Marching Forth!

" Rejoice always, 17  pray without ceasing, 18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you ." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The will of God is for us to always rejoice, pray, and in everything give thanks.  Doing so is indicative of people who are at rest in the almighty God they trust with their whole hearts.  Instead of being blinded by fears and worries, followers of Jesus are enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to do God's will with gladness. I read Exodus 14 today and was intrigued with the back-and-forth between the Hebrews and Moses after Pharaoh sent them away.  Shortly after demanding the children of Israel leave Egypt, Pharaoh and his people regretted sending away their slave labour and mustered all their chariots to pursue them.  When the Hebrews saw the advancing enemies out of fear for their lives they lashed out at Moses.  Their terror distorted their grasp on reality and clouded their view...

When I checked the news this morning the top story was top-ranked tennis star Novak Djokovic was  disqualified  from the U.S. Open after accidentally hitting an umpire with an errant ball.  He hit a ball in frustration intentionally but could not have imagined the ball would have collected a line judge in the throat and she dropped to the ground.  Apparently this is not the first time this has happened to a professional player, when striking an official accidentally led to an ejection and disqualification from a tournament. Quoting news.com.au, " The US Tennis Association released a statement saying Djokovic would be fined all prize money and lose all ranking points earned during the major.  'In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences, the US Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2...

God created the earth to have days, seasons, and years.  Not every day is the same, and one season may be preferred over another.  The memories of times past should never be permitted to overshadow the start of a new day, a new season which holds great promise for all those who hope in God.  Instead of lamenting what we can no longer do as the flower of youth fades, we can glory in the strength of God who sustains us and will present us without fault before the throne of God with exceeding joy. I have heard many people speak disparagingly of the year 2020, yet it is a year comprised of days God has made.  It is true in Australia we have seen fires, floods, a pandemic, and a recession.  These trying circumstances do nothing to take the shine from our great God and the wondrous plans He has for all who love and trust Him.  If they do in our eyes it is evidence things other than God have clouded our vision and purpose.  In our gracious God there is alw...

An attraction that never interested me at Disneyland was "Autotopia," a miniature car connected to a rail that guided the car along the course.  There was a steering wheel in the car but it did not allow the driver to make meaningful decisions.  Go-carts were a much more exciting prospect for me because of increased speed and the opportunity to be in control, take turns as fast as possible, and the fun challenge of passing other riders.  For other people, even go-carts are a yawn when you could go off-road.  Why be confined to a small oval track when there is a world to explore? When the cliche is used "off the rails" it can mean a person, business, or group is like a train that has jumped the track that is no longer safe or able to reach the desired destination.  A train needs a track for the conductor to guide it to the next station.  The ironic thing is when it comes to life there are no rails that force us on the right path.  Very rarely are our...