, the girl with the apples.

We were in Theresienstadt for three months. The war was winding down and Allied forces were closing in, yet my fate seemed sealed.

On May 10, 1945, I was scheduled to die in the gas chamber at 10:00 AM.

In the quiet of dawn, I tried to prepare myself. So many times death seemed ready to claim me, but somehow I'd survived. Now, it was over.

I thought of my parents. At least, I thought, we will be reunited.

But at 8 A.M. there was a commotion. I heard shouts, and saw people running every which way through camp. I caught up with my brothers.

Russian troops had liberated the camp! The gates swung open. Everyone was running, so I did too. Amazingly, all of my brothers had survived;

I'm not sure how. But I knew that the girl with the apples had been the key to my survival.

In a place where evil seemed triumphant, one person's goodness had saved my life, had given me hope in a place where there was none.

My mother had promised to send me an angel, and the angel had come.

Eventually I made my way to England where I was sponsored by a Jewish charity, put up in a hostel with other boys who had survived the Holocaust and trained in electronics. Then I came to America , where my brother Sam had already moved. I served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War, and returned to New York City after two years.

By August 1957 I'd opened my own electronics repair shop. I was starting to settle in.

One day, my friend Sid who I knew from England called me.

'I've got a date. She's got a Polish friend. Let's double date.'
A blind date? Nah, that wasn't for me.

But Sid kept pestering me, and a few days later we headed up to the Bronx to pick up his date and her friend Roma.

I had to admit, for a blind date this wasn't so bad. Roma was a nurse at a Bronx hospital. She was kind and smart. Beautiful, too, with swirling brown curls and green, almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with life.

The four of us drove out to Coney Island . Roma was easy to talk to, easy to be with.

Turned out she was wary of blind dates too!

We were both just doing our friends a favor. We took a stroll on the boardwalk, enjoying the salty Atlantic breeze, and then had dinner by the shore. I couldn't remember having a better time.

We piled back into Sid's car, Roma and I sharing the backseat.

As European Jews who had survived the war, we were aware that much had been left unsaid between us. She broached the subject, 'Where were you,' she asked softly, 'during the war?'
'The camps,' I said. The terrible memories still vivid, the irreparable loss. I had tried to forget. But you can never forget.
She nodded. 'My family was hiding on a farm in Germany , not far from Berlin ,' she told me. 'My father knew a priest, and he got us Aryan papers.'

I imagined how she must have suffered too, fear, a constant companion. And yet here we were both survivors, in a new world.

'There was a camp next to the farm.' Roma continued. 'I saw a boy there and I would throw him apples every day.'

What an amazing coincidence that she had helped some other boy. 'What did he look like? I asked.

'He was tall, skinny, and hungry. I must have seen him every day for six months.'

My heart was racing. I couldn't believe it.

This couldn't be.

'Did he tell you one day not to come back because he was leaving Schlieben?'

Roma looked at me in amazement. 'Yes!'

'That was me!'

I was ready to burst with joy and awe, flooded with emotions. I couldn't believe it! My angel.

'I'm not letting you go.' I said to Roma. And in the back of the car on that blind date, I proposed to her. I didn't want to wait.

'You're crazy!' she said. But she invited me to meet her parents for Shabbat dinner the following week.

There was so much I looked forward to learning about Roma, but the most important things I always knew: her steadfastness, her goodness. For many months, in the worst of circumstances, she had come to the fence and given me hope. Now that I'd found her again, I could never let her go.

That day, she said yes. And I kept my word. After nearly 50 years of marriage, two children and three grandchildren, I have never let her go.

Herman Rosenblat of Miami Beach , Florida

This story is being made into a movie called The Fence.

Make the switch to the world's best email. Get Yahoo!7 Mail.

Cambodia Outreach 2008

2008-08-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

Between the 1-12 July 2008 , a number of students, staff members and friends of the Perth Bible went to Cambodia on a short-term outreach. The team worked with a missionary from Perth, Samantha Willans, ministering to people in Phnom Penh.

Samantha works with various ministries including Tarsha's Legacy Centre (TLC), Fellowship of Hope Church and Transform Cambodia.

During the outreach the team broke up into three groups, two of them working at the TLC. One of these groups focussed on the children ministry teaching English and Bible, as well as building relationships.

The other ministered to the adults and parents of the children.

The third group worked at an orphanage, Centre of Peace, with two other Australians, and had a similar children's ministry.

Proud new parents of little James van Jaarsveldt

2008-08-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Rayno and Anneke are the proud new parents of little James who made his acquaintance with us in this world on the 2 May 2008.

Russia 2008 Mission Trip - feedback

2008-08-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

We were privileged to have Jenny Abetz and Daniel van der Spuy provide feedback on their 2008 Russian mission trip. Overall the trip was a great success. The team faced the usual challenges, however they all returned saying it was worth their while. May we all keep the hearts and minds of the children that they were involved with in our prayers. We pray that God in His wisdom will continue to water the seeds that were planted by us His instruments.

Mission Sunday Presentation by Riki Deale

2008-08-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Riki's presentation on Mission Sunday gave us all a better insight into the different world religions and the hunger for bibles in these countries. Riki got the congregation to participate by dressing up and representing the various world religions.

Anton Beukes now an Australian Citizen

2008-05-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Anton Beukes on becoming an Australian citizen.

TV and our very young children

2008-03-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

For Parents, grand parents and adults

There are some lovely products on the market to entertain our
babies and young children! How useful when we're trying to cook
dinner or supervise older kids' homework or music practice- or
stop them from waking the others!

But a new growth industry, TV programs for babies, is creating
some concern. In 1970 children on average began watching TV
at age 4 years, but today that seems to be more like 4 months!
We've discovered that 4 month olds see moving images and stop
crying. They also enjoy the colours and shapes and soothing
music. But the brain of the child under 2 is growing rapidly and
recent research in the US indicates that fast moving TV images,
rather than being harmless entertainers, actually affect the brain
so that by age 7 years, these children have a higher incidence of
attention deficit than those who saw no TV. There seems to be a
link with fast moving images getting children's brains trained, so
that later they are less able to concentrate on activities as needed.
And the more TV infants watch, the greater the effect.

It was also found that activities such as playing with blocks adds
to language development more than TV watching does. The
reason may have to do with the interaction between the adult and
the child compared with watching a screen. As we show our
children what blocks can do, we teach language skills,
demonstrate creativity, the force of gravity and engineering
concepts- sorting into shapes and sizes- all through play and
positive interaction. As children continue to experiment on their
own they practise the concepts they have just learnt.
It has also been noted that in recent years TV is usually no longer
a family activity as it was when there was only one TV in the
house - families had to learn to negotiate, parents provided
guidance and there was a shared experience. Of course we can
still do these things. It's a matter of choice!

