Sorry for the silence...

Sorry for the silence. I know it has been deafening :)

 

Life has been very busy for Becca and I. I hope we have opportunities to slow down soon and spend time together. On more than one night recently we both have had meetings at different places. Tonight we are both home so that is good.

 

I had so much fun at church this past Sunday morning. I was part of a praise team who lead worship. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun during a worship service. The music we did wasn't that complicated but I felt a very deep presence of the Spirit in our midst. I have received a lot of good feedback on the service. I know that God put this service together and I am just glad to have had a part in it. I am hoping to bring this group back for a worship service I'm planning on the 6th of November.

 

An interesting story for you all: Last Saturday we had blood drawn as we are starting life insurance policies. The nurse came to our condo on Saturday morning. We had to fast 12 hours prior. It was so hard to not make coffee first thing in the morning. We had to show the nurse our driver's licenses. After the nurse was done with Becca's license it was just sitting on table so I opened her wallet to put it away. Just doing something nice for my wife, right? Becca had already bought my present for our birthday and the receipt for the present was in the wallet. I saw what she bought me. I felt so bad because I was just wanting to do something nice and it backfired. :( :( :( My self-inflicted punishment is waiting until our birthday (9 November) to receive the gift.

 

tmsaisti

Interesting story...

The following was written by a girl's aunt who niece (the girl) passed away very suddenly last week after being hit by a car. What a wonderful story!

A Princess Story
By Aunt Linda

This was the day! The castle was prepared for the arrival of the princess. The King had prepared for this moment. The seamstress had finished the royal gown. The necessary funds were arranged. The choirs were assembled. The princes and princesses of the land, young and old, from all of the ages, were gathered at the gate to welcome her home with great love and joy. The King, with his glorious smile, was ready to receive her into his open arms.

Many of the royal court who surrounded the princess, serving the King in a foreign land in which they abode, would soon hear of the princess's departure. They would be left to continue the work he had given them to do bringing those lost in the foreign land to the royalty he had planned for them.

This foreign land was not the princess's home. She had once been lost in the land and then one glorious day, she had found the King. (The King had always known where she was and sought for her to come near. She answered his call for her.) The King drew her near his heart.

Now this foreign land was a place where the princess was left, temporarily, to complete the assignment given by the King. She had faithfully completed her task. It was finished. The joy she possessed through knowing the King would now be proclaimed throughout the foreign land to offer hope and refuge in the King's palace.

It would be hard for the tenants of this princess to see her off. She would be sorely missed, for she was truly a lovely princess with a golden heart who showered her courts with the blessings of encouragement, enthusiasm and generosity. But it was time; time for her to meet her King. He orchestrated the moment with perfect precision to bring his precious child home. He had made the way clear. It was time.

The King offers all of those in the foreign land a home in his kingdom; not only a home, but a place in his family as his child! They, too, can become a prince or princess of the King! His kingdom was made for them. He only asks them to choose. Once they believe in His Way, trusting fully in his provision, their gifts will be bestowed upon them for service in his courts. They will remain in the foreign land for the days he has determined, and on his determined, glorious day, he will gather his royalty to his side.

Remember this princess. Follow her example. Be faithful to the King. His love and the life he gives are everlasting.

The princess lives happily ever after, today and always.

THE BEGINNING!

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for my friend Debby Li. She found out that her uncle passed away over the weekend. We praise the Lord that he is now in Heaven, but his passing is difficult for Debby as she is away from her family and relatives in Singapore.

"I didn't know Smitty was at our church this morning?"

This is what one lady from our church said to me after the service yesterday morning. I wrote in my previous entry that I was not able to share the video of Healing Rain with my church so I shared the link with you all. About an hour after making that post, a friend called me and said I have the video you wanted. How exciting!!! I brought it to church and with some help was able to show it on the screen as I sang the song. I was excited this worked out and was glad it blessed many people.

Healing Rain

I am singing the song Healing Rain tomorrow in church. I so wanted to have the video playing on the screen as I sing the song but I don't think that will be possible. I found a site this morning where you can watch the video but only while streaming from the Net. At least I can share it with all of you. (NOTE: You must have Windows Media Player to watch the video using this link. Sorry, can't find a Real Player version.)

 

Hope you enjoy the video. Have a great weekend!

The Nature of Degeneration

I have been reading My Utmost For His Highest during my quiet time lately. I have been struck by the clear, convicting messages from the devotionals and I wanted to share the one for today.

The Nature of Degeneration

The Bible does not say that God punished the human race for one man's sin, but that the nature of sin, namely, my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race through one man. But it also says that another Man took upon Himself the sin of the human race and put it away - an infinitely more profound revelation. The nature of sin is not immortality and wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realisation which leads us to say, "I am my own God." This nature may exhibit itself in proper morality, but it always has a common basis - my claim to my right to myself. When our Lord faced either people with all the forces of evil in them, or people who were clean-living, moral, and upright, He paid no attention to the moral degradation or one, nor any attention to the moral attainment of the other. He looked at something we do not see, namely, the nature of man.

Sin is something I am born with and cannot touch - only God touches sin through redemption. It is through the Cross of Christ that God redeemed the entire human race from the possibility of damnation through the heredity of sin. God nowhere holds a person responsible for having the heredity of sin, and does not condemn anyone because of it. Condemnation comes when I realise that Jesus Christ came to deliver me from this heredity of sin, and yet I refuse to let Him do so. From that moment I begin to get the seal of damnation. "This is the condemnation [and the critical moment], that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness right than light because their deeds were evil."

Taking the day off

In honor of my Aussie friends, in lieu of Labour Day, I will take the
day off from blogging :)

Barn Jamboree

Last night Becca, Roy and I went to my church's annual Barn Jamboree. This is my annual experience with country music and dancing. We had a wonderful turn out and a great time. This event always brings new people to our church. There is a couple who came to this event last year who since have become very involved in our church. I hope the same is true this year.

It is always interesting to see people, who like myself, do not dance well have to dance to music for hours on end. I think the most important thing to events like this is the caller. His job is to guide our dancing, but also make the nervous ones feel more comfortable. We have had the same caller for the three years we have had this event and it is obvious to me that he is talented. Last night I noticed on more than one occasion that he was almost subconsiously giving the calls while drinking coffee or looking for another record. Speaking of records, I can't tell you the last time I saw records or a record player. The caller uses records and record player. I suppose he is used to this format.

Anyone have any fun barn dancing stories to share?