Look up! 🙄

I was rock hopping around the rocks in Paihia the other day. I'm a little out of practice but I had both hands free (no coffee!) for added balance.

As I was making my way out to the point at the end of the bluff I remembered to look up and get my bearings, because if you don't keep looking up, if you keep your eyes down on the rocks in front of you, it's easy to get to a gap that's too large to leap over.

You need to constantly look up to check on your progress and make sure you don't need to alter your course to avoid getting stuck.

It's the same with our walk with Jesus.
We need to keep looking up, to keep our eyes and focus on Jesus, to find the best path.

Hebrews 12:2 AMP
Looking away from all that will distract us, and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith.

Be all there

Lift your gaze

from the screen

look around

drink in...

Be all there

Remove your ear pods

turn off your brain

incline your ear

listen...

Be all there

Let the past go

yesterday's done

do not worry

tomorrow's not come...

Be all there

Wherever you are, be all there - Jim Elliot

Research - Dinah Hall's first New Zealand Christmas - competition entry - November 2014

 Dinah Hall's first New Zealand Christmas

It was to a glorious Christmas morning that we emerged from below deck. I am gradually becoming accustomed to these southern hemisphere Christmases although I don't believe it will ever feel right somehow. Yesterday we watched from the 'Active' as Ruatara made preparations onshore for Reverend Marsden to take Divine service for us and Ruatara's people. We laughed at the show made of landing of cattle and horses which created quite a stir amongst the natives. My husband, William, and I had met Ruatara on board the convict ship the 'Ann' on our voyage from England to Australia 5 years ago. I found Ruatara to be a most open and engaging person. An opinion which only strengthened with time and occasion of meeting.

Earlier this year William left me and our son, Willie, in Australia to journey here to New Zealand. He came with Mr Kendall to build relationships with the Maori people and explore the possibility of establishing a mission station. William had tried to prepare me for what I would see and experience on these shores but I must own that nothing quite prepares one for the reality of a tribe of Maori with tattooed faces and spears in hand standing on a shore bordered by tropical wilderness. With the memory of the fate of the 'Boyd' and its crew only 5 years before, I freely admit I am more than a little nervous of this fierce looking people. I am also mindful that I knew when I married William mine would be no ordinary marriage, as he was then already preparing for the mission to New Zealand.

This morning however the sight of the English flag flying on shore, albeit in this strange setting, gladdened my heart. There are no houses such as I know but I have observed some shelters on the hill to the left of us and Ruatara has done a wonderful job of fencing off an area for today's Christian service. In fact the red in our homeland's flag is reflected in the red of the abundant blossom of the trees which Ruatara told me yesterday are called Pohutukawa. My heart longs to reach out to these people with the good news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection so that we can be one family in God, and live together in peace.

My stomach was a quivering mass of nerves as we left the ship to go ashore this morning but the welcome we received when we landed settled my fears and I was able to join in the singing of the Old Hundred Psalm with a joyful heart. I must own that I was relieved to be back on board the 'Active' after the service was over and when Reverend Marsden administered the Holy Sacrament this evening it was with both gratitude for the Lord's faithfulness and trust in His provision for our future here. As our Lord said in the garden of Gethsemane, 'not my will, but thine, be done'.

Word count 499

Reference books used:

The Story of Northland by A.H.Reed
Missionaries, Wives & Roses by Ann Chapman
Tupu Whakarangi Issue 214 – Official Magazine of Maori Postal Aotearoa

We are all Broken Shells on the Beach of Life - competition entry - October 2014

 We are all Broken Shells on the Beach of Life

When I was small I used to sit with my Mum on our local beach and search for fan shells. But a lot of the shells we found were chipped or broken. We did not find many whole fans. When we did it was a celebration of smiles and admiration for the creation but there weren’t many parties. Mum didn’t want the imperfect ones so we didn’t take many home. 

Years later I continued to gain pleasure in searching for shells but found it discouraging to only keep the perfect ones. One day God spoke to my heart and showed me that everything He creates is unique and special. His creation may get broken but it is still His creation and He says in Genesis “it is good”. Today I have such a joy and freedom to embrace all of the Works that His Hands have made, to love the imperfect and appreciate the uniqueness of every shell. My collection grows quickly!

In the same way, each person we meet is created unique by God and made in His image, and He says not only is it good but “it is very good”. As we move through this world we may get knocked and chipped, banged and broken but He still loves us. It is not His desire for us to get hurt but He will use the damage to work out His plans and purposes for us, and to make us more like Jesus.

2Corinthians 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 

The great news is that when Jesus returns for us we will be transformed “in the twinkling of an eye ” and we will receive new heavenly bodies. Until that day we can take comfort in His Word which tells us that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.”

1 1Corinthians 15:52 
2 Phillipians 1:6 
New King JamesVersion (NKJV) used

Word count 375

Gala Day Games - competition entry - May 2014

 Gala Day Games (based on a true story!)

“Arrrggghhh!” cried the teacher as the bucket of water above emptied over her in one large, cold splash. The dunking seat was proving hugely popular with school children and I had watched more than one soaked teacher limp off to get changed.