Produced by Helen Vanderbom, Children's Work Coordinator
CRCA: childrens@crca.org.au

The "Sorry Speech" - a different perspective

2008-02-16T05:33:00.000-08:00

The issue of the “Sorry” speech and all the associated events has certainly been given much media attention, It is interesting that a Channel 7 poll to which over 13,000 responded, 90% said they disagreed with the apology. What should our attitude be as Christians to such matters? As a Christian, I am always very wary of getting on to media driven bandwagons, because in my experience the media rarely get the facts right.

It seems that this is also the case with the so called “Stolen Generations”. Prof Windschuttle researched some 800 files of aboriginal children removed from their parents in NSW, and found that the reasons for removing these children were very strong – such as children living with an alcoholic mother who was neglecting them, children who were suffering on going sexual abuse etc. Only one file had the reason for removal as being that the child was aboriginal. Andrew Bolt a media commentator has repeatedly challenged those promoting the notion of the stolen generations to bring 10 documented cases of children being removed simply for being aboriginal to the media. No one has done so. To reject the propaganda about the “Stolen Generations” is not to say that white Australians always treated aboriginals well. Far from it. White Australians in very real and grievous ways, have sinned against Aboriginals probably more so than aboriginals have sinned against white people.

But if we want genuine reconciliation, then there must be a mutual asking for, and extending of forgiveness for ALL past wrongs. Surely this is what our Lord taught us in the Lord‟s Prayer and Mat 6:14. Without mutual forgiveness, there can be no healthy “moving on”. Jesus Christ the great forgiver, makes it possible for us to forgive. Saying Sorry to a largely fictitious stolen generations only clouds the issues, and perpetuates keeping the aboriginal community locked into a victim mentality. It is interesting that Noel Pearson, an aboriginal leader, was not supportive of the sorry day for these very reasons. While the intentions of many were very honourable in organising the sorry day, I believe that our nation missed a great opportunity. A mutual forgiveness ceremony, as had been advocated by some aboriginal Christians would have brought far more healing, and it probably would have received wider support in the general community.

Pastor Peter

Warburton Mission Trip 2008 photos (part 2)

2008-02-03T19:32:00.001-08:00

Warburton Mission Trip 2008 photos (part 1)

2008-02-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

The Golden Compass movie - article in Afrikaans

2008-01-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Dear Grace Members and Regular attenders,

I have mentioned the issues surrounding the Golden Compass movie in the newsletter last year, and in a sermon early this year.

Phillip Scheepers has written a helpful article which is available at www.ekerk.co.za/content/view/1645/970

It is in Afrikaans, so it’s usefulness will be limited to those who can read that language! But definitely worth reading if you can.

Greetings,

Peter

Sunday School Service on 16 December '07 - Nativity play

2008-01-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ladies coffee morning on December 8 at the home of the Abetz family.

2008-01-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

Youth@Grace Christmas break-up dinner Nov 30 at Peter and Jenny's place.

2008-01-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

Games after Church

2008-01-02T06:12:00.001-08:00

With one small gesture you can change a person's life.

2007-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,

I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.

His name was Kyle.

It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?

He must really be a nerd."

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.

They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.

His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks."

They really should get lives.

" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"

There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

He said he had gone to private school before now.

I would have never hung ou t with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play a little football
with my friends

He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.

I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!

" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..

When we were seniors we began to think about college.

Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.

I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never
be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class.

I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation.

I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle.

He looked great.

He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.

He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.

He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.

Boy, sometimes I was jealous!
Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.

So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.

" Thanks," he said.

As h e started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began

"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.

Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.

I am going to tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the
story of the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.

He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved.

My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions.

With one small gesture you can change a person's life.

For better or for worse.

God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for God in others.

Life's lessons: Garbage Truck

2007-11-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

Just give this a thought....................

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitiveEmployee ruin your day? Unless you are the Terminator, for an instant you are probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successfulperson is how quickly he can get back his focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learnt this lesson. I learnt it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We weredriving in the right lane when all of a sudden, and I mean withoutwarning, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded and missed the other car'sback end by just inches.

Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy whoalmost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some wordsin New York come with a special face. Now, here's what blew me away. Mytaxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruinedyour car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi drivertold me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage,full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As theirgarbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they will dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't takeit personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'llbe happy you did. I guarantee it. So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck."

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me?And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: atwork, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Goodparents know that they have to welcome their children home from schoolwith hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks takeover their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll behappier. I guarantee it.

Why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger...

2007-11-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

This is interesting. Try it out!

Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger? There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese....

Thumb represents your Parents
Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings
Middle finger represents your-Self
Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner &
the Last (Little) finger represents your children

Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together - back to back Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb - tip to tip

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents)..., they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later. Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings)...., they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives. Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children)...., they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day. Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse). You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT...., because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin!! Please try this out............. ISN'T THIS A LOVELY THEORY?

I don’t think it is good to support such a movie!

2007-11-05T22:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

If you have children, or you like going to the movies, the following link is very informative about the movie The Golden Compass, due for release soon.

It is a movie based on a trilogy of books that is very anti God, and seeks to impress on children that God is senile and just a fantasy.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp I don’t think it is good to support such a movie!

Rev Peter Abetz
168 Twickenham Dve
Kingsley WA 6026

Phone: Home & Office +61 (0)8 9408 1023
Mobile: 0409 076 155
Email: pabetz@crca.org.au

Grace Christian Reformed Church
Current Place of Worship:
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Wendling Rd
North Beach WA 6020

Worship times: Sundays 9.30 am

Website: www.gracecrc.org.au

October Camp 2007 - Just having fun !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

The Victorian Disaster

2007-10-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Speech given by Rev Peter Abetz to the Rally at Parliament House Perth on Wednesday 17th October 2007

I lived in Victoria in the 1980s

Until 1984 the Victorian police and govt were turning a blind eye to the sex industry. The police pretended it did not exist. Under that system we had 50 brothels and escort agencies operating.

Due to complaints about street walkers, the Victorian Govt legalized prostitution on the grounds that it could clean up the sex industry.

Let me tell you what happened

Within a few months of prostitution being legalised, there were 3 in your face legal brothels in our suburb, and at least 2 illegal ones, trading much more obviously than the single illegal one had ever done before.

Some years after legalizing and supposedly regulating prostitution, there were over 450 registered brothels and escort agencies, and over 1,100 licensed single operator prostitutes!

And that is only the legal industry. The police admit that the illegal industry in Victoria is at least twice the size of the legal one. So cleaning up the sex industry led to a growth from 50 to over 1200 brothels and escort agencies. That is a 24 fold increase! And that does not include the single operator prostitutes. Mr Mc Ginty, we don’t want that disaster to befall our state!

Organised crime become far more involved, because brothels became safe havens for drug dealing, because police had no reason to visit brothels, since they were now legitimate businesses.

Child prostitution increased as the illegal brothels tried to gain a competitive advantage over the legal ones, by providing services these could not provide.

Let me tell you: NOT one of the stated aims of the legalising of prostitution has been achieved in Victoria.

By 1994 things had gotten so out of hand, the Kennett Liberal Govt tried to fix the problems by rewriting the act.

