All posts by Gwenyth

I live on the outskirts of Whangarei, the northernmost city in New Zealand. I enjoy many things, ( writing amongst them), have been married to Keith for sixty-one years, have three married daughters, nine grandchildren and seventeen great- grandchildren who are scattered in various countries. No cats and no dogs as they would cramp our life-style.. We are obviously retired, but were farming further north before moving to the town over thirty-five years ago. We attend one of the local churches across the same side of town that we live.
Random Devotional Thoughts

How Well do you Listen?

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“Could you run down to the grocery store and get me a couple of things please Honey?”      Debbie asked her new husband.

“Why sure”, Jeff replied only too happy to oblige.

“I’ll give you a list”, Debbie went on.

“No, no” Jeff insisted, “I’ll be OK. What do you want?”

“Well, I need some self-rising flour, and a packet of Twinings tea”, she said as she wiped her hands on the towel.

Jeff bounded off, happy to do his beloved’s wish.

He got to the shop and found the section for baking needs. “Flour” he muttered, and then looked at the array of different sorts of flour before him. “Now what sort did she ask for?” he asked himself. High grade, plain white, brown, self-rising, bread flour. Her instructions flew out of his mind.

It was in the days before cell phones, so he made a wild guess and picked a packet off the shelf.

It was the same in the tea section. “Tea”, he muttered, “Now what sort did she ask for?”

Green tea, black tea, cheap tea, expensive tea…. Nerada tea, Bell tea, Choysa tea, Twinings tea? He made a stab and picked a packet up and put it in his basket.

When he got home, Debbie saw what he had brought. “Those aren’t the ones I asked for Jeff”, she wailed, “Why didn’t you listen?”

“Well, I did get flour and tea”, he said.

You see, Jeff had heard, but he hadn’t really listened. This what so many of us are like with what God tells us. Yes, we hear that God loves us, but we don’t listen to the fact that He is a holy God and can’t stand sin. We hear that He wants to bless us, but we don’t listen to the fact that He only blesses those who give their lives to Him and do their best to follow Him. We may even know that verse that says that “all things work together for good”, but we don’t take notice that is only for those who love God and are doing what He wants them to. Let’s make sure that we REALLY listen to what God is saying to us, and then act on it. If Jeff had really LISTENED to Debbie, he would have taken the right things home for her!!

Random Devotional Thoughts

The Glass Blower.

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       We had some visitors from another area, and were taking them around the local sights. One of these was a glass blower at  work behind the gallery that was selling a lot of his work. There were some beautiful pieces on display, all brightly coloured and different shapes. The man was in his workshop at the back of the gallery which was open for people to watch him at work.

    We went in and up the stairs where we could look down on him plying his art. The furnace was heated up and the tongs he was using were red hot. As he pulled the shaped vase out of the heat, he pulled and twisted at the neck of it to form a shapely edge. But time and time again, he had to put it back into the heat because he wasn’t satisfied with how it looked.                                                                                                 It reminded me of the Master Glass Blower at work in our lives, as He moulds and perfects His people to make them become what He wants them to be. We may not like the heat of the fire we have to go through, or the pulling and twisting that we are subject to, but when it is all over, we are more like the finished article that He wants us to be….a thing of beauty and fit for His use.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

The Boy who Made up his Mind

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Bobby and Sarah had gone over to Uncle Jeff’s to get some oranges off his tree. They were really big golden ones, and very sweet. So they filled their plastic bag up and then wandered inside where Uncle Jeff was reading his Bible.

“What are you reading about, Uncle Jeff?” Bobby wanted to know.

“Well, actually I was reading the story about Daniel and his three friends,” Uncle Jeff replied.

“Oh, I know that story,” said Bobby, “Daniel got thrown into the lions’ den, and they didn’t eat him!”

“Well, there’s a lot more to the story of Daniel than that,” Uncle Jeff said, “What do you know about him Sarah?” he asked.

“I know there are a couple more stories, but I’m not sure how they go,” she said, “Didn’t he have some friends with him in some of them?”

“Well, let’s start at the beginning,” said Uncle Jeff, “Daniel and his three friends (as well as a lot of other people) were all taken off to a far away country to the big city of Babylon by the conquering king, Nebuchadnezzar. These boys were all part of the royal family of Judah, and when the king was taken hostage, they were too. Have you any idea why God allowed this to happen?”

“I guess it was because the people had left God out of their lives”, Sarah said.

“That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff, “But there were still some who did believe in God as we shall see from Daniel’s story”.

“They must have often wondered why this was happening to them then,” Sarah said thoughtfully.

