Sunday Sermon - 27.10.2013

The readings for this morning's sermon came from 2 Timmothy 4:6-8 & 16-18

6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

16At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

And Luke 18:9-14

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector is about two people praying, something that we have been told to do continually. One of these people was 'self focused' instead of 'God focused'.

We nee to be open to listen as well as speak. Each of us wants to be seen as special but we are all sinners and need forgiveness. No one is justified before God no matter how much better than others they think they are. We can't achieve holiness by following a set of rules.

If we think we will be acceptable to Go by our actions we will be disappointed when Jesus returns.

In spite of our sins we ARE special to God, so special that Christ died for us.

Do you feel special today?

May God bless you richly this week.

Richard.

Saturday Shenanigans - 26.10.2013

I've been a bit slack this week, preferring to play games instead of unpacking. I've also fallen behind on reading my email so I have quite a few to catch up with. I have managed to tidy the rear of the garage up a bit and started stacking those items that are going to be store a bit more efficiently in an effort to make more room. I might take a couple of photos on Monday and show it as part of "Monday Mayhem".

I have managed a bit of crochet time this week, even managed to dig out some of the projects that I had started before we went on holidays. Those that follow my Friday posts will note that I've also managed to finish a couple of items this week. I managed to finish another today but you will have to wait until next Friday to see it.

Friday crochet classes started back last week and I actually had someone yesterday that wanted to learn how to crochet knitted squares together, so I showed him and got him started but when he tried to take over he transferred the hook to his left hand. Since I started right handed that was never going to work so I restarted it left handed. It was my first (and probably my last) effort of crocheting left handed but I did enough to get him going.

We didn't have any band practice this week so we have no idea what tunes we're supposed to be playing tomorrow morning. There is always a danger that we may be asked to play something that we can't but we won't really know until we try.

Well, that's been my week this week. I hope you all had a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs 25.10.2013

All the projects that I'm entering into the local show are now finished. All that's left to do is to tag them all and make sure the woollen items have a yarn label attached. I just wish they would hurry up and send the tags. Here are my FOs for this week.

Woollen Baby Blanket - Square 51 from "99 Granny Squares to Crochet"

I even did a decorative picot edging, just because I can.

AustralianaV2 - designed be me

I got asked for the pattern to this last week but it's pretty basic so it will just include the instructions for doing filet crochet and the chart. How much would you pay for that?

I'm sure there are plenty of other finished items to check out so take a look at the links in the sidebar.

Richard.

Wednesday WIPs 23.10.2013

I don't have a lot to show this week as I have been concentrating on finishing items for the show. The good news is that they are now finished and I can now go back to my regular schedule of working on half a dozen different things during the week. Here are the things I've worked on this week that aren't finished.

Large Santa Stocking

I frogged this back to the first 8 rows and started again in stripes because I just don't have enough of the variegated yarn to do the whole stocking the same as the previous 2.

Christmas Tree

I just had to start another project. I mean, 8 projects just isn't enough.

That's my WIPs for this week. Remember to check back on Friday to see the finished objects, and check out the links in the sidebar to see what others have been making.

Richard.

Sunday Sermon - Prayer

Today's readings came from Psalm 119:97-104

97Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
99I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
102I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.

and Luke 18:1-8

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”

6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

We pray in the hope that our prayers will be answered. How many pray for peace yet war rages on? How many pray for an end to poverty but the poor are still with us? Can these people still hope that their prayers will be answered?

The widow had nothing so wasn't able to pay court costs, so she relied on persistence.

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease"

Does this mean that we should harass God until we get what we want? This parable tells us that this is not what God is like, but tells us that it is important to pray and that our God is generous towards those that pray.

Jesus says that God will hear our prayers and answer them quickly. Some would say that His idea of quickly is a little distorted as their prayers are yet to be answered, but maybe God hasn't answered because he has something better in mind. Time is a relative thing and what may seem like a long time maybe relatively short it the grand scheme of things.

When we want something we should remember the acronym "PUSH" - Pray Until Something Happens.

Prayer is about developing a relationship with God. Once you have that relationship then God will answer your prayers, either giving you what you ask for or giving you something better.

Keep praying and may God bless you richly this week.

Richard.

Saturday Shenanigans - 19.10.2013

We are slowly getting things set up in our new abode and this week we got Austar (satelite TV) connected so we're now able to record and watch all our favourite shows from local and overseas sources. This probably means that the unpacking will slow down a bit as Sue will spend her mornings studying and her afternoons in bed watching TV. I may get a box or two unpacked each day but I'm not going to hurry.

This week was also the week for nominating entries in the local show and I have entered 8 items including a couple that are yet to be finished, and I convinced Sue to put something in as well. I now have about a week and a half to get things finished before they have to be taken in for judging. I'm making good progress on them and should have them finished sometime next week.

Nothing else is happening around here at the moment, just the dull, normal, routine of life.

Hope you all had a good week.

Richard.

Friday FOs

I didn't think I was going to have anything finished this week, but when I found my projects I found one that was so close to being finished I figured I had better just do it.

Here is my FO for this week.

Baby's Bootees

I also decided to add these to my show entries for this year so it was very important to finish them.

I now have about a week and a half to finish a couple of other projects that I entered so I guess I had better get cracking.

As usual, check out the links in the sidebar to see what everyone else has been making.

Richard.