Hospitality

During my school holidays in April, I took my chance to be hospitable! It is a struggle to invite people over when I'm working, so I did not want to miss my chance. At times I wondered if I was crazy for trying, since I was having a hard enough time recovering from the previous term, but of course afterwards I was very glad I chose to have people over!

I uploaded these pictures over a month ago when I was back home. Here are some friends from church:

I invited one group of people in the first week of my holidays, and another in my second. It was great to have more people than usual at each dinner. Even though there were more people, it did not seem like more work. I probably would have cooked just as much for less people. It would have been a lot more work to invite all of them over seperately. If you have a larger group you also have to do less "entertaining" - they entertain each other!

I was especially blessed to hear from one guest that it was good to be able to relax and feel comfortable. She had not had this experience during some other dinners at people's houses. It is wonderful when guests feel comfortable in your home!

Here is another hospitality picture:

These are my friends who got married back in December. They seem to be enjoying married life! When I had them over for dinner up here in Launceston, it was an example of hospitality on the run! I invited them at short notice, and fed them some things heated up from the freezer as well as some noodles left over from lunch! I believe it is important to be open to inviting people over at any time, even if you can't feed them a perfect spread. Welcoming people has to become more important than pride or trying to show off. My friends seemed to enjoy the meal, especially since they love passionfruit and we had plenty of them from the garden for desert.

Here are a couple of hospitality links I recommend:

High Ground Today

Girotti Girls excel themselves!

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He'll not forget His little ones

One of my greatest pleasures this term has been teaching the children Christian songs. I did not do it last term, but I wish I had! The joy of watching their enthusiasm for singing surpasses even the enjoyment of hearing their prayers. I also believe it is very beneficial for them to learn songs that may stick with them for the rest of their lives. It continually amazes me that I have taught anyone to sing, since I do not sing well. I less self conscious amongst the children, as they don't have the experience to realise that my singing skills are not the best!

One of the songs I've taught in the last couple of weeks is God Sees the Little Sparrow Fall. They love it, and it is a great reminder for me as well.

God sees the little sparrow fall,
It meets his tender view;
If God so loves the little birds,
I know he loves me too.

(Chorus)
He loves me too,
He loves me too,
I know he loves me too;
Because He loves the little things
I know he loves me too.

He paints the lily of the field,
Perfumes each lily bell;
If He so loves the little flowers,
I know He loves me well.

Chorus

God made the little birds and flowers,
And all things large and small,
He'll not forget His little ones,
I know He loves them all.

Chorus

During one of our singing times yesterday, the children began discussing their favourite songs. One five year old announced that "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" is his favourite, because "I trust in Jesus, I do." Following this, other children eagerly volunteered similar statements. This reminded me of some of the times I have talked to the children about how we get to heaven. When I talk to them about how Jesus died to take the punishment for our wrong doing, and we need to believe in Him, they eagerly say things like "I believe that Jesus died for my sins, I do."

Some Christians dismiss children's professions of faith, assuming that they are not old enough to "decide". They speak as though there is an age at which someone is "old enough to be a Christian". I find such attitudes disturbing. Christ made the faith of children an example to us. He did not see it as a less sure or valid faith.

While it is true that I should not assume these children are definitely saved, that is just as true of any professing Christian whom I meet. We only know for sure that someone was saved if they persevere in Christ. As Jesus said, "Therefore, by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:20). Saying the right things does not necessarily indicate that a person's heart has been changed. We are saved by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8), and the sign of that grace is works done out of love for our Saviour.

While a profession is not a sure sign of salvation, I do believe it is a sign of God's work in a person's life. It is a sign of grace. God's grace to these children is evident in the fact that their families have chosen to place them in a Christian school where they are taught of God's love each day.

As I look at the excited faces of the children in my class, I cannot help but wonder where they will be in 15 years time. Some of them come from family backgrounds that are plauged with severe problems. As I went for a walk with them yesterday I held their little hands hands, each one so different. I thought of John Dekker's beautiful post on hands and I thought of the future of these children. We walked together, a long line of children holding hands. As they walked, they praised God with the songs I had taught them. The sound was a beautiful one to me.

I do not know whether or not God has yet chosen to save these little ones. I do not know if their words reflect the new creation in their souls, or simply a desire to please their beloved teachers and parents. Yet I do know that God has his hand upon them. As Nicole Whitacre wrote about the other end of life, God does not forget. He hears their songs, joy, prayers, and professions of love for him. He'll not forget His little ones, for I know He loves them well.