It was a glorious autumn day for the local school gala and I sat down near the bouncy castle kingdom to enjoy my lunch. Three sizes of castles were being guarded by a pretty lady in a straw hat and summer print dress. She smiled at the people passing and chatted to the children while keeping a watchful eye on the castles. A queue of six families kept her busy for awhile, giving change and fastening bracelets to the children’s wrists.

I spotted a young boy sneaking around the back of the middle castle. While the straw hatted lady was busy selling tickets, the middle bouncy castle started sinking and the little boy ran laughing from the back of the castle. The ticket lady turned and saw the collapsing castle, shrieked and dropped her basket of wristbands. She threw her arms in the air and looked around wildly for help. She looked so funny, like an old agitator washing machine as she twisted from castle to crowd. Swish, swish, swish.

A woman I recognised as the school librarian emerged from behind the castle and at the same time the lump of deflated plastic started to come back to life, air filling it’s turrets and walls. I was close enough to hear her say to the straw hatted lady, “Well we do teach our children to turn things off!” The perpetrator of the crime was being marched to the other side of the field by his parents and the straw hatted lady sunk into her deck chair in relief.

Word count 300

May 2014

Testimony - God's Goodness - competition entry - March 2014

 God’s Goodness

In 2005 I spent a year working in England. It was a wonderful but wearying year as I worked and lived in people’s homes caring for their needs. These needs more-often-than-not included emotional as well as physical care, for a lot of the people I was assigned to suffered from dementia or Alzheimer’s. During this year I rarely enjoyed a Sunday off where I could attend church. Surprisingly this absence of corporate worship or a pastor resulted in my relationship with God getting stronger and more personal as I relied on Him.

At the end of the year I was on a coach bound for Heathrow International Airport, and a long journey home to family and friends. While sitting in a near empty bus, with only my walkman for company, I asked God for a favour. “God, can You please show me that You love me?” Almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. “I’m sorry”, I said. “You are probably really busy and have way too much to do without me making silly requests like that. Please don’t worry about it. I know that You love me. I don’t need a sign”. I settled back in my seat and focussed on the praise music coming through my ear phones.

As I gazed out at the lovely English countryside I noticed how overcast the sky was. There was ‘not enough blue to make a sailor a pair of trousers’ as the old saying goes. So imagine my astonishment when, before my eyes, the clouds slowly parted to form a big, beautiful heart-shaped patch of blue in the middle of the bleak, grey sky.  I thought about digging in my bag for my camera but I could not tear my eyes away.

I just knew that God had heard me. He had answered my prayer with a thoughtful and personal gift, and I thanked him with a full and grateful heart. Sometimes we can know in our heads that God loves us but His love for us is so much greater than we dare dream. Ask God today to show you His goodness and He will! Psalm 27:13 says I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Scripture taken from New King James Version

Word count 388

March 2014

Sweet Mystery - competition entry - January 2014

Sweet Mystery

Poppy paused pen in hand at her desk.  Her Mother was calling her from the kitchen.  She dropped her pen, closed her diary and went to see her Mum.  She found her starting to make a batch of her favourite strawberry jam tarts.  “Can you give me a hand please Pop?”  “Sure thing Mum.”  Together they measured, mixed and made pastry cases and strawberry filling.  Then while the tarts baked and cooled, Poppy and her Mum sat down to share a sweet treat and catch up.  After that there were dishes to be done, dinner to be prepared and eaten, and more dishes.  By the time the family had played a few games together it was time for bed.

The next morning being Sunday, Poppy barely had time to eat breakfast before heading to church.  On their return she ran straight upstairs to her room and her desk.  She had news to write in her diary!  Her friend Emily had been asked on a date by a new boy at church!  Poppy's emotions felt a bit like a strawberry jam filling.  There was happiness for her friend.  Envy that she was not the invited girl.  Anxiety that she was not even ready to go on a date.  The mixture was not sweet and she wanted to put down her thoughts in her diary and get it all in perspective.  She sat down at her desk and reached for the key to unlock the diary but it was not there!  The diary was there.  The key was not.  Help!  She tried to remember what had happened the day before.  She searched every room in the house.  She went through the pockets of everything she had worn including the kitchen apron.  No key.  What was worse?  Having an unlocked diary anybody could read?  Or a locked diary you can't write in?

Poppy felt like crying.  She knew she shouldn't be this upset over a little key but she couldn't help it.  It was the last straw.  She sat on her bed.  At that moment the Holy Spirit nudged her inside.  “Pray Poppy”.  Poppy prayed for Emily.  She prayed for the new boy.  She prayed for her own heart.  And then she prayed for the lost key.  She felt much better after that.

Poppy was heading downstairs to phone Emily to see how she was when she heard a yell.  She raced downstairs and heard voices and laughter in the kitchen.  On entering the kitchen she found her Mum, and her little brother Peter drinking a large glass of milk.  “What's happened?” asked Poppy.  “Peter got more than he bargained for in his strawberry tart Poppy.  Have you lost something?”  Her Mum held up a sticky red key for Poppy to see.  “It's almost the same colour as your face Pop” said Peter.  “You're lucky I didn't swallow it because I sure wouldn't have gone looking for it!”

Word count 485

January 2014