Army Writers & Composers

'A little encouragement goes a long way' was certainly evidenced as Salvationist writers and composers met for an inaugural gathering held at Inala Village this evening. Organized by Major Win Barker (Rtd), it was an opportunity for invited speakers, Commissioner Wesley Harris (author), Major Howard Davies (composer) and Major Laurie Robertson (National Editor-in-chief, WarCry Editor and Literary Secretary), to share some helpful tips and information about authoring and publishing works from their respective areas of expertise.

It was a great opportunity to share with like-minded Christian people and learn more about where The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory is heading with its current and future goals for publishing and promoting the writing and music composition talents of Salvationists and Christian friends.

I left the evening confident that we certainly have a bright future ahead of us!

"Living Hope" Suicide Bereavement

Dabak and I were privileged to take part in the Melbourne pilot of the Living Hope Suicide Bereavement training course. We found it to be extremely helpful in not only skilling us to work with those bereaved by suicide, but in challenging us to alter our unrealistic and judgmental 'pre-conceived' ideas about this most misunderstood area of personal loss.

The statistics of suicide are mind-blowing, the impact on those left behind is devastating and the opportunities for providing bereavement support are greatly needed. The Salvation Army's commitment to make a difference in this sensitive ministry area is both timely and beneficial.

Yes, I have a dream...that "Hope For Life" centres will be established in local communities throughout our divisions and regions, making it possible for survivors of suicide loss to access postvention support services and make hope connections in their lives.

1 Samuel 2:6 (MSG) ~ "[God] rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives..."

God's Hands

We need to seek God’s hand on our lives, and realize that God’s hands are good hands!

This morning as we reflected on Jeremiah's vision (18:1-6), we were encouraged to:

• Desire God’s hands…for they are hands that desire to bless you; they are hands that desire your good for His glory.
• Depend on God’s hands…for they are hands that are determined to guide; they will direct us toward an abundant spiritual blessing in Christ.
• Delight in God’s hands…for there is no safer place to be than in God’s hands; and there is no more exciting place to be than in God’s hands.

A 2nd century Christian, named Irenaues, left behind this challenging piece of prose.

From God’s Hands
It is not you who shape God; it is God that shapes you.
If then you are the work of God, await the hand of the Artist who does all things in due season.
Offer the Potter your heart, soft and tractable, and keep the form in which the Artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist, lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of the Potter’s fingers.

Kaye & John Williamson

My thoughts and prayers were focussed today on Kaye & John Williamson, who departed this morning to take up their first overseas appointments in Jamaica (Carribbean Territory). Leaving family, friends and the comforts of home to serve God in a new culture and a different field of ministry is challenging to say the least. But we know that when we move out of our comfort zone and trust God fully, we move more fully into Christ's grace zone where He always provides for us and rewards us "more than we can ask or imagine".

Learn to trust God fully, and move out of your personal comfort zone into God's grace zone!

Matthew 6:6 (MSG) ~ "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace."

Heart's Desire

While ministering in Malaysia in 1997 I was privileged to share in personal Christian fellowship with worship leader, Don Moen. Every word he sang and every note he played was an expression of his passionate love for Jesus and his deep desire to lead worshippers into God's gracious and awesome presence.

His genuine Christian witness made a great impression on me, as did his musical compositions. Here is one of Don Moen's worship songs that continues to inspire me whenever I recall it.

I just want to be where You are,
Dwelling daily in Your presence;
I don't want to worship from afar,
Draw me near to where You are.

I want to be where You are, dwelling in Your presence,
Feasting at Your table, surrounded by Your glory;
In Your presence that's where I always want to be,
I just want to be, I just want to be with You.

Is that your desire? I can honestly say, "It's my heart's desire!"

Psalm 27:4 (NIV) ~ "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."

Sacred Privilege

A prayerful encounter with a nursing home resident this morning caused me to be reminded that those anointed and appointed by God for Christian service have both the sacred obligation and wonderful privilege of coming confidently before the Most High on behalf of others.

In his book, Prayer: Finding the heart's true home, Richard Foster states that "by means of intercessory prayer God extends to each of us a personalized, hand-engraved invitation to become intimately involved in labouring for the well-being of others." (pg. 214)

We can each make a difference if we act personally on the sacred privilege of Intercessory Prayer.

Matthew 6:14 (MSG) ~ "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do."

"Service Above Self"

When Frank Collins spoke at the 1911 Portland convention, I doubt he had any idea that a phrase he used on that occasion ~ Service, Not Self ~ would go on to become the well-recognized motto of Rotary Interational. At the Rotary convention in 1950 "Service Above Self" was adopted as the worldwide motto that continues to live on and identify the very spirit of Rotarian service today.

On Saturday morning I was privileged to work with my dedicated community services team and collate 750 'welcome packs' that will be provided to Box Hill Hospital's Upton House facility.

The opportunity for fellowship was valuable, but the knowledge that our team effort is going to benefit others as we seek to be of service to the local community is an even greater reward.

Click on the image at right to read the interesting story.

Well, they say a picture tells a thousand words...so take a look at these and let your mind write it's own essay!