I wanted to tell you a bit more about my 'Bible Word for the Month'. I've seen in previous years where people choose a Bible word for the Year and find the verses in the Bible containing it, write them out, study them...
This year I wanted to to do a different Bible word for each month. So for January I chose 'peace'. I looked up the concordances in three of the Bible versions I currently use (King James Version, New King James Version, and New International Version), made a note of the verses mentioned (I did not use all of them), and wrote them out. I found 27 through the concordances, but have also been finding others in my Bible reading. Like this one...
"for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another." - Romans 14:17,19 (NKJV)
It's been fun to do, and next month the word I chose is 'joy'. Maybe you might like to join in, or chose a different word for yourself :)
And I also wanted to tell you about the Annual Mennonite Conference on this coming weekend (2nd - 4th February) ...
these photos from the internet are not of the Western Tiers Mennonite church, but they look like this :)
The Conference will be held at Meander Hall, Tasmania. Here are the details...
I hope you can read the details. If you click on the photos, it brings them up larger. But in case you can't read it, the contact person/number for more info is: Harold Weaver; ph: 6362 3609.
I hope to get to at least the Saturday afternoon session. Maybe I'll see you there :)
"Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil." - Proverbs 15:16
One of the hardest things about living a busy, modern life is that family members tend to run in their own directions. Parents often have jobs away from home, and younger children spend their days in day care or school. The afternoons of older children are filled with sports practices or other activities, and the evenings and weekends can be filled with sports events or other forms of recreation. Believe it or not, the possibility of the same thing happening in their community is one reason most Amish reject machinery and choose to stay away from modern vehicles as much as they can.
Amish take a critical look at the pros and cons before they are willing to accept a new invention. They consider the effect something new will have on their family, whether it will encourage family members to work together or cause them to drift apart, and whether the cost will force them to take jobs away from the family to pay for it.
Considering this reminds me of one of my favorite verses, Ecclesiastes 4:6: "Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind." It makes me think about my own life and about what I often embrace without question: Will this draw my family closer or move them apart? Will it cause me to work longer hours to pay for it? Am I trying to fill my hands and, in effect, chasing the wind?
It's easy to think of the Amish as odd for not wanting to make their lives easier, but maybe we need to consider what's truly easier - living a hurried life or working hard with your family by your side?
Heavenly Father, my heart feels heavy when I think of all I've added to make my life easier, when the truth is, those things have become a heavy burden on me. Give me discernment about what my family really needs. I open my hands to You and ask You to strip away what is not necessary, what is harmful to the contentment of my soul. Amen.
"For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." (Philippians 4:11)
Contentment is defined as "satisfaction; the state of being happy with what one has or is." It has been described as "that which calms you down."
Have you ever said, "If I could have that dress (car, home, or business position), I could be content"? Yet after you obtained it, you were not satisfied. You wanted something else. You discovered that acquiring possessions does not bring contentment. Someone has said, "A person's life is a constant struggle to lift his earning power up to his yearning power."
People today are searching for that which will bring contentment. But because they seek in the wrong places for the wrong things, it eludes them.
Paul learned that there is contentment and it was not dependent on his outward condition, for he was in prison when he wrote Philippians. Translators inserted "therewith" in this verse, emphasizing that Paul was content with his circumstances. When we omit the word, "therewith", we discover that the emphasis is not on Paul being content WITH His circumstances, but being content IN them.
He learned that real contentment was in Jesus Christ, His sufficiency and satisfaction. "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness" (Psalm 107:9).
Contentment is the inner satisfaction that enables us to live in quietness, peace, and acceptance. "Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am" (Philippians 4:11 Amplified).
Have you learned to be content? Possession of material things, social position, fame, talent will not give you permanent contentment. But you can be contented daily regardless of where you are, what you are, what you have or what you do not have. Real contentment for you can be had through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote, "[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment - that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency - is great and abundant gain" (1 Timothy 6:6, Amplified).
January, Month of Beginnings - Read: Exodus 12:1-14, 24-28
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." - Genesis 1:1
God is before all beginnings. That fact gives us confidence as we begin a new year. We know that God has no beginning and does not count time as we do. However, He knows all about the beginnings we face. As His children, we can enter each new beginning of life with joy and expectation of His presence and blessing.
Why do we pause at new beginnings and consider them special? It may be a new year, a new phase of life, a new child, or other new beginnings. One reason is because they represent new opportunities to serve God. Another reason is that from our viewpoint in the present, we can't see into the future. We want God to be with us as we travel the untrodden path of 2024. It's not that we know it will be significantly different from 2023, but the unknowns call for a security that doesn't come from within us. Real security comes from the presence of God, who promised Moses, "My presence shall go with thee." Moses felt his need so keenly that he said, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence" (Exodus 33:14:15).
