All posts by Mark Edwards

Jeremiah 10.23-25

23 I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.
We are not able to plan our own course.
24 So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.
Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

What a awe inspiring piece of scripture. The Weeping Prophet has an ability to get to the heart of the matter. He recognises his own frailties, yet also has a deep desire to be in the centre of the will of God.

What does it mean for God to correct us? How does He do this? Only if we are humble and open to His correction in this life. If we decline His offer of a gentle lead now, He will correct us later.

Prayer, “God that I would hear and listen and obey your voice now. God that You would make it clear what my path is to be today, tommorow. Cause me to make Godly decisions, made in the light of Your vision and will for my life.”

Running around like a headless chook

Oh dear, must be something in the water.

Have you heard the true story about the headless chook who kept living for 18 months after having his head cut off?

“On Monday September 10, 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen of Fruita, Colorado, had his mother-in-law around for supper and was sent out to the yard by his wife to bring back a chicken. Olsen failed to completely decapitate the five-and-a-half month old bird named Mike, leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact.
Not quite sure what to do with his by now loose head, on the first night after the decapitation Mike slept with it under his wing; it was this touching tenacity to life and the now redundant organ that convinced Olsen to reprieve Mike from the cooking pot.
Despite Olsen’s botched handiwork, the by-now-headless Mike was still able to balance on a perch and walk clumsily; he even attempted to preen and crow, apparently not noticing that neither activity could be accomplished properly without a head. After the bird did not die, a surprised and no doubt guilty Mr. Olsen decided to continue to care permanently for Mike, feeding him a mixture of milk and water via an eyedropper; he was also fed small grains of corn. The unfortunate Mike occasionally choked on his own mucus, which the Olson family would clear using a syringe.
When used to his new and unusual center of mass Mike could easily get himself to the highest perches without falling. His crowing, though, was less impressive and consisted of a gurgling sound made in his throat, leaving him unable to crow at dawn.
Being headless did not stop Mike putting on weight; at the time of his beheading he weighed some 2½ pounds and at the time of his death, this had increased to nearly 8.
I’ve got to be able to use this as a sermon illustration somehow??? 🙂

Rove and Belinda and Cousin Shaun McManus

No, I am not blogging a gaffe like our serial fluffer Opposition Leader Kim Beazley. I am drawing a connection between the tradgedy of the passing of actress and singer Belinda Emmet, and our own Docker Shaum Mc Manus.

On the Channel Ten report of Belinda’s funeral, there were the wavy blonde locks of Shaun. I thought, only for a brief second, what’s he doing there? Then the connection was clear, Shaun is Rove’s cousin.
How sad, how terribly sad for the humorous lad from Willeton (Rove). Rove has always struck me as a very decent guy, with a strong and loving family. He once said that his sister had achieved far more than him in life because she had two wonderful children. Now Rove will not know that pleasure with his first love, Belinda. Terribly sad for the guy.

Seeing Shaun at the funeral brought home to me the reality of the situation. It is at these times that cousins, friends, people who really care about you gather around you. I wonder if Rove will ever recover? I think with his good humour and energy he will. Not for some time, but there will be hope and humour for him. I pray he finds peace and hope in the midst of his grief.

Jesus, on sale for $20 US

JESUS

Jesus was the most important person in history. Ever.He was born in a manger, raised as a carpenter, and crucified on a cross. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He fed five thousand men with two fish and five loaves of bread. He was a revolutionary preacher and an extraordinary teacher who shook up the religious authority of that time.Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth in the form of a man. When He died, He defeated death. He defeated sin. Belief in Him brings eternal life. There has never been nor will there ever be anyone like Jesus!
Product Features:• 12″ tall• Fully articulated, with 18 points of articulation including hands and fingers that can gasp and hold• Realistic eyes• Hand-sewn cloth outfits and sandals• 63 seconds of Scripture, recorded in an easy-to-memorize style
I dont know what everyone else thinks, but this is a bit gross for me.
I dont want to be religious or Pharisaical, but crumbs, I reckon there are better ways to teach our kids.

Thankfulness

I reckon one of the keys to a healthy life is to live a life of thankfulness.
Blessings, peace and joy come from deciding to be thankful. And it is a choice.
I am not subscribing to the ‘name it and claim it’ theology. Thats bunkum .

But think of the analogy God Himself gives us, He is our Father.
What sort of children does a Father love? I know what I am teaching my children, how to say thankyou, and when they say it of their own accord, it blesses me and others.

Most days I try to remember to thank God for my family (boy am I thankful for them!)
my church, yes, especially now,
and my life.

Thanks God too for the beautiful ciabata bread and organic coffee I made for breakfast.

John Mc Arthur & John Piper

Aaaaah, you were thinking or hoping for a deep theological thought, ah ah, you’ve come to the wrong blog 🙂

I used to be a huge Mc Arthur fan, in my idealistic stage,

once delivered from that, I can now listen to this and laugh….

If you know who John Mc Arthur is you will either…. laugh out loud, or send me rude emails!!

And as an added bonus, here’s John Pipers take on Michael Jackson’s Bad