But it has not made any difference. The sex industry is totally out of control in Victoria. The Victorian Attorney General in 1999 admitted that the legalisation of prostitution had been a miserable failure.

What about the Dutch model:
In 2000 I was in the Netherlands, and I spent two nights accompanying a vice squad police officer in the city of Utrecht, and saw the workings of their decriminalized industry. It is not a pretty picture. Don’t let anyone fool you. It is a riddled with drugs and broken women.

And to keep it within its legal limits in that city the police said it takes 2 full time police officers for every 50 registered prostitutes – anything less results in organized crime moving in.

We don’t have enough police officers to investigate house burglaries, let alone police the sex industry.

I challenge Mr McGinty to tell us of one country where legalizing prostitution has resulted in a reduction in the sex industry.

He can not give an example because there isn’t one on the face of the earth. What makes him think that WA is so unique that legalizing wont have the same effect here as it has had in every other country where it has been done?

Legalising always results in a two tiered sex industry.

An in your face legal industry

And a much expanded illegal industry.

The bill before our parliament will do absolutely nothing to reduce the damage being caused to women and children by prostitution.

The civilized world has long recognised that prostitution is not a legitimate industry.

The most effective legislation for reducing prostitution and the damage it does to women and children, is the Swedish legislation.

I call on Mr McGinty to listen to the people of WA, and abandon the Prostitution Amendment Bill. And if he wont, I call on the Greens (Giz Watson) to use their balance of power in the upper house to force this govt to abandon it, and force the Govt to implement a version of the Swedish model, and give genuine protection to the women and children of WA.

Further comments: Phone Peter Abetz on 0409 076 155
Email pabetz@crca.org.au

UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of others.

requires signatory states to enact laws which punish any person who procures, entices or leads away , for the purposes of prostitution another person, even with the consent of that person.

It goes on to say that laws must be enacted which punish any person who knowingly lets or rents a building or other place or part thereof for the purpose of the prostitution of others.

and the UN Discrimination Convention
UN Discrimination Convention)Article 6:
calls on governments to : suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of prostitution of women.

And Australia is a signatory of both conventions.

God's Diet

2007-09-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli,Cauliflower and spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Ice Cream and Magnums. And Satan said, "You want hot fudge with that? And Man said, Yes!" And Woman said, "I'll have one too with chocolate chips". And lo and behold they gained 10 pounds.

Then God created the healthy yoghurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14So God said, "Try my fresh green salad".And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them".And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks and chicken fried steak, so big it needed its own platter. And Man's cholesterol went through the roof.Then God brought forth the potato; naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition. Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced he starchy centre into chips and deep-fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds.

God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds.And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.

Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonalds and the 99p double cheeseburger.Then Satan said, "You want fries with that?" and Man replied, "Yes, and super size 'em". And Satan said, "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple by-pass surgery.And then. Satan chuckled and created the National Health Service.

THE FINAL WORD ON NUTRITION
After an exhaustive review of the research literature, here's the final word on nutrition and health:
1. Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
2. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
3. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.
5. Germans drink beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than us.

CONCLUSION:
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Classis Meeting September 2007.

2007-09-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of Grace,

For the benefit of those who were unable to attend church this morning, I have pasted the short minutes of the Classis meeting into the email below, to let you know that classis agreed for us to become an independent congregation within the denomination.
So do your utmost to be there on Nov 18th for the special service!

Classis Meeting September 2007.
Classis began the meeting with a scripture reading from John 14 and 1 Cor 15 which focused on the hope that we have through Christ’s resurrection. Prayers were offered for Clinton Berends recently diagnosed with active cancer and the family Bylsma who lost their wife and mother through cancer recently.

The Classis welcomed Ps Tony Van Drimmelen into the classis and then proceeded to the preliminary examination of Vicar Jonathan Deenick. Jonathan was examined on his sermons and preaching. These were both sustained. Following this the classis examined Jonathan on Old and New Testament and dogmatics (which looks at the basic theological truths of the Bible). In all these areas of knowledge Jonathan demonstrated a solid understanding of God’s word. The classis sustained Jonathan’s overall preliminary examination.

Churches reported on their individual work of outreach and church education programs. Australind is running the introducing God series for the church prior to running it for the community. Gateway is running a number of outreach and connecting events including a holiday club, music night, and outreach services. Gosnells is running introducing God and two ways to live outreach programs. New members classes have also been running. Grace CRC has been focusing mostly on reaching the South African migrant community and connect them to the church. Perth recently had Prof Bill Berends teach them about how to share a personal testimony, and what Christ means to them. This is an important way to share the gospel. Willetton has been blessed with a number of young people without a church background coming to the church. Thanksgiving and prayer was offered for all the outreach and nurture works of the churches.

The classis, in rescinding an earlier decision, endorsed the view that the local church council will determine what constitutes “special circumstances” when interpreting the synod decision that “elders may administer the sacraments (but only) in special circumstances”. Where time permits Classis asked the churches to seek advice from classis where this may be needed in the future.

Grace CRC in conjunction with the Willetton CRC requested that they may be instituted as a separate congregation within the Classis. The classis whole heartedly endorsed this and the Grace CRC will have an institution service on Sunday 18th November at 2pm. We praise the Lord for his provision of this CRC congregation north of the river.

Prayer requests for PBC team to India

2007-09-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

Team from Perth Bible College
Back: Michael Paway, Ronelle Melville and Anton Beukes (leader).
Middle: Magdaleen van Blerk, Michelle Evans and Annelize Jensen.
Front: Audrey Crompton and Hannah Kim.

Praise the Lord for
· The opportunity to serve in India,
· All the blessings through finances, prayer and
support,
· Our support from our churches,
· The visas that were approved,
· The training and preparations that went well, and
· The team’s commitment and enthusiasm.
Please pray
· That all our final preparations and training be
completed. That we may be ready to fill the role
God has set aside for us,
· That all college work that is required, be
completed ,
· That all travel arrangements are finalized,

For the protection, health and safety of the team during
our travel and whilst in India,
· For team unity,
· That the Holy Spirit prepares us and works through
us,
· That we may see the Lord and listen for the
prompting of his Holy Spirit,
· That we will be a continuing witness for Christ in
our words and actions,
· For the ministries of the Hindustan Bible Institute
and for their preparations for our stay,
· For the staff at HBI, the students and the children
in the orphanages,
· For good communication, that we may come
alongside in unity to minister together, and
· That the people in India respond positively to the
gospel and come to know Jesus.

What goes around comes around

2007-09-03T06:25:00.001-07:00

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even

in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in

front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when

he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to

help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he

looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold and

the rain. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in

you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car

where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tyre, but for an old lady, that was bad

enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack,

skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tyre. But he had

to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and

began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just

passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she

owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all

the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never

thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping

someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the

past.

He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act

any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she

saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they

needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold

and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing

into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab

a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip

home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The

whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel

to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for

the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a

stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan .

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill.

The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the

old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the

waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed

something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You

don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the

way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do

not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to

serve,but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home

from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady

had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it?

