The August Edition of WISELink is now available online.
This month's WISELink we are looking at the value of life and how we look at it through God's eyes.
I will again be publishing the feature article, please feel free to discuss the article in the comments area of the post.
7 August 2007
6 July 2007
WISELink back copies
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Thx
Web Chick
You then need only click on the month that you require and it will allow you to download that month.
Thx
Web Chick
5 July 2007
Mission— A Calling for you and me!
The theme for this month is Mission and what it means for us. This year we have seen the renaming of our Overseas Mission Board from Churches of Christ renamed to Global Mission Partners. This is a real step forward into integrating their role and place in the way we do mission.
What is mission? The encyclopaedia defines mission as being “groups and organizations arising within a particular religious tradition whose concern is to witness by word and deed, at home and abroad, to the beliefs of their religion, so that others may come to know and live the truth as they understand it.”
Ask your friend or neighbour what mission is and I am sure that the first thing they say is working overseas to tell the third world countries about the Gospel.
While I am a firm believer in spreading the Good News across the seas, I am a very firm believer that mission is where ever we are at any given time when we are with other people. Mission is people.
As I have said before when sharing with you, most businesses and churches have their Mission and Vision Statement which is often displayed for all to see. It is paramount as they search for meaning and a purpose for how and why they exist.
This is what mission is also for us. We have a mission and vision to be! In the Discipleship Development Program that is organised by GMP (Global Mission Partners) for young adults to participate in, the emphasis is on Being not doing mission. In others words being the Mission of life and not doing the mission of life. I find the “being” quite confronting, but it is only as we live mission that we will be the church in the world today.
What is mission? The encyclopaedia defines mission as being “groups and organizations arising within a particular religious tradition whose concern is to witness by word and deed, at home and abroad, to the beliefs of their religion, so that others may come to know and live the truth as they understand it.”
Ask your friend or neighbour what mission is and I am sure that the first thing they say is working overseas to tell the third world countries about the Gospel.
While I am a firm believer in spreading the Good News across the seas, I am a very firm believer that mission is where ever we are at any given time when we are with other people. Mission is people.
As I have said before when sharing with you, most businesses and churches have their Mission and Vision Statement which is often displayed for all to see. It is paramount as they search for meaning and a purpose for how and why they exist.
This is what mission is also for us. We have a mission and vision to be! In the Discipleship Development Program that is organised by GMP (Global Mission Partners) for young adults to participate in, the emphasis is on Being not doing mission. In others words being the Mission of life and not doing the mission of life. I find the “being” quite confronting, but it is only as we live mission that we will be the church in the world today.
One of our suburban churches has on the inside of its front door a poster displaying the words “You are now entering the mission field”.
Our neighbourhood and also our homes can be the mission field that we are involved in more than the going overseas. Yes we can serve also by supporting GMP and ACCIM which are very active parts of the mission work of Churches of Christ, but so should the local church, which is in fact not the church that we might attend, but each one of us who claim to be Christians. On Sundays, or when ever we meet, we are the church gathered, but when we leave the building we are the church scattered for service.
Each one of us is a missionary called to serve where we live and work.
A few years ago, my husband and I felt the call of God to overseas mission service, but so far we have not gone there. However the call to serve has not diminished. We serve Him right where we are in our life and work. Actually we have now contact with 3 distinct but separate groups in our community and church which enable us to serve Him. Our overseas mission field came to us!
Our communities are our mission field! “How will they hear without a preacher?” My friend we mustn’t leave the telling of the message to chance for our neighbourhood. We must listen to the call of Christ on our lives to “Be” His witness in our homes, communities and the world. We need to be willing to be home missionaries wherever we live and work. Going into to all the world means sharing the message starting at our back door. For some it starts before the back door as they witness and live at home.
