January 2010 – “Happy New Year”
Hello, and thank you for dropping by. The New Year is well and truly here and like most people I am expecting good things to happen. I do hope you find this web site interesting and not too complicated. It is only an abridged piece of our life’s journey; each page tells its own story. I never planned on writing an autobiography until my son David gave me the idea by creating a web site. To my surprise, he went ahead and gave me the Domain Name as a Christmas gift, so now I had better do something with it. My motive for putting our story on the web is primarily to thank God for a wonderful journey through life. Secondly, to honour my children and give them a legacy to look back on and live up to.
Thirdly, to show younger ministers who are just starting out in ministry that all things are possible if you simple trust God. Never give up on your Call, keep knocking on doors (Matthew 7:7-8) and obey Him serving your generation to the best of your ability with integrity. 1 Samuel 15:22
One such person who has never given up on ministry and served with integrity is a friend of mine Pastor Ian Parker. He along with his wife Jan, have served in churches right around Australia. From Maryborough in Qld. to Mt Gambia in South Australia, Bendigo in Victoria and across to Girraween in Perth. He has been back in Queensland for a few years and has just resigned as Senior Pastor of Albany Hills Christian Church. He turned 60 on Australia Day. Betty and I attended his birthday celebration at his daughters home with a few friends. Congratulations Ian you have been a faithful servant of God. Wherever you have served you have brought healing to troubled churches. God must like you very much!
On a personal note, Our Christmas celebrations were special. Most of our family came for Christmas lunch and enjoyed fun together in the pool.
The swimming pool was a great blessing in the hot and humid conditions that prevailed. During the hot tropical evenings, the grandchildren particularly loved playing and swimming with the night-lights on in the swimming pool.
Recently I visited Pastor Lloyd Averill who is in care at the Bethany Christian Care nursing facility. Pastor & Mrs Averill are a wonderful example to me of servants of God, having served in many parts of this country and New Zealand and have stayed the course. Pastor Averill still holds a great interest in the growth of the Assemblies of God movement for which he has given most of his life. I honour him.
I also visited Ralph Morley a colleague and friend from Bible College days. Last year his wife went to her reward. Ralph is presently recovering from heart surgery. For many years, he was head of Chaplaincy Queensland and served his generation well.
On a sadder note over recent weeks we have all been shocked by the tragic news of the horrific earthquake that crushed Haiti. It certainly brings into balance the lifestyle that we enjoy and our responsibility to care. The skeptics & cynics quickly point out this ruthless act of God. However, amidst all the carnage and loss of life the Gospel of Jesus Christ still brings comfort to the grief stricken community. Our hearts and prayers go out to those dear suffering people.
With events like this seemingly striking at will in many parts of the world, 2 Timothy 3:1 surely the return of the Lord is near! My heart cries out “even so come Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20.
The church cannot afford to be complacent. The signs of the times are all around us..
As I look at the faith of this child reaching out in prayer amidst the death and destruction of her country, one can only wonder how we would react? So lets make this New Year count!