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A Tribute to Mum

I did not go home for Mother's Day, but I did spend much of that weekend writing a tribute to my Mum! My Mother, My Friend is a condensed version of the major work God has done in my life through Mum. I sent it in to the mother's day contest Crystal Paine held at Biblical Womanhood. The winner was randomly chosen, and I'm sorry to say that I did not win an ERGO Baby Carrier. I know a number of people who could use one. Two of them are in my own family! My sister and sister-in-law are both expecting. I am getting very excited about the little one due next month. Esther's baby brother or sister is due later in the year, on her birthday!

I did not write this piece in an effort to win a baby carrier, however! I wrote it because I was inspired to praise Mum and praise God for what he has done through her. I worked on it for many hours the old, slow way. Since I don't have my own computer up here, I hand wrote it and then brought it into the Online Access Centre to type up and send in.

I am staying up here in the North more, to get more rest. I have not been home at all this month. I feel like staying put. Previous to this month I had not stayed in one place for more than 2 and a half weeks all year!

I only have Internet access at school and at Online Access Centres. This creates some interesting incidents. I was sitting here at the Centre the other day, when a sixty-ish looking man on the next computer said: "I must say, you have lovely coloured hair." I muttered something like "Oh, right" to my computer screen and didn't look at him! I quite like my hair colour, but I'm not interested in discussing it with strange men.

Anyway, back to Mum! She came to visit me last weeknd for a night, and we had a wonderful time of fellowship together! We went out for lunch at a restaurant overlooking beautiful autumn coulours. Praise God for a Mum who loves to spend time with me, and will even travel hours to do so!

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Prayers, large and small

One of my family members recently declared that he believes there is no place in the Christian life for praying for a car park. Prayers about health/sickness also came in for a slamming. After studying Paul's prayers recorded in the Bible, he noted that they are about eternal things and believers' growth in grace. While I share his concerns about believers not praying about the things the Bible shows are most imporant, I do not agree that prayers about relatively small things are illegitimate.

As Amy wrote after praying for her newborn to sleep:

"does God care about sleeping babies? Of course He does. We ought to bring all things to Him. When we bring the dailyness of our lives before Him, we acknowledge His sovereignty over all things. The danger, of course, is forgetting that His Kingdom is big. When we bring the small details of our lives to Him, we ought to remember, too, that His kingdom extends beyond our four walls to the four corners of the earth. It is not only about the moment, but also about His Church that began with Adam and Eve and extends to future generations. "

What an eloquent way to express this truth! I often pray as I go about my work. In one thought I'll ask that God will help J___ adjust to having twins, and in the next that Dad will be saved. I pray that God will help me make my bed, and that he will enable me to be more self-controlled and kind. Small and large next to one another.

While there is a danger in only praying about small things, there is also a danger in reserving prayer for the greatest things. In doing so, people may fail to seek God about their worries in relation to their children, money, and other life issues. They may seek their own solutions, thinking these things are too small to bring to God.

I also believe the Lord's Prayer and other parts of the Bible show that there is nothing wrong with praying for small things as well as large ones, the physical as well as the eternal. In the Lord's Prayer, we pray in one breath that God will give us our daily bread and in the next that he will forgive our sins.

Our greatest danger is not praying about small things, but failing to pray enough. I often fall into this. I want to grow in understanding the most imporant things to pray for, yes. Toward this end, I have learnt a prayer from Phillipians. Yet my greatest need is to learn to pray more, and bring everything before the Lord. To commit at least 30 minutes each day to concentrating on prayer. Offering up prayers in the midst of everything else is good, but it is not enough. I was better at devoting large amounts of time to prayer early in my Christian life. This is not how it should be. We should grow stronger in concentrating in prayer the longer we walk with Jesus.

Occasionally I come across a quote that inspires me again in regard to prayer. I am reminded that God is ready and waiting to answer, if we will but asked. I am reminded that prayer is one of our most effective and vital activities. This quote from Samuel Charwick, Puritan, has been a special encouragement:

"Satan dreads nothing but prayer. Activities are multiplied that prayer may be ousted, and organizations are increased that prayer may have no chance. The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

Do you have anything to share about how you pray, what you mainly pray about, or means you use to have concentrated times of prayer?