Our neighbourhood and also our homes can be the mission field that we are involved in more than the going overseas. Yes we can serve also by supporting GMP and ACCIM which are very active parts of the mission work of Churches of Christ, but so should the local church, which is in fact not the church that we might attend, but each one of us who claim to be Christians. On Sundays, or when ever we meet, we are the church gathered, but when we leave the building we are the church scattered for service.
Each one of us is a missionary called to serve where we live and work.
A few years ago, my husband and I felt the call of God to overseas mission service, but so far we have not gone there. However the call to serve has not diminished. We serve Him right where we are in our life and work. Actually we have now contact with 3 distinct but separate groups in our community and church which enable us to serve Him. Our overseas mission field came to us!
Our communities are our mission field! “How will they hear without a preacher?” My friend we mustn’t leave the telling of the message to chance for our neighbourhood. We must listen to the call of Christ on our lives to “Be” His witness in our homes, communities and the world. We need to be willing to be home missionaries wherever we live and work. Going into to all the world means sharing the message starting at our back door. For some it starts before the back door as they witness and live at home.
Mission.
What do you immediately think of? Until the last few years I usually thought of ‘mission’ as overseas in a culture different to ours. I still do think of mission as overseas – as well as here in Australia and in our own city, suburb, street.
Global Mission Partners continue to participate in amazing work throughout the world and Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH) are working in Thailand and in Australia. My ears and heart have been opened more and more to the circumstances in which these missionaries are working – it can only be in God’s strength that these people do what they do.
Yet, do we always have to be working in poor and/or dangerous situations to be a missionary? Over the years I have come to an understanding of ‘mission’ as being any one of a number of things. How about the person who, without fail, always checks in on someone who doesn’t have family close by?
They are not related and don’t necessarily have a lot in common, but they care with a passion and are willing to take on the responsibility – and they bring some sunshine and security into someone’s life.
What about the volunteers in the hospitals, nursing homes, meals on wheels, Red Cross, GMP, UNOH – the list goes on and on. Let’s not forget those who are constantly caring for a family member. Surely, that caring must be heart-wrenching sometimes and yet day after day after day, those carers keep doing what they do. They will fight for their loved one’s care, often dealing with bureaucracy and seemingly uncaring people in power.
And what about those who support asylum seekers and refugees? They also go into battle for those who are powerless in our land. They fight for a ‘fair go’ for those who have already endured the most horrific of circumstances and then find that life can seem very unfair in their new land.
So when I think of ‘Mission’, I think of all sorts of things. We can all be missionaries. It’s not hard to be pleasant to the checkout person – you might be the only person all day who’s treated them like a human being. It doesn’t take that long to pop in next door to check on the elderly lady or man who lives by themselves or contact that young person who seems to be struggling with life issues.
Make that phone call, write that letter, send that card – you never know when your action will be the one bright spot in someone’s day or week. Be on a mission to brighten someone’s life in whatever way you can. You are a representative for Jesus or as someone once said to me ‘Jesus in skin’. Matthew 25: 31-40 is a passage that we can all afford to read again and again, just to remind us that we are all on the mission field, every day, where-ever we are.
Global Mission Partners continue to participate in amazing work throughout the world and Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH) are working in Thailand and in Australia. My ears and heart have been opened more and more to the circumstances in which these missionaries are working – it can only be in God’s strength that these people do what they do.
Yet, do we always have to be working in poor and/or dangerous situations to be a missionary? Over the years I have come to an understanding of ‘mission’ as being any one of a number of things. How about the person who, without fail, always checks in on someone who doesn’t have family close by?
They are not related and don’t necessarily have a lot in common, but they care with a passion and are willing to take on the responsibility – and they bring some sunshine and security into someone’s life.
What about the volunteers in the hospitals, nursing homes, meals on wheels, Red Cross, GMP, UNOH – the list goes on and on. Let’s not forget those who are constantly caring for a family member. Surely, that caring must be heart-wrenching sometimes and yet day after day after day, those carers keep doing what they do. They will fight for their loved one’s care, often dealing with bureaucracy and seemingly uncaring people in power.
