Is Fear Holding You Back?

Fear can stop us doing those things we know we should do. On Australia Day, 31 people in the Shoalhaven area committed to becoming Australian citizens. One person only took a couple of months to make that decision. Another man admitted it took him 62 years to decide to become an Australian citizen. One could only assume it was a fear of committing himself and changing his allegiance. Maybe you are in a similar position, with regard to the Lord? You’re afraid of committing yourself. You’ve heard the gospel message. You’ve felt the tug of Jesus on your heart prompting … Continue reading →

My Country

Today, January 26th as it is already in our part of the world under the Southern Cross, is Australia Day. Our branch of the Sing Australia choir sang at Australia Day celebrations at Sussex Inlet. One the whole Aussies are a laid-back bunch and not given to huge displays of patriotism unless it’s Davis Cup or some other sporting event, although across the road in our neighbor’s yard is an Australian flag which flies all year round. Others only take to sporting a flag on this special day. But this is Australia Day, more than just a public holiday, it … Continue reading →

Mental Toughness

It’s that time of year again when tennis takes over the television sets with the Australian Open. We’ve been watching bits and pieces of the tennis, according to what else we’re doing, who is playing and the time the match is on. Sometimes it’s been over lunch, other times at night, so long as it’s not starting at around midnight and finishing at 4.33 like the recent Hewitt/ Baghdatis match. Much as I would have liked to watch it, it was simply too late. Earlier in the evening we had been watching the Federer/Tipsarevic match. The thing that strikes me … Continue reading →

Wisdom from Proverbs

The speaker in Proverbs 3 tells his son there is a two fold benefit of obeying his commandments and teaching and that ‘is length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you,’ verse 2. It appears this verse refers back to one of the Ten Commandments, exodus 20:12. Verses 5 and 7 of Exodus 20 have warnings attached but Exodus 20:12 is the only one with a promise attached. The writer urges his son to have and to display kindness and truth, for it not only pleases God but others notice as well, verses 3 … Continue reading →

Perils in Paradise

For me, each day is a battle between fear and trust. Maybe it is for you too. If we are not careful our fears can control us. They can stop us enjoying life and more importantly stop us doing those things God wants us to do. Though I love God’s creation and enjoy swimming in Jervis Bay, I’ve heard from a friend who owns and operates the business, ‘Canoe with a View’ of the marine life that lives in our bay. Each day as I step into the waters near our home I have to overcome the recurring fear of … Continue reading →

Dealing with Differences

So, you have trouble getting along with your neighbor or someone in your church? Or maybe it’s someone in your own family? What can you do about it? It’s a fact of life that at times, some people rub us up the wrong way. Even other Christians can aggravate us and be hard to get along with. Why is that? Years ago I was involved in a Christian group and having difficulty with one of the other ladies. I commented to a friend about how hard I found this woman to get along with. My wise friend said, ‘I’ve found … Continue reading →

Putting It Into Practice – part 2

There’s a lot about the writing life that reminds me of the Christian life. As writers not everything we write will be accepted and published. Rejection, struggle and knock backs are part of most, dare I say all, writers lives. It’s how they are handled that makes the difference. It’s like I wrote about the other day – attitude. Our attitude can cause us to give up when rejection comes or to dig our toes in and think, ‘I’ll show you.’ This sort of attitude keeps us pressing on with determination. Sometimes that’s exactly what we need to do in … Continue reading →

Putting It Into Practice.

The Christian life is life being a learner driver. It’s not enough to master something once. We need to practice and practice it. We can’t sit on our laurels and assume we have mastered something. It’s never ceases to amaze me how God knows exactly where’re we’re at and what we need to learn or re-learn. Yesterday I wrote about attitudes to people and situations. This morning I had a chance to put it all into practice and I have to admit I did not come off as well as I ought. The day started when my puppy woke me … Continue reading →

Attitude Check

There’s always two ways of handling a situation. Recently I was shopping for a bag for a wedding. It needed to match gold sandals which sounded simple enough, except I never realized how many shades of gold exist. I also discovered the vast difference there can be between the staff of shops. At one shop I looked at a gold evening bag but couldn’t be sure it would match the shoes which were left at home. ‘I’m not sure if it’s the right color. Can I exchange if it’s not right,’ I asked. ‘No,’ the woman replied curtly. ‘We don’t … Continue reading →

Careless Words

Our words and our actions reveal who we are. No where is this more true than with family. With family we tend to let our guard down. With family we often behave in a way we would not with other people. This is often because we know family will love us no matter what we say or do. And so it is easy to slip into an attitude of spilling out exactly how we feel when we are angry or hurt or upset. Yes, I’m talking from experience here. God showed me only this week that I still have to … Continue reading →