With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to

her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to

be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today I sent you

this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.

The night Jesus visited

2007-08-27T06:33:00.001-07:00

It was the night Jesus came
and all through the house,
not a person was praying,
not one in the house ..

The Bible was left
on the shelf without care,
for no one thought
Jesus would come there ..

The children were dressing
to crawl into bed,
not once ever kneeling
or bowing their head..

And Mom in the rocking chair
with babe on her lap,
was watching the Late Show
as I took a nap ...

When out of the east
there rose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet
to see what was the matter ...

Away to the window
I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutters
and lifted the sash ....

When what to my wondering
eyes should appear,
but Angels proclaiming
that Jesus was here ...

The light of His face
made me cover my head...
was Jesus returning
just like He'd said ...

And though I possessed
worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him
in spite of myself ...

In the Book of Life
which he held in his hand,
was written the name
of every saved man ...

He spoke not a word
as he searched for my name,
when He said "it's not here"
My head hung in shame ...

The people whose names
had been written with love,
He gathered to take
to his Father above ...

With those who were ready
He rose without sound,
while all of the others
were left standing around ...

I fell to my knees
but it was too late,
I'd waited too long
and thus sealed my fate ...

I stood and I cried
as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I'd known
that this was the night ...

In the words of this poem
the meaning is clear
the coming of Jesus
is now drawing near ...

There's only one life
and when comes the last call,
We'll find out that the Bible
was true after all.

B - Basic
I - Instruction
B - Before
L - Leaving
E - Earth

Measuring our growth as parents

2007-08-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

FOR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS & ADULTS

Our growth as parents and grandparents is rather similar!
We don’t see ourselves becoming obviously more
gentle or patient or a better listener in a day! Even
when we strain and stress to improve our performance,
we often seem to take two steps back and no
steps forward! We get excited when our children reach
the door handle or get their drivers’ licenses. We celebrate
young children who confidently step forward and
succeed in new tasks and tell us they don’t need our
help any more, while we wonder if we’re up to this parenting
task. It sometimes seems to take us so long to
learn to be firm, or patient, or to listen better!

When it comes to measuring our achievements or failures,
it’s good to take an overall view, looking back
over the last week or month, or year or even longer.
Have we had some successes in terms of some good
parenting outcomes in the last six months? Celebrate
these and thank God for them. And just as we don’t
measure each of our children's achievements and setbacks
using grades or positive or negative marks - a
good school report earns an 8, an ‘incident’ at school a
minus 2, a ‘good week’ a 6 and a ‘confrontation’ a minus
5 - so parents need not grade themselves.

That does not mean we can be complacent. We need
to remain vigilant at all times. But God doesn’t measure
our failures or successes, just as we don’t measure
those of others. Whether it’s your shortcomings or
those of your children, or your parents and neighbours,
it’s God’s forgiveness that counts.

God’s Word reminds us that just as we are in relationship
with our children, God is in relationship with us
and remembering failures and successes is never
God’s way.

Parents do need to grow, and our growth comes out of
our relationship with God, based on God’s forgiveness
through Jesus and as we daily ‘feed on his Word’. Just
as we feed our children every day. There will be failures
- and successes. (Feeding our kids also has its
ups and downs!) But God’s love covers all that. We
move forward, because we …”are being transformed
into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which
comes from the Lord …" 2 Cor. 3:18

Produced by Helen Vanderbom, Children’s Work Coordinator
CRCA : childrens@crca.org.au

Russia 2007 photos - Concerts - us in skeleton outfits

2007-08-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

We participated in quite a few of the concerts... yes, that really is us in the skeleton costumes!!

Russia 2007 photos - Some team photos - games, worship and meals

2007-08-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Playing a game together, our morning worship time and some of our mealtimes together.

Russia 2007 photos - the dental hygiene program

2007-08-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

We did the dental Hygiene program with the 3 youngest groups and gave them a toothbrush as well as tooth paste at the end of it.

Russia 2007 photos - Craft room activities

2007-08-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Some of the activities we did with the kids in our craft room!

Russia 2007 photos - the kids touched our hearts!

2007-08-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Some of the kids we met... especially the orphan kids touched our hearts! Sometimes we wished we could take them home with us!

Russia 2007 photos - Making spiders - craft time

2007-08-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Spiders and more spiders... a great way to tell about Australia... the red-back spider... as well as talk about how Jesus is the anti-venom for our sin.

Russia 2007 photos - Our trip to St Petersburg

2007-08-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Our trip to St Petersburg! We also went to Natalie's church and then had a feast at the pancake place to celebrate Jenny's birthday. This year we returned home on an empty train, compared to the almost dangerous number of people in last year's train!

Russia 2007 photos - Arrival of the Bibles

2007-08-11T07:10:00.001-07:00

Arrival of Bibles! The Bibles were stacked and stored in our craft room.

Russia 2007 photos - handing out Bibles

2007-08-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

Handing out Bibles is such a joy! Just look at their faces! It was great to hear the children talk the next day about how much they had already read in their Bible or story book.

Russia 2007 photos - our accommodation

2007-08-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

Our accommodation: a little house on the edge of the camp with its own kitchen and toilet!

Russia 2007 photos - the big journey

2007-08-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

Leaving from Perth airport on July 8.

On the train to Russia on July 11.

Back at Vyborg station (Russian/ Finnish border)bright and early on July 26.

A tired, but satisfied team back on the train to Helsinki!

Russia Report 2007

2007-08-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, July 26, the team left Horizont camp. We were all tired, looking forward to clean, private showers. Yet we were all sad to leave the children, to say farewell to our 3 interpreters, who had become our friends over the past 2 weeks. It was also not easy to say goodbye to the team members at Helsinki airport! Karalyn was first to leave for Frankfurt on her first leg back to Australia . Peter West and Andrew left for Heathrow for a short holiday in England . Natalie left with them to begin her 6 months of travel in Europe . Anne, Jan and I left for Holland together and parted at Schiphol. Jan and Anne will spend a few weeks with Jan's dad and I am spending a few days with relatives and will return home on Wednesday 2am!!

I wil try to tell you a little of our experience in Horizont, but first of all on behalf of the team, I want to thank you for all your interest and especially your prayers over these few weeks. We rely on your prayers, because we cannot do this work without it and we certainly cannot do it on our own, only in God's strength and guidance!

This year was different than other years (No one trip will be the same, I am sure!!) in that we already knew the conditions as well as some of the staff and children. We were pleasantly surpised by the eagerness and warmth with which we were welcomed. Our accomodation had been lovingly prepared with new towels on the bed and this showed by the pride they showed when they took us inside our little house! Yes, we were blessed with our own little place where we could have some good devotion times as well as programme planning and relaxation away from the busyness of the camp. Jan and Anne had a small room on their own, we had a larger room for the 5 female team members, our own toilet, a little kitchen and a small sunroom/ meeting area. The men were housed in the big yellow building in the main camp area. We were also blessed with our own craft room in the camp. Mind you, the conditions were Russian style, very run-down and not easily cleaned... it always takes new team members some time to adjust, but those that have been before just shake their heads!!... It takes new team members also some time to get used to the communal showers, as well as to the mud and smell of the shower buildings!!! We were very close to the shower building this year, as well as to the coal heap/ fumes and rubbish burning area... you win some and lose some... all comes with the experience!!!