“It must have seemed funny to go to a strange land where they couldn’t understand the language,” Bobby said, entering into the story.

“They were smart boys,” said Uncle Jeff, “and it didn’t take them long to pick it up. In fact, the king decided he wanted a bunch of these boys from the captive royal family to be part of his court. But first of all they had to learn how to behave themselves  in his court, and also learn a whole heap of other things like astrology, and science and things like that.

The other things they noticed strange were the statues of different idols all around the place. They could see the food that was placed in front of these statues, and asked what happened to it seeing the idols couldn’t eat. The other ones in their class laughed and said that it was probably what they were given themselves later!

Daniel was horrified, and went to the man in charge and asked if they could be given just vegetables to eat and water to drink instead of this other fancy food that had been offered to the idols first.”

“What did the man say?” asked Bobby.

“Didn’t he say he would get into big trouble if they didn’t look as fit and healthy as the others in the class?” asked Sarah.

“That’s right”, said Uncle Jeff.

“What happened next?” asked Bobby.

“The man agreed to do it for ten days and then give them a check over. And you know what? At the end of the ten days they were more alert and fitter than all the others who had been drinking the king’s wine and eating the fancy food all that time!”

“Wow!” said Bobby.

“Yes,” said Uncle Jeff, “And the point for us today is that Daniel had made up his mind that he was going to follow God’s ways no matter what! Daniel was still only a teenager when all this happened you know, so it just shows that it doesn’t matter how young we are, we are still able to decide what we will do that honours God.”

“They were honouring God.” Sarah said slowly and thoughtfully, “ and then God honoured them later didn’t He Uncle Jeff?”

“That’s right Sarah,” said Uncle Jeff, “When they were taken for their test before the king, he found they were smarter and better trained than any of the others in their class, so he promoted them and gave them top places in his court. It didn’t seem to matter what the king asked them, they knew the right answers.

But I think that’s enough for now, we’ll have another story about Daniel next time! Let’s go and put the kettle on and have a drink!”

Random Devotional Thoughts

Little Folk

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I have just met a little man. I mean, a really little man. But with a big heart. I’ve seen him around at church before, but never spoken to him until today. I felt big and clumsy in his presence, and even more so after talking with him.
“How do you feel with people looking over the top of you all the time?” I asked.
“Well,” he said, “It’s like this, I have to look up to them while they look down on me! I figure it’s better for me to look up than for them to have to look down!”
What an amazing attitude to have! He went on, “It doesn’t bother me. It’s how God made me and it’s how He wants me to be. I can do most things that other people can do, and I’m happy with that.”
Suddenly, all my grumps and complaints seemed pointless in the face of this handicap.

I suddenly thought of another man we knew years ago who was born with no arms or hands. Yet he had a successful legal business, doing it all sitting on the floor and flicking papers over with his feet as well as writing that way too. Not only that, but he built himself a sizeable yacht too, to go sailing in. How did he expect to manage sails with no hands or arms? But he did somehow. I met him again a couple of years ago in what he called his “boatavan”. This was a boat patterned on the long boats of the canals in Britain. He took it around the countryside on its trailer and was able to sleep in it as the “van” part of it, and when he came to a harbour or bay, he could launch it off the boat ramp and chug off along the on the water, the “boat” part of it!
I went over to investigate it when I saw it parked in a bay one day. He was sitting in the cockpit having his lunch with his wife . After chatting for a bit about his craft, I noticed his empty shirt sleeves, and said, “You’ve got no arms….did you have an accident?”
He said, “No, I was born this way”
“Oh,” I said, “I knew a man years ago like that….he built a boat”.
“Was he a lawyer?” he asked.
“I believe he was”, I replied.
“Well, that was me,” he said.
So we were able to catch up on the intervening years. He had had an extremely interesting and successful life, becoming a judge in the end. Now he was retired and still enjoying himself.
What a lesson we who are “whole” can learn from these people! It’s not a question of being whole on the outside that counts, it is a question of whether we are whole on the inside that counts for the most. The only One Who we can count on for that is Jesus Christ who looks at the inside of the man and not the outside!

Daily Devotionals

Proverbs One (Part Two)

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Verses 1:20-33                                          

This is a serious warning indeed! The wisdom of God calls out to every person to “TAKE HEED!” “LISTEN!”  “ACT NOW!”

What could be more plain than the warning above? Those who respond to it are wise; those who don’t are foolish, scorners and simpletons! God has done everything in His power to save people from their sins…..all they have to do is to tell Him they accept His invitation or else suffer the consequences. Those who don’t believe the Son of God, will not see life, but God’s wrath (anger) will stay with them for ever. Just as a child who disobeys and gets burned in touching a hot stove, so the soul who disobeys God will suffer the fires of God’s wrath for ever.