Beginnings give promise of growth, progress and maturity. This is especially true when we begin and then go on with God. Obviously, those who read this are engaging in thoughts of God and instruction from His Word. That is one way to begin with God. A second way is to share those thoughts with other people. Then we do not need to begin alone. A third way to begin this year with God is to engage in fellowship with other Christians in a scriptural church. All these methods lend stability and provide depth to the foundation of a new beginning.
Delmar Eby - London, KY
To begin with God is to set the course for a good ending.
"Here is my greeting in my own handwriting - Paul." (1 Corinthians 16:21)
There is nothing like an unexpected letter or package to bring internal sunshine to a long dreary day. My Amish friend Irene remembers her excitement as a young girl running home from the mailbox with a large manilla envelope addressed to her: a circle letter had arrived!
A circle letter is a letter chain sent among family members or friends. Irene was part of a circle made of girls with the same first name and born the same year. With each envelope that arrived there was a letter from all the other members, including Irene's previous letter. After Irene read the letters of the other participants, she'd pull out her old letter, replace it with a new one, and then send the package to the next young woman on the list. The circle letter would be sent to each person, each adding a new letter and continuing the conversation. Through letters like these, friends and family members talked about issues important to them, shared current events, and confessed dreams for the future.
When Irene told me about the circle letter, I imagined the excitement the letters from Paul, Peter, and other apostles brought when they arrived at new churches. But instead of adding their own words to the revered apostles' letters, the churches studied them, rejoiced over them, and then passed them on.
I'm amazed at how God uses letters and personal experience to build His body. More than once God has whispered instruction or encouragement to me through a friend's words.
What has God done for you lately? Pass that on to another. What messages has he spoken to your heart? Record and share them. Do you remember the last time you sent someone a handwritten note? Take a moment to write one and send it today. You never know when the words of news or encouragement you offer another person will come back around to you.
A Joyful Song
A joyful song of praise we sing, And thankfully we gather
To bless the love of God above, Our everlasting Father.
From shades of night He calls the light, And from the sod the flower;
From ev'ry cloud His blessings break, In sunshine or in shower.
For nothing falls unknown to Him, Of care or joy or sorrow;
And He whose mercy ruled the past, Will be our stay tomorrow.
Then praise the Lord with one accord, to His great name give glory;
And of His never changing love, Repeat the wonderous story.
Jefferson and Jaya came from Canberra for a short visit earlier this month...
We had a second 'Christmas lunch' at Marnie's...
Jaya gifted Marnie and I with some of his framed artwork...
They accompanied me on my morning walk...
We spent some time at the beach...
And at the Forth river...
Eating pizza...
Visiting the goats at Denver's workplace...
And all too soon, it was time to see them off at the airport...
We hope to see them again later in the year :)
So now I'm getting back to my 'normal' routine. I haven't really done much knitting since before Christmas, apart from not having the time, it's also been too hot, and I've had quite a lot of headaches. But I have been continuing to savour my Teatime Discipleship book...
From the 'Feasting on God's Grace' chapter...
"Many years ago, living as a missionary in Austria, I attended a Christmas party hosted by dear friends and team members of the organization with whom I worked. At this event, our friends spoke to all of us about Christ as the ultimate gift.
Standing in a corner was a young Austrian woman I had invited who worked as my friend's au pair. Claudia could hardly have looked less engaged in the message being shared. I turned towards her, attempting conversation in my halting German. We barely shared a language, but before we parted, I managed to invite her to a nearby cafe for a cup of tea and a pastry later in the month... Before we left, I pressed a German Bible into her hands. "This is a gift," I said.
The next week, I saw her again. She came up to me with a sparkle in her eyes and showed me the Bible, already dog-eared and underlined. "I hope I've been doing the right thing," she told me. "I've been reading this every day. I want to know God. I have wanted this for many years."
...A long time ago, I came to Christ because a complete stranger took the initiative to share Christ with me. I was a college freshman living on the tenth floor of a dorm, secretly praying, If there is a God in the universe, can You please make Yourself known to me? I deeply longed for love and purpose. On the outside, no one knew or observed my desperate prayers. The meeting with the Austrian woman reminded me of this. There are people in each of our lives who have never heard or understood the love, forgiveness, and grace of God. How important it is that we reach out to those who have such longings. And sharing a cup of tea, a meal, or a treat is often the way to open hearts.
Perhaps you are like me, naturally reticent or shy to share Christ with others. But I often think how different my life would have been if the shy girl who knocked on my door had not taken the initiative to talk to me. Extending friendship, hospitality, and love is the pathway to the opportunity to share His life-giving messages."
And I wanted to tell you about my 'Bible Word of the Month' I'm doing. Choosing a different Bible word each month and then looking up and writing out the verses that contain that word.
For January I've chosen 'Peace'. So far, I've found 24 verses. I'll tell you more next home post...
Just to finish (as this post is getting waaay toooo long), last Sunday afternoon, Denver, Sophie, Marnie and I went on a walk at Warrawee Conservation Area...
