Marching Forth!

Although we all suffer from various ailments and infirmities, our service unto the LORD need not be hindered.  The work that God has called us to is a spiritual one, and the apparent weaknesses of the vessel is a boon rather than a disqualification!  Sometimes we think if we were stronger, healthier, or without discomfort we would be much more valuable for the kingdom of God.  You may take that up with Him if you like, but I believe God has us right where He wants us! In his book Lectures to My Students in pages 156-157, C.H. Spurgeon wrote from a similar perspective: These infirmities may be no detriment to a man's career of special usefulness; they may even have been imposed upon him by divine wisdom as necessary qualifications for his peculiar course of service.  Some plants owe their medicinal qualities to the marsh in which they grow; others to the shades in which alone they flourish.  There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the s...

" The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway ." Proverbs 15:19 A couple nights ago a segment aired on Channel 9 called the "Dole Bludger Challenge."  According to an article written in 2010, an alarming number of Australians are "on the dole," basically receiving a welfare check or unemployment benefits.  A "bludger" is someone who can physically work but is simply too lazy to do so.  While there are people who have genuine needs and are the victims of redundancy or downsizing, there seem to be many who would rather be a bludger than work for their living.  This "bludger" tendency can be seen throughout all cultures and people of the world. King Solomon compares the way of a lazy man to a hedge of thorns.  He has an excuse to avoid doing anything, seeing potential harm and difficulty in every movement.  A lazy man will not get out of bed because it is too cold.  He gives up buying...

It's been awhile since I have provided a family update, so I figure now is a great time!  Life seems to charge forward at an incredible pace, and I am amazed we are already in July!  At times I step back and simply appreciate the almost bizarre life we are living:  a family from Southern California transplanted in Sydney, Australia.  Only a few years ago I thought a "pitch" was a throw, "State of Origin" was perhaps a place I never heard of, and a bonnet was something women wore on their heads to protect them from sun.  Little did I know that God would open a door for ministry and relocate us to the other side of the world.  I have been having the time of my life. The family is doing well.  I still walk the boys to the bus stop in the mornings for school (about 1.8 kilometers) and they walk themselves home.  It seems like Zed and Abel have both been growing out of their shoes, blazers, and pants practically as fast as we replace them!  They...

" For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them ."   Proverbs 1:32 Prosperity in this world is seen as good, not evil.  But to a man that does not fear God, prosperity is the means to bring him to ultimate destruction.  The Bible says it is the fool who says in his heart, "There is no God." ( Ps. 14:1; Ps. 53:1 )  Fools despise the wisdom and instruction from God, claiming the Bible is no more than rot, rubbish, and fodder for feeble minds.  Proverbs 15:16 reads, " Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith ."  Riches and prosperity are not evil in themselves, but in the hands of the foolish it brings certain destruction.  That is why Jesus says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to inherit eternal life.  Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. What a sobering thought, that prospe...