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.
Morning Musings

Letting Go !

Leave a comment

CharlatanWe were taking some friends out in our yacht for the weekend.  We had to take them out in the dinghy (small boat) to get to where the yacht was anchored. They weren’t used to getting into a small dinghy, and went down the steps of the jetty very gingerly, getting into the dinghy  awkwardly and hanging on to the steps of the jetty once they were in. This caused the dinghy to lean over precariously.

“Let go of the jetty!” we called out.

As soon as they did that, the dinghy righted itself with the water balancing the boat.

This reminded us of how tightly we hang onto our problems even after handing them over to the Lord in prayer. Our boat won’t come right until we let go, and let God handle them for us. Just as they had to trust themselves to the boat in the water, so we have to trust the Lord with all our problems, whether big or small. Let’s make sure we do this!

Adult Testimonies

The Importance of Bible Study

Leave a comment

Harold was an officer in the prison who was in charge of the prisoners as they came in to the prison. He had been a Christian for many years and saw his job as a chance to speak to the inmates as opportunities presented themselves.

As new prisoners came into the system, Harold always had an introductory chat with them, finding out why they were there and filling in forms. He wasn’t always able to introduce the matter of spiritual topics at the beginning of their time in prison, but did it whenever there was an opportunity.

This particular man was in for child abuse, and as the conversation moved along, Harold was able to bring it around to spiritual things. The man was convicted while Harold was talking with him and admitted that what he had done was sin in the sight of God, and he realised that he had to do something about it. Harold was able to tell him how to pray and confess his deeds as a sin against God, and when he did this he became born again.

The next day, Harold saw him again and asked how he had slept now that he had made his peace with God.

“You know Boss”, he said, “It’s fascinating! I woke up as usual and lit up a cigarette like I always do, and it tasted terrible! I threw it away and haven’t wanted one since!”

Harold was so pleased to hear this, and encouraged him further.

Not every one who turned to the Lord had such an immediate deliverance from this debilitating habit…..some men indeed, had quite a struggle to give up smoking.

But Harold kept in contact with him and was able to encourage him to continue reading his Bible and doing the Bible Study Courses he was able to get for him.

The prison population was around 400, and over time, Harold was able to see forty men do the Bible Courses. Other than that, there wasn’t much follow-up work done with the men, especially when they were transferred elsewhere or moved out of the prison system altogether. When he could, Harold would contact the local minister where they were going and hope they would follow them up, but there was no guarantee that this would happen.

Those who were able to, would find a church they could go to, and continue with their daily readings of the Bible. This continued to feed them spiritually, and they  grew in their faith as a result.

Morning Musings

Busy Little Ants

Leave a comment

As I was sweeping out the front porch this morning, I noticed a long narrow line of ants scuttling back and forth. Even though I don’t like ants around the house, I couldn’t help but marvel at how these little creatures kept even rank, each one seeming to know exactly where it was going and what it was about. They are such an amazing little creature, that they are held up as an example to lazy human beings in the Bible……”Go to the ant you sluggard! Learn her ways and be wise!” we are told in Proverbs 6:6-9. These verses tell us to be like the ant and not to be lazy but to get up and get going off to our own work.

It is the same in our spiritual life as well….we only get out of it, what we put into it. True, there ARE some hard parts to understand when reading the Bible, but it’s just like having a meal of fish. We eat the meat and leave the bones; so we don’t have to worry about the things we don’t understand, but just take and enjoy the bits that make sense to us. The main thing to do, is to READ it!

Grandma's Stories

Honouring God.

Leave a comment

KIDS062Bobby came running up the steps onto the front deck and in the ranch-slider throwing his bag down in the corner on his way to the kitchen.

“Wow”, he exclaimed, ”it’s been a busy day! I never had time to stop and think. Our team has been chosen to represent the school in the inter school sports next month”.

“That’s great Bobby,” Mum said,” I suppose that will mean Saturday training each weekend”.

“Yes,” Bobby said sitting on the stool and taking the drink Mum had passed him. “It’s going to be a busy term”.

So it proved to be. Bobby found the training sessions very strenuous, but he enjoyed every bit of it.

As the family got ready to go to church the next morning, Bobby thought wistfully of his bed as he got dressed. Wouldn’t it be good to have a break from church just this once? he thought as he dragged his jersey on. But he knew it was no use to even suggest it. Going to church wasn’t an option in their household, there was never any question of what they would be doing on Sunday mornings!

Bobby mostly enjoyed going to church. The singing was rather cool, and their class leader was really neat. But he found his mind starting to wander this particular Sunday, and he visualised some of the passes he was to make in his next game. Slowly he pulled his mind back to the story the leader was telling. He was saying, “and so the prophet said to Eli the priest, ‘Those who honour God, God will honour’, and that is just the same for us today.”

Bobby stirred himself, and listened to the rest of the lesson.

That evening, Bobby picked up his school books and went out into the dining-room to do some home work that he needed to finish.

“I guess I should ask you to pray for me Dad,” Bobby said, “This work is really hard!”

“You know Bobby,” Dad said thoughtfully, “I don’t think I could pray this for you. You could have done that homework last evening instead of watching TV”.