Another huge blessing was our team of interpreters: Natalie and Ira we met last year. They are very committed Christian women with a huge love of the children and a passion to spread the Gospel among their Russian people. Then we had Vitalik, a Christian young man with a natural love for children and young people.... we think a youth pastor in the making. Please pray for him! All 3 are wonderful people and we parted as friends. Nothing was too much for them, they really were part of the team in every way in such a way that they did not even want to take their entitled days off!!

Our program was very busy and we were amazed at what we could do and say! They were very open to us talking about the Gospel and about God. We came just before the end of the 2nd "term". We were asked to hand out Bibles to all the children on the 1st Friday and Saturday we were there, 1 group at the time. This way the camp staff was sure that all the children leaving camp that Sunday would have a Bible! Then the next Tuesday and Wednesday, when the next groups were settled into camp, we presented the gospel colour story in the form of a "worm"pencil for the little ones and a phone tag for the teenagers. At the same time we then gave Bibles to all the new children. We handed out well over 300 Bibles and Bible story books to the children and staff members!!! Vitalik took a number of them to his church to be used in their outreach ministry and the rest will be stored in a container and will be used by another pastor during the year.

Every other activity we did with the children had a simple message about God. We also did the dental hygiene program with the youngest 3 groups and gave each one a toothbrush and toothpaste. With the older groups we had sessions on the dangers of drug/ alcohol/ smoking. All of it was appreciated and welcomed by most of the staff and they expressed this on the last evening during a staff party in honour of us! During this time we all received an official invitation to return next year! I was asked to come and join the camp for the entire 3 month summer break....But I think not!!!

There is so much more I can tell you, but it will need to wait until I have sorted photos and thoughts!!! I will finish with a few more final points:
We met a few muslims in the camp and they actually sought us out. We were able to build friendships with them and give them Bibles. Please pray for them!
There was one orphan group we had met last year. The children were keen to be with us, but their leaders were quite anti and tried to stop them, yet we were able to love them and re-build friendships. These children were the most heart wrenching of our time thete... it was so hard to leave them behind. Many are so sad, so angry, so seeking love and attention! Writing this still brings tears to my eyes!
Team unity was good, of course not perfect, but we had a great time working together..... much fun also in playing cards together.. much laughter, rivalry and always trying to unseat the "president"of the time... the interpreters were all part of that fun. They even allowed the old team leader to join... much to their dismay, she too was president a few times!!!
We were able to worship for some time with Ira in the Orthodox church during our visit to St Petes and later in the day in Natalie's church. There we were also able to introduce ourselves and I was invited to tell of our work in the camps. Then the pastor prayed for us and our work in the camp. It was such a blessing to worship with them in their churches!
Please keep the team in your prayers. It is always a time of adjustment and we do miss that close bond we have as a team in the camp. We also miss the children! The interpreters find it difficult to settle back home again as well and they too miss the friends they made among the team members.

Once again, thank you for all your support!
with love,
Jenny

Old Testament figure named on 2600-year-old tablet

2007-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

By Dalya Alberge in London
July 12, 2007 01:00am
Article from:
THE British Museum yesterday hailed a discovery within a clay tablet in its collection as a breakthrough for biblical archeology - proof of the accuracy of the Old Testament.
The cuneiform inscription in a tablet dating from 595BC has been deciphered for the first time - revealing a reference to an official at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon , that proves the historical existence of a figure mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.
It is rare evidence in a non-biblical source of a real person, other than kings, featured in the Bible.
The tablet names a Babylonian officer called Nebo-Sarsekim who, according to Jeremiah 39 was present in 587BC when Nebuchadnezzar "marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it".
The cuneiform inscription records how Nebo-Sarsekim lavished a gift of gold on the Temple of Esangila in the fabled city of Babylon , where, at least in folk tradition, Nebuchadnezzar is credited with building the Hanging Gardens , one of the Seven Wonders of the World .
British Museum staff are excited by the discovery. Irving Finkel, assistant keeper in the Department of the Middle East , said: "A mundane commercial transaction takes its place as a primary witness to one of the turning points in Old Testament history. "This is a tablet that deserves to be famous."
The discovery was made by Michael Jursa, associate professor at the University of Vienna , on a research trip to the museum. "It's very exciting and very surprising," he said.
"Finding something like this tablet, where we see a person mentioned in the Bible making an everyday payment to the temple in Babylon and quoting the exact date, is quite extraordinary."
Since 1991, Dr Jursa has been visiting the museum to study a collection of more than 100,000 inscribed tablets - the world's largest holdings.
Cuneiform is the oldest known form of writing. During its 3000-year history, it was used to write about 15 languages, including Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite and Urartian.
There are only a small number of scholars worldwide who can read cuneiform script.
One of them is Dr Jursa, who yesterday said the British Museum tablet was so well preserved that it took him just a couple of minutes to decipher.
This one - which is 5.5cm wide - was acquired by the British Museum in 1920, "but no one realised the connection," Dr Jursa said. "They didn't really read it."
It was unearthed from the ancient city of Sippar , where there was a huge sun temple, about 2km from Baghdad .
On hearing of the discovery yesterday, Geza Vermes, the eminent emeritus professor of Jewish studies at the University of Oxford , said such a discovery revealed that "the Biblical story is not altogether invented".
"This will be interesting for religious people as much as historians," he said.
The Times, London , in The Australian

Jesus on the Beach...this is incredible

2007-07-21T07:44:00.001-07:00

RED MARBLES

2007-07-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

I was at the corner grocery store buying some

early potatoes.

I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and

feature, ragged but clean,

hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked

green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to

the display of fresh

green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas

and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing

the conversation

between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the

ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus'

admirin' them peas. They sure

look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr.

Miller.

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of

those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one

is blue and I sort of

go for red. Do you have a red one like this at

home?" the store owner

asked.

"Not zackley but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home

with you and next trip

this way let me look at that red marble". Mr.

Miller told the boy.

"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller." Mrs. Miller,

who had been standing nearby, came

over to help me. With a smile she said, "There

are two other boys

like him in our community, all three are in

very poor circumstances. Jim just loves

to bargain with them for peas, apples,

tomatoes, or whatever. When they come

back with their red marbles, and they always

do, he decides he doesn't like red

after all and he sends them home with a bag

of produce for a green marble or an

orange one, when they come on their next trip

to the store."

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed

with this man. A short time later I

moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the

story of this man, the boys, and their

bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the

previous one. Just

recently I had occasion to visit some old

friends in that Idaho

community and while I was there learned that

Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening

and knowing my friends

wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon

arrival at the

mortuary we fell into line to meet the

relatives of the deceased and

to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One

was in an army uniform

and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark

suits and white shirts...all very

professional looking. They approached Mrs.