God says, “I called you and you wouldn’t listen…..you’ve ignored me continually and despised My Word while there was time, and why should I hear you now?” Why indeed? The principle of cause and effect works just the same for a believer as for a non-believer in enjoying the peace of God…..if a believer obeys God’s word, he will reap the fruit of the Spirit ( love, joy, peace etc); if he sows to the flesh, he will reap the consequences of  that life style (which includes lack of peace and joy)

                                                  The soul who ignores His God’s sweet call,                                                                    Will reap results of man’s hard fall;                                                                              To respond will bring God’s great rewards,                                                 Of love and peace which He  affords.

 God’s Word will never take you, where God’s grace can’t safely keep you!

Random Devotional Thoughts

The Priceless Pearl

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We were visiting a tourist place where the pearling industry was the  big local thing. The pearling boats went out with their divers each day when the weather was right and the oysters in their wire grids were lifted so the pearls could be harvested.
A pearl is the only gem that comes from a living organism. It is the irritation of the grit in the oyster, that forms the pearl. The oyster forms a blanket around the grit over time which becomes a beautiful jewel, a pearl above price.
The pearl farmer purposely puts a piece of grit (called the “seed”) into the oyster, thus beginning the process that forms the pearl.
Without the grit and problems in our lives, we will never form pearls that will be a help to others. This is why God allows the grit in our lives, so that He can use them to turn into something of value to other people and to Himself. We read in the Bible that a person with a meek and quiet spirit in spite of their problems, is of great price in the sight of God….just like the beautiful pearls formed in the oysters!

Morning Musings

The Friendship Book.

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  Some people are great fun to be with. They can be the life and soul of the party, and always seem to be on top of things. When we first meet them, they are so outgoing that we feel as though we’ve always known them. But on the other hand, these same people can suffer great lows.

King David in the Bible seemed to be this sort of person. He had moments of great joy and times when he could praise the Lord with great enthusiasm… Shout out praises to the LORD, all the earth!  he wrote, Worship the LORD with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing! Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give him thanks! Praise his name! For the LORD is good. His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.

Then on the other hand, he got very depressed when things went wrong, and wrote this….. In my distress I cried out to the LORD and he answered me. I said, “O LORD, rescue me from those who lie with their lips and those who deceive with their tongue. How will he severely punish you, you deceptive talker? How miserable I am!

Other people we meet may be much more reserved and harder to get to know. But persevere with your efforts to be friendly….these ones make good friends in the end. Remember that those who want friends, must show themselves to be friendly!

Friendship is like a BOOK: it takes years to write, but a careless word or action can burn it in a flash. So take care how you treat your friendships, and never take them for granted.

Random Devotional Thoughts

A Bend in the Road.

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     “All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry, they can’t last long either. Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, “Relax My friend, it’s just a bend…. not the end!” 
I came across the above saying the other day, and thought how true it all is. We aren’t thankful enough when things are going smoothly for us, in fact we take it as our right! I thought of our family babies when they were all born, and thankfully they were all born perfect as far as their limbs and minds are concerned.
Then I thought of one acquaintance who has a son in his thirties who is definitely not quite right. What a burden for that mother who has to keep an eye on him constantly! She can never leave him without wondering what he is getting up to while she is away. She must have wondered “Why me?” many times, and yet she still carries on cheerfully.
Another family member has two in his family with the dread disease of cancer. Both of them seem to have passed the point of no return, although we can never discount the possibility of a miracle. Again, what a burden to carry! But they both have the hope ahead of being with the Lord….it is just the thought of leaving loved ones behind to cope on their own.
For all of us, it is a bend in the road of life, a road where there is no turning around. We cannot go back, we have to go ahead. When we have our hope and trust in the Lord, we know that He is with us regardless. We are not to pray for deliverance, but for strength to carry on, and He will give it.
So for whatever you may be going through at this moment, just remember we can call upon God, not necessarily for deliverance, but for the strength to bear what lies ahead, until we come out the other side.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about a young girl of twenty-two who lost her husband to a brain tumor. As you can imagine, she was devastated, but she pushed on with the plans she and her husband had shared when everything seemed to be going on smoothly. Then he was taken and all their plans came crashing down around her.
Now she is studying at a Bible College and has met another young man who shares her plans and thoughts. At last, there is coming light at the end of the tunnel for her. There is life still ahead. Just where and what will eventuate, is still in the future.
But what a fulfilment of the saying at the beginning of this post!
Let us each one take heart and go forward around the bend in the road that is facing us