“Aw, Dad, I was tired last night after all that football practice”, Bobby said.

“You know Bobby, if you put God’s day ahead of things you want to do, God will honour you for it”, Dad said.

“Funny you should say that Dad,” Bobby said, “Our leader said something the same this morning in class”.

“Yes, well this is one of the principles that always stands,” Dad replied, “If you make time to do your home-work ahead of things like TV, and keep God’s day special for Him, He will help you to get through your lessons and tests far better than if you spent time on Sunday for your homework! “

Go still means what He said to the priest Eli…you can read it for yourself in the Bible…

Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honoured your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say you’re your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘May it never be! For I will honour those who honour me, but those who despise me will be cursed!                                                                                                                                (1 Samuel 2:29-30)

Devotional Poems

Sitting Down They Watched Him.

Leave a comment

We read these words in peace and quiet, Forget the crowds, the noise, the riot,                     That was round our Lord so long ago, When rulers had wickedly taken Him so.

The noise, the cries,  the prisoner’s grunts,  Shouts of  soldiers, then awful thumps,                Of the nails going into His human flesh,   As they lay on the scars and the bruises fresh.

The heat and dust that rose in the air, Scorning of those who were standing there,     Laughs and jeers  of the soldiers who, Were casting lots for His garments too.

The thieves were throwing the same in His face,   “Get us down and out of this place,            Then we’ll believe You are truly King,    And one day Your kingdom You’ll really bring”

One turned quickly and said to his mate, ‘We really deserve all that’s on our plate,             But this Man here has done nothing amiss, Lord remember me in spite of all this ”

The Saviour looked and in tones soft and light,   Said “Today you’ll be with Me, in Paradise bright”.   What joy filled the heart of this one so distressed,  The noise and the dirt were suddenly repressed;

No matter who now, sat watching them there, The rulers uncaring or friends. in despair, The soldier declaring “Truly this is God’s Son,  He certainly is the true righteous One

His Spirit given up, the night now was near,  The people all gone, the silence was clear.         Still there were those who were watching Him there,  When His body was put, in the tomb with all care;

The guards would wait, the next few nights out, No one could move while they were about; But in spite of it all, God’s purposes won, And Jesus became, the Resurrected One

 

Random Devotional Thoughts

More Pictures of God’s Word (the Bible)

Leave a comment

As I began to think of the verse that describes God’s Word as a sharp double edged sword, more ideas came from other verses about what God’s word is like. It is like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces (Jeremiah 23:27);  something that will hit hard in vulnerable places in our minds and lives, and it will continue to hit relentlessly without giving up until it breaks the hardness of our hearts.

The same verse says that God’s Word is like a fire that burns away the rubbish in our minds.

Then it is like a mirror that shows us the wrong things in our lives….James 1:22-25 tells us that if we see what is wrong in our lives and do nothing about it, then “ we are like a man seeing his natural face in a glass: For he sees himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what sort of man he was. But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

We all have large mirrors above the washbasin in our bathrooms, and as we see the dirt on our face, we can then wash it clean. God’s Word is also like water….it not only washes clean but also quenches our thirst. Water is a precious commodity, one that we cannot do without. In the same way, if we want to prosper in the things of God, we need the water of His Word to make us clean and quench our spiritual thirst. Jesus Christ said that He is the Water of Life….whoever drinks of Him (figuratively) will be satisfied for ever.

We have nothing to lose by giving Him a chance in our thoughts and heart….after all if He is wrong and we are right, we have nothing to lose, but on the other hand, if He is right and we are wrong, we have everything to lose for ever and ever…and that is a long, long time!

Daily Devotionals

Vashti’s Refusal.

Leave a comment

Esther 1:1-12…………

        God’s people had left Him out of their lives and had turned to follow heathen ways. Because of this, God allowed them to be taken captive to this strange land with another language and different customs. But even among the people of the king’s court, there were those who had come from the land of Israel as captives, and who had risen to positions of authority.  A man called Daniel was one of these, and we  see how God intervened in his life as he lived in this place. God does not allow His plans for His people to be thwarted and He only allows evil to go so far.

         Our story starts, not with the character of the one we are going to study, but with a vastly different type of woman!

The scene is set  in the opulence of an Eastern king’s court.     The splendours and splurgings of King Ahasuerus are graphically described in this chapter. The beauty of his palace and the richness  and length of  his feast is beyond our imagination.  He  called together all his officials and princes and put on a tremendous banquet for them. After that was over, he then put on another feast which was supplied with wine in abundance.

At the same time, Queen Vashti put on a feast for the  women of the court. After a whole week of feasting and drinking had gone on, the king decided to call for the queen to come and show her beauty to the men of the court. There are several ways that we can look at Vashti’s reaction to this royal command…..she may have arrogantly refused the king’s command or it may have been from the modesty of not wanting to appear before a drunken crowd of men. Whatever it was, she refused the king’s command and paid for it dearly.

The queen Vashti refused to bring,  Her homage to her lord and king;                              Her reason we will never know,   But it made the king say “You must  go!”

Morning Musings

Writing the Friendship Book

Leave a comment

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 one of these sort of people. 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.