Miller, standing composed

and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of

the young men hugged her,

kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with

her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one

by one, each young

man stopped briefly and placed his own warm

hand over the cold pale

hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary

awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her

who I was and reminded

her of the story from those many years ago and

what she had told me

about her husband's bartering for marbles. With

her eyes glistening,

she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the

boys I told you about.

They just told me how they appreciated the

things Jim "traded" them.

Now, at last, when Jim could not change his

mind about color or

size....they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of

this world," she

confided, "but right now, Jim would consider

himself the richest man

in Idaho ."

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless

fingers of her deceased husband.

Resting underneath were three exquisitely

shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our

words, but by our kind

deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we

take, but by the moments

that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~

A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make

yourself...An unexpected phone

call from an old friend...Green stoplights on

your way to work...

The fastest line at the grocery store...A

good sing-along song on

the radio...Your keys found right where you

left them.

Send this to the people you'll never forget. I

just Did...

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you

are in way too much of a

hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when

they occur.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER

THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE

LIVED

Church must uphold its teachings

2007-07-05T07:45:00.001-07:00

I find the indignation of John Buggy (Threats do Church no favour West Australian 11/06/07) , Brian Toohey (Opinion West Australian 11/06/07) and others concerning the comments of Archbishops Hickey and Pell rather hypocritical and amusing.

Let me say: I am not a catholic. I am an agricultural scientist. Hence I do understand what therapeutic cloning is. Therapeutic cloning is the same method by which Dolly the sheep came to be. The only difference is that in the provisions of the therapeutic cloning bill, the human Dollys that scientists will be allowed to create, must be put to death by the time they reach the 14th day of their development. Many people think that this is acceptable. But the Catholic Church has consistently taught (as do most churches) that this is a gross violation of its teaching on the sanctity of human life.

I wonder how indignant Brain Toohey and John Buggy et al would have been if the Roman Catholic Archbishops in Germany had warned Roman Catholic ministers in Hitler’s government, that if they voted in favour of Jews going to the gas chambers, they would be denied communion, or excommunicated. Would that have warranted an investigation by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee? Would that be seen by them as a serious violation of the church state divide? Hardly. They all would say that the archbishops took a courageous stand.

Ah, I hear you say: that is different! As a scientist, I need to tell you that the only difference is that the Archbishops are speaking up for defenceless human beings who are 14 days into their development, where as in the Hitler scenario, the archbishop would have spoken up for defenceless human beings into their 5th, 10th or 90th year of development.

Archbishop Hickey has a responsibility to his church and its members, to ensure that the name of his church is not brought into disrepute. If I were a member of the Catholic Church, and felt that I needed to vote in favour of the therapeutic cloning bill, then I would consider myself duty bound to resign from the Catholic church. MPs can hardly claim to be Catholic, if they are not prepared to uphold some of its most basic teaching. Just as we would not deny Kevin Rudd the right to deal with unionists who do not uphold the values of the ALP, so an Archbishop must have the right to deal with people in their church who do not uphold the values of the church.

So rather than refer the Archbishop to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee, I would urge the speaker of the Legislative Assembly to refer Catholic MPs who plan to vote in favour of the therapeutic cloning bill, to the Trade Practices Commission on the ground of false advertising.

Lyrics - Shine, Jesus, shine

2007-06-17T07:45:00.001-07:00

Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light

Lord, I come to your awesome presence
From the shadows into your radiance
By the blood I may enter your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me

As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story
Shine on me, shine on me

The fascinating story behind the candy cane ...

2007-06-17T07:35:00.001-07:00

The fascinating story behind the candy cane ...
The birth, ministry, and death of
Jesus Christ are signified through
the elements of the candy cane ~

JESUS CHRIST is ....
our Good Shepherd (staff shape) ~ 1 Pt. 5:4
our Rock (hard candy) ~ 1 Cor. 10:4
our Sinless Savior (white) ~ 2 Cor. 5:21
our Sacrifical Lamb (red) ~ Eph. 1:7

The STRIPES symbolize pain inflicted upon
Jesus before his death on the cross and a bold
stripe to represent the blood he shed for
mankind. The three stripes can also represent
the power and presence of the Trinity
(the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

The smell and taste of PEPPERMINT relate
to the herb hyssop. Psalm 51:7 states,
"Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean,
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

The candy cane is meant to be shared --
broken into pieces for all to share. That
reminds us of Jesus' words, "This is my body
which is broken for you" (1 Cor. 11:24).
What a sweet way to share the Gospel !

Different versions of the Candy Cane Story

EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU JESUS?

2007-06-17T07:15:00.001-07:00

As you read this think about what you would do!

"Excuse me, Are you Jesus?" This is really powerful and makes one think!!!! A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.

It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

Please share this,,,, Sometimes we just take things for granted, when we really need to be sharing what we know...Thanks

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

2007-06-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Powerpoint Presentations

For Sons and Daughters

June 17, 2007 - First Service Seventh Day Adventist Church

2007-06-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

Background Notes on the Book of Acts

2007-06-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Before reading any book, it is helpful to ask the question: when and why did the author bother to write all this? Normally, an author has a specific goal in mind, and Luke was no exception. He appears to have had a number of reasons for writing Luke-Acts.

While Luke addressed his book to Theophilus (literally means lover of God), it is evident that he anticipated his writing having a far wider circulation. Indeed, he tells us that others had set about writing an account of all that Jesus had done (Luke 1:1ff). But Luke had taken the time to carefully research these things and produce Luke - Acts. One would not normally go to so much trouble to write something if it were intended purely for one private individual. It appears that Luke had a very wide audience in mind - including Roman officials, since parts of his writings seem to be specifically intended for Roman officials.

Firstly he wrote as a historian.

He himself had not been an eyewitness to the various events surrounding the ministry of Jesus, and even some of what is written in Acts (Note how he changes from "they" to "we" at times. ) So when Luke spent time (at least 2 years - see Acts 21:7 and 27:1) in Palestine he took the opportunity to become familiar with Jewish cultural matters and to research the things he had been taught. As a medical doctor he had undergone rigorous scientific training, and was in an excellent position to interview the key players in the drama - people like Jesus' mother . But it was not just an academic exercise for Luke: He wrote so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke records for us the first 30 or so years of the church.

Secondly he wrote as a diplomat (to give a defence)

As Luke writes he develops a quite powerful political apologetic. With Paul in prison, he no doubt was concerned about the attitude of some of the Roman officials towards Christianity. He goes out of his way to show:

• That the Romans officials were mostly friendly to Christianity, and that some even had become Christians - like the centurion at the cross, the centurion Cornelius, and Serius Paulus.

• That the Roman authorities could find no fault in either Jesus or his apostles. Jesus had been accused of serious offences, but neither Herod nor Pilate had found him guilty. Similarly, Luke tells us that Felix, Festus and Agrippa all failed to convict Paul of any offence.