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Pizza and Jelly

I wanted to share these two foods I love, but now that I've uploaded the pictures into the same post it seems like the foods don't go together! Not to worry. Food is food.

Firstly, one of my all time favourite foods - vegetarian pizza.



Here is a great pizza base recipe that makes preparing pizza easy. It makes two pizza bases. If you only want one, halve it.

3 cups wholemeal flour
2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon herb salt (if you don't have herb salt, ordinary is fine).
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup water

Mix together dried ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix again. If any bits of dough will not mix in, knead them in briefly. Roll out and place on trays. Pierce dough with a fork in several places. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and place toppings on. I usually cook some onion, capsicum, and a clove of garlic with olive oil. Then I add some tomato based pasta sauce or a tin of diced tomatoes. Then I add other vegetables and fruit such as: pineapple, carrot, corn pumpkin pieces (pre-cooked), olives, and mushrooms. I usually mix it all together and then put it on, as I think this saves time. I use whatever I can find in the fridge or pantry. This makes it different each time, which is fun! Of course, on top of the veggies goes plenty of cheese :). I often make this when friends come over, and many have said that they like it. This is true even of those who are not vegetarian. The pizza takes about an hour to prepare.


Now we come to jelly . . .

This is another food I like to prepare for guests. It is quick, and it looks good if I can get it to come out of the mould right! I use two packets of flavoured jelly available from the supermarket, prepare it according to the instructions on the packet, place it in a mould, and add some fresh or canned fruit. It does require a little foreplanning, as it needs to be made the night before.

I'd better go, writing all this is making me hungry! I've got some pizza to eat at home :).

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Look to Christ

The discussion in the comments section of my Songs post reminded me of Oswald Chambers’s comments on Isaiah 45:22 “Look to me and be saved”. Chambers wrote:

“The very thing we look for we shall find if we will concentrate on Him . . . The difficulties and trials – the casting about in our minds as to what we shall do this summer, or tomorrow, all vanish when we look to God.”

“No matter if there are a hundred and one things that press, resolutely exclude them all and look to Him.”

I find this so easy to forget! I get caught up thinking about how I am going to pay for my new mattress for my back and save to do further education next year and . . . I get worried thinking about what to do in terms of work, or how I will get through this year in my job without having to give it up due to pain. There are countles things that come to mind and seem difficult to solve.

Yet when I remember the truth that Chambers has eloquently expressed, and apply it, I rediscover its truth in my own experience. Those "a hundred and one things" do become smaller in my mind as I look to God. Focusing on who he is imparts faith that since he is so great, he is able to handle the details of my life.

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More prayers at school

This week I had parent-teacher interviews. They all went well, praise God. It was also great to pray with some of the parents at the end of our time together, asking for wisdom, praying God will bless their parenting, and praying for the child.

I also continue to enjoy praying with the children. Since several people mentioned enjoying the children's prayers I posted here, I have decided to post a few more.

"We are your princesses and you are the King. We are sheep and you are the Shepherd."

"Thank you that you are the Shepherd, we are the sheep. Sometimes we do bad things and sometimes we do good things."

"In Jesus' name we have power. We're your princesses and we're you're sheep. You are the Shepherd and you are the King, we want to do everything you want us to do."

"Lord, you have all the glory, we have none. You help us."

Many of these prayers seem to be inspired by Psalm 23, which the children have learnt and recited in assembly. Some of the children's prayers are disturbing as well as sweet. For example:

"Thank you Lord that you've got lots of magic. Satan tries to steal things off you, but you don't let him have it all. Lord you've got power, and we've got power. Satan can only see one person at once, but Lord we know you can see all of us from heaven."

I don't know where the magic bit came from! The same child recently prayed: "Thankyou Lord that we can go to heaven and become ghosts. Thank you that you are the only ghost that lives forever."

I broke my usual practice of not correcting what they say during prayers. As soon as we'd finished praying, I pointed out that we do not become ghosts when we die!

These recurring themes about heaven, hell, Satan, etc. can cause problems. This afternoon a mother came into my class room very disturbed, saying that her daughter had told her that Miss Ward said that if they were scared of Satan they should say "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" and a spirit-angel would appear to protect them. The child went on to say that Miss Ward said so and "Miss Ward is right." The mother saw this as some kind of incantation. I assured her that I had only told the children that they could pray to God and he would always protect them from Satan. God is more powerful than Satan and they do not need to be afraid. The dear mother did not seem quite convinced of my innocence, but we did have a good prayer together before she left. I suspect that some of her little girl's confusion may have come from other children, and perhaps even their prayers! I know I need help to explain things accurately to the children, however, so I told this Mum that I am happy to receive any advice she can give!!

