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.

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

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

Hi all,
I know your all dying for the next exciting installment, here it is

Message Part Two

or right click and ‘save target as’ this one

Right click and save target as

There is something very soul building about doing hard work.
It is something we are designed for, from the garden, from the beginning.

As a Pastor, sometimes the work you are doing seems nebulous. There is no hole dug, no cabinet made, no bricks laid, to show for your work.

Leadership, inspiring, counselling, imparting, praying.
All people skills, all having their results in somewhat undefinable areas.

Then there are things like preparation, video and computer work, setting up stages, arranging events, producing brochures. These things are much more definable. Part of making things happen.

As Spiritual Leaders we cannot get away from work, to see a community transformed is difficult. If we expect it to be easy, or to pander to our own laziness, we are in the wrong field.

I dont think there are many things more controversial, or with the potential to be more controversial, than spanking your child.
In these politically correct days, the idea of inflicting pain to the ‘seat of learning’ may seem like an archaic and barbaric practice. The argument goes that violence begets violence.
Interesting logic. This generation will be the second that grows up with this generalised mindset. Lucky for us it has worked, and we live in a far less violent society (where is that sarcastic smilie gone??)

Of course we have not, we have grown up in a society with far less boundaries.
Ask yourself this, what would you prefer as a child?
To grow up knowing boundaries and respecting them, or to grow up with no real sense that there will be any retribution for wrong doing?

I love my kids, really love them. The thought of anyone causing them pain kills me. Listening to Wally Foreman’s son talk about how he will miss his dad, had me crying.
Yet I want them to grow up knowing boundaries. They need to feel some pain when they have crossed the line.

“The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother…Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.” Proverbs 29:15, 17