• That the Roman authorities agreed that Christianity was a licensed religion, because it was really a form of Judaism. Hence Luke is at pains to show that the church community had a direct continuity with the OT people of God.

Writing as a diplomat, Luke wrote not only a political apologetic, but he also wrote as a peacemaker in the church. His writings set forth the picture that by God's providence the early church had remained a united church, despite the problems of trying to keep Jews and Samaritan and Gentile Christians in the one church!

He does this by showing that Peter, James and Paul were in agreement about the basics of the gospel message. He shows their ministries to be parallel, rather than divergent

Thirdly Luke wrote as the Theologian- Evangelist (to provide a guide)

Three basic truths reoccur time and time again in Luke's writings:

• Salvation has been prepared by God. It was not an afterthought, or something that "just happened".

• Salvation is given by Christ. (e.g. Acts 2:38-39)

• Salvation is offered to all peoples (e.g. by showing how Paul's ministry turned to the Gentiles) In his writing he shows us that despite all kinds of opposition, the Christian faith triumphed in reaching the centre of the then known world (Rome), thus showing us that believers empowered by the Holy Spirit had indeed been able to spread the gospel far and wide (Acts 1:8)

In understanding Acts we need to realise that it is written as a follow on volume to the Gospel of Luke, as is clear from Acts 1:1 (It is generally accepted that Luke wrote Acts about 63AD - very soon after the last event recorded in the book. Had Luke known the outcome of Paul's trial, he would almost certainly have told us about it). Often people think that Luke's Gospel is about the ministry of Jesus Christ, while Acts is about the Church of Jesus Christ from its birth in Jerusalem to the time it makes an impact in Rome. Rather, Luke presents both books as being about what Jesus Christ did. The gospel recounts what Jesus did until his ascension, while the second book tells us what Jesus did after the ascension. Thus we could say that Luke is about Jesus' earthly ministry, while Acts is about his heavenly ministry.

It is interesting to note how Luke records for us that Jesus was not taken up to heaven until he had given clear instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen (Acts 1:2) Thus we see that Jesus deliberately made provision for the continuation of his ministry on earth by means of the apostles, directed from heaven through the Holy Spirit.

Luke shows us that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a key event in redemptive history. It seems that Luke sees history in 3 phases: the period of Israel (up to the last prophet, John); the period of Jesus (beginning at his baptism and going through to his ascension) and the period between the ascension and the parousia (coming again). This latter period was marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to all men.

Relevance of Acts for today

In a sense, the book of Acts is an unfinished book. The theme of the book is mission - how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and then to the ends of the world. More and more chapters will be added to that story of the spread of the gospel until the day of Jesus' return. The challenge to us is to be open to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, so that we will be effective instruments in the spread of the gospel.

Acts contains many ageless principles which all of God's children do well to heed, and to model their mission work on. It is also a book of great comfort - for we see that Jesus through the working of His Spirit, ensures that the mission of the church will be accomplished.

May the sermons on Acts over the coming months be a blessing to you.

Pastor Peter

June 2007

Tapestry - True story

2007-06-12T07:24:00.001-07:00

GOD IS GREAT!

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve .

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rain storm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, hand made, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.. "Pastor," she asked, " Where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The

woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth, but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he had got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid

Who says God does not work in mysterious ways. So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best..

When there is nothing! left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.

Father, God, bless all my friends and family in what ever it is that You know they may be needing this

day! May their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a

closer relationship with you. Amen.

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS COURT CASE?

2007-06-12T07:01:00.001-07:00

In Florida, an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter and Passover holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.

The case was brought before a wise judge. After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared "Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom
Kippur and Hanukkah...yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!"

The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, "Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own atheists' holiday!"

The lawyer pompously said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?"

The judge said, "Well it comes every year on exactly the same date---April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as 'April Fools Day,' consider that Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no
God.' Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by scripture he is a fool, thus April 1st is his holiday! Get it?"

PRAY THAT SOME DAY OUR COURTS WILL BE FULL OF THESE KIND OF JUDGES...... MAYBE THEN, WE CAN PUT GOD BACK WHERE HE BELONGS --- IN EVERYTHING WE DO...

Way to go, Judge!

Grandma's Hands

2007-06-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

I'll never look at my hands the same way again!

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking,' she said in a clear strong voice. 'I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,' I explained to her.

'Have you ever looked at your hands,' she asked. 'I mean really looked at your hands?' I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story: 'Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. 'They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

'They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents
and spouse.

'They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. 'They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest
of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

'These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life. But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.'

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and
husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.
I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

When you receive this, say a prayer for the person who sent it to you and watch God's answer to prayer work in your life. Let's continue praying for one another. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both. Passing this on to one not yet considered a friend is something Christ would do.

CLUB 99

2007-06-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.
One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy.

The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"
The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."
The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, “Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of "The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.

The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what "The 99 Club" is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins! “
He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined "The 99 Club.”

He continued, "The 99 Club" is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra ONE, telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining "The 99 Club" is
all about."

Bible vs Mobile Phone

2007-06-11T05:35:00.001-07:00

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our mobile phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we travelled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our mobiles we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

June 10th 2007 - a significant day in the life of our church

2007-06-11T05:23:00.001-07:00

Today is a significant day in the life of our church: it is our last service at the Perth Bible College, before moving to the SDA church at North Beach. It was on Nov 21, 2004 that we held the first service in the chapel of the Perth Bible College. Forty two people (including the children) attended that first service. Among the congregation were a significant number of supporters from the

Willetton congregation. From memory, the families Melvill, Conradie, Holmes, Pelser, Somerville, Voogd and van Rooyen, who are still with us, all pledged their support to help develop Grace CRC. (There were others present who have moved on, including the Family Fouche who moved to Queensland)

For the first year of the life of Grace CRC (till end 2005), I was still full time at Willetton CRC, and so was only able to devote a day or so a week to the church, besides taking the service and running a fortnightly home group. It was through the hard work, commitment and determination of those pioneer families, who invited friends to come along, and the website which Basie van Rooyen set up, that brought a steady flow of visitors. Under the guiding hand of God the church

has continued to grow.

On October 16th 2005, we held our first Membership Sunday, where we formally welcomed into membership all those who had committed themselves to being members of the Grace CRC by signing the membership covenant. The document that everyone signed read in part: “We have covenanted together to work under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the leadership of our pastor, Rev Peter Abetz, to build a self supporting Christian Reformed Church congregation, for the purpose of wining the lost to Christ, building believers to maturity in Christ, sending them out into Kingdom service.”

God in His grace has allowed us to grow not only in numbers, but also in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has given us 3 elders and a pastoral care assistant. He has also given us people with generous hearts, who give of their time by serving in various ways and give of their financial resources, so that we are getting very close to being financially self supporting.