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Songs

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the day with my friends Jonathan, Evelina, and Josh It was a great encouragement, in the midst of many struggles with work and chronic pain, to have time with friends here in Launceston. In the afternoon we gathered around the piano and enjoyed singing many hymns. I love hymns, because they generally focus on who God is or what he has done for us. In contrast, many other songs focus on our actions and character. Songs that repeat "I love you, I love you, I love you" spring to mind! I tend to feel uncomfortable singing these kind of songs. Knowing the wickedness of my own heart, I question whether what I am singing is the truth. Can I really say with confidence that God is always my first consuming passion, or that I love him with every part of myself? No.

I even have a question in my heart when I sing some hymns. One of my favourites, Be Thou My Vision, is an example. I can sing with confidence the prayer "Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me Save that Thou art." Yet when I come to the third verse, the questioning in my heart surfaces. As I sing "Riches I heed not, Nor man's empty praise" it too becomes a prayer, not the declaration it seems to be written as. I consider how much I feel grumpy or concenred about money, even though I am so blessed, and pray I will no longer heed riches. I think of how praise from others sometimes thrills me, and pray I will not heed it when it is empty.

I prefer to sing about God's character and actions than about my own. I would rather sing about the one who is able to keep me from falling, than about how I will always love God. Like Augustine, the church father, I am deeply aware that I need God's help to do what he commands. There is nothing in me, aside from the Holy Spirit, that has the power to do right. Songs about God's character and works turn my thoughts outwards to His power. They impart joy and hope and repentance to my heart. I realise anew that He is able to accomplish more than I could ever ask or imagine. They cause me to pray that as I see his beauty, my life will reflect it.

Praising God for his great character and works also causes my own problems and shortcomings to fade in my mind. For much of my Christian life, the song Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus has reminded me of this. Last week at school, it was special to teach the little children to sing it. Perhaps it will remind them, too, of where our focus should be. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.

I would love to hear from any readers who would like to share their experiences with singing, or what type of songs they enjoy.

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Encouragement from across the globe!

Last week I received this wonderful comment on my post Bible Memory - A Joy. This brother's experience shows how starting small can lead to great things!

Dear Sister

I found your site whilst looking for something else! Greetings from the UK!

Bible memorisation has been a great blessing to me too. It began in a small way, learning verses by themes. I then graduated to whole books. So far, I have memorised Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Peter and James in the NT - as well as various other chapters and paragraphs.
The problem is keeping it all up! Having memorised the verses, I don't want to lose them. It is a delightful form of bondage!

With very best wishes to you.

In our Saviour, Timothy Cross

I was also encouraged in the value of memorizing the Bible one day at school this week. The rain was pelting down on the roof, and my mind naturally went to a passage from Isaiah that I have reviewed many times. It was great to have scripture come to mind so easily.

As the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
To water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud
To give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater
So shall my word be that comes forth from my mouth
It shall not return to me void
But shall accomplish what I please
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

My memory of exact references is not as good, however. I think this is from Isaiah 55:10-11.

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A Full House

Last weekend I went home to a full house! My brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews were visiting from Queensland to attend a wedding. My oldest newphew (who will be three in June) was a page boy. I hope to post pictures of him looking totally adorable in his suit, vest, and bow tie at some later date! For now, here are some pictures of the family.

Here is my dear sister-in-law with nephew 2, who is 14 months old. He will have a little brother or sister in June :)!!



The boys . . .

Esther was entranced with her little cousin, as she was on his last visit. This time she was determined to "help" him walk. He can walk well on his own, and Esther's efforts seemed to make him trip over. Her helpfulness created plenty of laughs though, and a great picture opportunity!

Aunty Sherrin let Esther and nephew 1 play on her bed with her toys. The rabbit is a special toy, because my Grandad gave it to me a few years before he died. Other efforts to amuse the children in "Sherrin's room" included being spun on the ergonomic chair whilst holding toys, and rolling the big excercise ball back and forth.

What fun it is to have little people around the house!

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