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Psalm 121:1-2 "I look up to the hills, but where does my help come from?? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth". A dear relative of mine would always end every phone call with the words, "Keep looking up!" She was an amazing Christian woman, with an amazing focus in life! In my youth, her "sign off" was nothing more than a quirky phrase. But as my own fa...

Bearer of the Gospel Truth Bearer of the gospel truth, Let your light so shine, That foggy paths are finally clear And day breaks into darkened minds. Christ offers freedom from the shackles Of guilt from past misdeeds, Of fear of uncertain days ahead, Of present, pressing needs. He offers satisfying life For the now and eternally, One with our Creator God...

I've been planning a two-week holiday for months. Anna and I were soon off to Japan to catch up with our son, Adam, eat wonderful food, and go places we had not been before. And then Coronavirus. Two weeks ago, I contacted the booking agency and was told that it would cost $1000 to cancel our flights. We really wanted to go, and we didn't want to lose $1000. So, we decid...

The past few months have been tough. First there was drought. Water restrictions bit hard as lawns and gardens turned brown and farmers despaired. Then came bushfires. Week after week of smoke, haze, and destruction coupled with loss of property and loss of life. Then came the rains a mercy to be sure, but why so much at one time? Rivers flooded, roofs leaked, trees fell, ...

Merry Christmas everyone At least I think so If that's OK? If you don't mind. Not everyone likes 'Merry Christmas' and I'm not talking about those who prefer the vacuous term 'Happy Holidays'. I remember being told that it's not an appropriate greeting in church circles and that we should also be circumspect about singing the carol 'God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen'. Apparent...

Coronavirus COVID-19. It's big news and it's scary news. We don't know how far the virus will spread, how many people will be infected, and most worryingly, how many will die. Health officials warn of a likely pandemic and urge preparedness. How should Christians respond? Four general comments: God is on the Throne: There are many things we don't understand and even more ...

I spent a recent weekend at Boot Camp in Katoomba with the young men of our church. We had a great time. And it rained, and rained, and rained, and rained just as it did back here at Pennant Hills. Indeed, it rained so much I had trouble getting home. Three trees fell and brought down two power poles over the road that leads to our house. As a result, our little nook of ...

"God Wins!" God wins! It's simple really. We complicate things. We worry; we fear, we become anxious. Hey, we're only human after all! But when we invite God into our messy, complicated lives, He walks in, and He stays. He's not turned off by the mess. Anxieties come, but they don't stick. Fears surface and then depart. Struggles come, for sure. But so does God. Go...

Last week I shared some thoughts from my son, Adam. At the risk of overplaying my hand, I'd like to share just one more thought from his core values that caught my attention. Adam lives in Tokyo, works a busy job, and was reflecting on 'Life in the Fast Lane'. Moogie is our brown Labrador. Moogie has taught me a lot about being simple. He's usually the one in the room...

Our son, Adam, has been living and working in Japan for the past few years. Recently he wrote down what he considered to be his core values. He shared these with Anna and I, and after checking, he's OK with me sharing some of his thoughts with you. Here is some of what he wrote on mission: Most people quote the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20 when thinking about ...