"When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." - Psalm 126:1
I had never before met the young man behind the counter. Along with the normal pleasantries when meeting someone, I asked him, "How are you?" His answer was very unexpected and caused me much reflection. He said, "I'm living someone else's dream. How about you?" It took me a moment to comprehend his meaning. I answered, "Yes, we surely are blessed, are we not?"
A large portion of the world's population can only dream of living in the comfort and affluence of western culture. One writer cited the following statistics: 16% of the world's people have no clean water for drinking, cooking or bathing; 17% earn less than $1.25 per day - if they can find work; 80% earn less than $10 per day; and only 1% earn more than $34,000 per year. Also, 60% have no access to modern bathroom facilities, and 91% do not own a personal vehicle.
So yes, we are greatly blessed materially. But far greater still are the spiritual blessings of those who have been born again by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are living in obedience to the gospel from day to day. Psalm 126 probably refers to the Jewish exiles' return from captivity as described in Ezra 1. So great was their joy and gladness that they were "like them that dream." They could hardly fathom God's goodness and mercy to them.
If we live in a wealthy country, we truly are living someone else's dream. Let's be sure that we are responsible to use our resources to the honor and glory of our great God.
Lamar Garman - Stevens, PA
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ." - Ephesians 1:3
"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." - (Romans 4:20-21)
One day God revealed to Abraham that he and Sarah were to have a son. Abraham knew it was physically impossible. Humanly speaking it could not be. But it was not in human hands. Someone has said, "Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends."
Abraham was strong in his faith, for its basis was not God's promise to him, but the God who had given him the promise. Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become "the father of many nations." He relied on the word of God which definitely referred to "thy seed" (v.18, Phillips). Without the God of Abraham, the faith of Abraham was nothing. From the human viewpoint, not one promise given Abraham was logical or possible, but he didn't limit God to what seemed reasonable. He believed God was able. It is as easy for God to do a difficult thing as an easy one. The strength of his faith was his confidence in God's ability.
We, too, are to "walk by faith, not by sight." Many times we face circumstances beyond human possibility. There is no way out for us. We may not be able to see where God is leading us, what He is doing, or why. But Abraham's God is our God. He who did the impossible for Abraham will do the same for us.
It is not the degree of our faith that is important but the object of our faith, God Himself. It is not great faith we need, but faith in a great God. By faith we put our dependence and reliance upon God.
One of the tribes in Africa spoke of faith as "leaning on God." Sometimes we lean so heavily on earthly props that God has to remove them until there is nothing on which we can lean but God. Then we learn we can put our entire weight on Him and find that He is enough. Someone has said, "Faith is our weakness leaning on God's strength."
How often do I spend time in God's presence, just loving Him and becoming acquainted with Him? Or do I only come to Him when I have a request to ask Him?
In reading about the lives of Christians through the ages who were strong in their faith, we learn that they took time to BE STILL and become intimately acquainted with God.
To become better acquainted with God necessitates spending time with Him. It means more than hurriedly reading a verse or too of Scripture and quickly asking God to bless us. We need to enter our spiritual closet, close the door, and become quiet in His presence, meditating on who He is and what He has done for us.
Often we become so involved in the fast pace of life that we fail to take the necessary time for such fellowship with Him. How well do you know God?
As we begin the new year, may the prayer of our hearts be that we will take time to "Be still, and KNOW GOD."
Lord, I surrender all my gifts, to take into this year,
That I may use them in Your will, to bring the Saviour near.
The gifts You gave are not my own - they're Yours to take away,
Or let remain, if You should choose, to use for You each day.
And so my gifts I dedicate that I may serve You here,
May all the glory go to You - my King, my Saviour dear.
- Ann Clifton
From Beside the Still Waters...
Stillness - Read: Psalm 46, Ephesians 1:15-23
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10
As we stepped outside to do chores on our small farm, we were greeted by the baying of hounds on the trail of some animal. The sound seemed out of place in the slight fog, first rays of sunshine, and calmness of a beautiful fall morning. Instead of birds singing and cow's feet swishing through wet grass, all we could hear were the deep notes of hounds following a scent. It did not inspire quiet thinking.
It seems that there are fewer and fewer people today who want to spend time in quiet thinking. Days are filled with things to do, places to go, people to meet, things to buy, and jobs to finish. When can a person actually be still as today's key verse advises us? Were schedules not crowded 3,000 years ago when this was written?
We should be well aware that if we do not spend quiet time with the ancient Source of time, our day is wasted. Whatever we do instead cannot be as important as the time when we should be still. Perhaps our adversary the devil has convinced us that we do not have time for stillness. But he is a liar and the father of lies.
In stillness we draw near to Almighty God. We see our neediness without Him, instead of our independence. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve recognized their sinfulness in the stillness of the evening. They saw that they were open and naked before the One who was coming to visit them. They tried to hide and cover themselves, but in vain. Yet God called them to speak with Him, and He still calls us today.