We are deeply appreciative of the wonderful way in which the board and staff at the PBC have welcomed us. There have been some great synergies of having our services in a Bible College. I wonder how many of our people would have considered doing courses at PBC, had we not met in the PBC? The very reasonable rent made it financially possible for us to get started, and also helped the finances of the college. We will miss that close connection with PBC once we move to

the SDA church, but I trust that the good contact will continue through the on going involvement of some of the staff as members of our congregation. As we move to our new venue, which will allow us to accommodate more people in our services, let us keep in mind our vision: “To build a healthy, mission minded, self supporting church, that is open to everyone, but has a special calling to reach the migrant communities in the northern suburbs who are of Reformed background. “

Next Sunday we commence a new series of sermons in the book of Acts. Acts is in many ways a book on missions. While Acts is largely descriptive, telling us what the early church did, and how they did things, we can learn much from it to help us in our mission task. It is my prayer that this series of sermons will help to motivate and equip us in our calling to make Christ known.

Pastor Peter

A Prayer

2007-06-03T04:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so tha t I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it w ith others. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Why men lie - this is good

2007-06-01T22:03:00.001-07:00

One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above river,
his axe fell into the river.

When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?"

The woodcutter replied that his axe has fallen into water, and he needed the axe to make his living.

The Lord went down in the water and reappeared with a golden axe.  "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.

The woodcutter replied, "No."

The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?"the Lord asked.

Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."

The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe. "Is this your  axe?"the Lord asked.

"Yes", he replied.

The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happy.

Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his wife along the
riverbank, and his wife fell into the river.

When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him,  "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with Jennifer Lopez.
"Is this your wife?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the woodcutter.

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The woodcutter fell to his knees and cried, "Oh, forgive me, Lord. It is
a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to Jennifer Lopez, You
would  have come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then if I also said 'no' to
her, you would have come up with my wife. Had I then said 'yes,' you would
have given me all three. Lord, I am a poor man, and am not able to take care
of all three wives, and I love my wife such that I don't want her to share
me  with anyone, so THAT'S why I said yes to Jennifer Lopez."

The moral of this story is: Whenever a man lies, it is for a good and
honourable reason, and for the benefit of others.. MOSTLY his wife!

That's our story, and we're sticking to it..

THE GUYS.

Teaching Values today

2007-06-01T20:17:00.001-07:00

How often have you endeavoured to teach your children values such as vision, boundaries, authenticity, listening and empathy? Timothy Smith in a book called, The Danger of Raising

NICE Kids, suggests that many parents struggle to teach such values. Consider where most of our time goes. We live in a very competitive society where we know that if we work hard we’ll be able to beat the crowd. That usually means we’re busy making a successful living and don’t often enough take time to consider the long term values of God’s Word for ourselves or our children. We want our kids to have good manners, and rightly so. But it takes more than good manners to make a difference for God. What if a young person has social skills but lacks internal strength and courage? What if they too easily give in to peer and cultural pressures?

How do we teach those deeper values? Our first need is to keep monitoring our own lives. If we’re under stress, we may want our children to grow up too fast, packing in lots of activities, but not paying attention to their spiritual and emotional growth and particular needs at each stage of their lives. Instead, let’s remind ourselves that as trainers we ask, “How can I train her for life; how can I develop his character; how do we grow our children from the inside out?”

Consider the following examples:

*They need more than self esteem and a competitive edge. Help them to be able to take criticism without falling apart. When they fail, help them to try again without blaming others for their failure.

*Help them develop an accurate, Biblical view of themselves, knowing their strengths and weaknesses rather than unrealistic expectations.

*Help them feel good about themselves without thinking of themselves as gods. It’s really about discipling our children. And at the same time, it’s about letting God shape and train us.

Produced by Helen Vanderbom; Children’s Work Coordinator;

CRCA:childrens@crca.org.au

Family

2007-05-25T13:11:00.001-07:00

Three sisters ages 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together. One night the 96 year old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"

The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses. "Was I going up the stairs or down?"

The 92 year old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful," as she knocked on her wooden table for good measure."

She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."

Love this lawyer

2007-05-24T15:29:00.001-07:00

- you have to love this lawyer
- It's too good not to share!

A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client who lost his house in Hurricane Katrina and wanted to rebuild.. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to the parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the Lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply:

(Actual letter):
"Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin."

Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:
(Actual Letter):
"Your letter regarding title in Case No. 189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 194 years covered by the present application. I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased, by the U.S., from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain. The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch,
Isabella. The good queen, Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus' expedition.

Now the Pope, as I'm sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world. Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana. God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it AND the FHA. I hope you find God's original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our damn loan?"

He got the loan.

That's God

2007-05-15T06:38:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like
doing something nice for someone you care for?

THAT'S GOD talking to you through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to?

THAT'S GOD wanting you to talk to Him.

Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you needed, but couldn't afford?

THAT'S GOD knowing the desires of your heart.

Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it was going to get better, how the hurting would stop, how the pain would ease, but now you look back on it. ....
THAT'S GOD passing us through tribulation to see a brighter day.

Hello Visitors

2007-05-01T19:16:00.001-07:00
Good Day,
Visit http://www.gracecrc.org.au/ to learn more about us at the Grace Christian Reformed Church.

How to submit an article to the Grace chatterbox

2007-04-30T06:29:00.001-07:00

Hello All,
Those of you who have visited the Grace CRC website may have noticed that there is a link called ‘Chatterbox’.

The whole idea of this link is for us all to participate by submitting a story, joke, and basically any food for thought. We all receive something from time to time that is worth sharing.
I want to challenge everyone to make the effort and to at least make one submission.

It is easier than you think.

There are a few rules that we must adhere to and they are as follows:-

1.       Use Microsoft word as your word processing tool.

2.       Use Arial 10x as your font.

3.       Do not submit pictures. They will not display. There is a different procedure to follow when submitting pictures.

4.       Any form of text, hyperlinks etc should all be in order.

5.       Your heading you place in the subject line of your email. Do not place a heading else where. It will just be duplicated when processed.

6.       Send your article to holmes_rw.gracecrc@blogger.com

7.       NB: Send the article as inline text and not as an attachment.

8.       I will keep it all tidy therefore do not worry about making mistakes.

Happy blogging,

Richard

Misconceptions - A girl asked her boyfriend if he thought she was pretty.

2007-04-29T22:32:00.001-07:00

A girl asked her boyfriend if he thought she was pretty, He said...no.

She asked him if he would want to be with her forever.... and he said no.

She then asked him if she were to leave would he cry, and once again he replied with a no.

She had heard enough. As she walked away, tears streaming down her face, the boy grabbed her arm and said....

You're not pretty you're beautiful. I don't want to be with you forever,

I NEED to be with you forever.

And I wouldn't cry if you walked away...I'd die...

Humour - Letter to God

2007-04-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job it was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses. One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God. He thought he should open it to see what it was about. The letter read:

Dear God,

I am an 83yr old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had £100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension cheque. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope.

Can you please help me?

Sincerely,
Edna

The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few pounds. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected £96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman. The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share
with her friends.

Christmas came and went. A few days later another letter came from the old lady to God All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.

It read:

Dear God,

How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there was £4 missing. I think it must have been those thieving bastards at the Post Office.

Sincerely,
Edna