And what about those who support asylum seekers and refugees? They also go into battle for those who are powerless in our land. They fight for a ‘fair go’ for those who have already endured the most horrific of circumstances and then find that life can seem very unfair in their new land.
So when I think of ‘Mission’, I think of all sorts of things. We can all be missionaries. It’s not hard to be pleasant to the checkout person – you might be the only person all day who’s treated them like a human being. It doesn’t take that long to pop in next door to check on the elderly lady or man who lives by themselves or contact that young person who seems to be struggling with life issues.
Make that phone call, write that letter, send that card – you never know when your action will be the one bright spot in someone’s day or week. Be on a mission to brighten someone’s life in whatever way you can. You are a representative for Jesus or as someone once said to me ‘Jesus in skin’. Matthew 25: 31-40 is a passage that we can all afford to read again and again, just to remind us that we are all on the mission field, every day, where-ever we are.
4 July 2007
Wise Link July 2007
The July Edition of WISELink is now available online.
This month's WISELink we are looking at ...
I will again be publishing the feature article, please feel free to discuss the article in the comments area of the post.
This month's WISELink we are looking at ...
I will again be publishing the feature article, please feel free to discuss the article in the comments area of the post.
26 June 2007
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the web chick
12 June 2007
Warm Fuzzies
What are “warm fuzzies?”
They are “imparting, promoting, or preserving warm feelings; to feel or cause to feel with kindly feelings!”
This is the theme I chose for the June edition of WiseLink. With winter starting on June 1st, I thought about the warm fuzzies that we all crave when the cold starts to bite. Where we live, it can get very cold!
So preparations have commenced to be ready when the cold weather bites. I have tried out some new soup recipes, which have been very yummy. Checked out the winter woollies and made sure they haven’t shrunk in the cupboard during summer. We have made sure that we have plenty of firewood so the house is kept warm.
Then my mind wandered back to my childhood and what we got up to when winter came. With the nights closing in quickly, it meant that we couldn’t spend the time outside after school that we enjoyed doing. There were the puddles of water after a rain that we played in and got wet on the way home from school. Mum pegged the clothes on the verandah line because they wouldn’t dry out in the rain. Netball games were played in the wet. Indoor games were played when it was too cold and wet to go outside. Other memories are the frost on the lawn, the home-made pasty slice and the casseroles that Mum made for us during winter.
These are my warm fuzzies - they bring back wonderful memories or bring comfort when things around are looking quite dreary.
When I worked in a care giving agency in Queensland, we knew that when the day was wet, cold and cloudy, our number of contacts would increase quite markedly.
So it is quite often in our Christian life.
When all is going well, we don’t stop to think about times past, but live for the “Now”. When things start going wrong, we go into a winter of our soul. We start to think of God and how He might take away the hurts and strain and stress, and make things run smoothly and happily again.
What we need is to remember that no matter what season we are in our lives, God is there with us. He never leaves us on our own but walks beside us always.
These are words to a song that we sang with our son when He was growing up, especially when he was sad. It still comes back to me when I am feeling down, reminding me that God is with me, wanting to give me the warm fuzzies. He takes us through hard times to help us help others and to teach us to rely completely on Him.
They are “imparting, promoting, or preserving warm feelings; to feel or cause to feel with kindly feelings!”
This is the theme I chose for the June edition of WiseLink. With winter starting on June 1st, I thought about the warm fuzzies that we all crave when the cold starts to bite. Where we live, it can get very cold!
So preparations have commenced to be ready when the cold weather bites. I have tried out some new soup recipes, which have been very yummy. Checked out the winter woollies and made sure they haven’t shrunk in the cupboard during summer. We have made sure that we have plenty of firewood so the house is kept warm.
Then my mind wandered back to my childhood and what we got up to when winter came. With the nights closing in quickly, it meant that we couldn’t spend the time outside after school that we enjoyed doing. There were the puddles of water after a rain that we played in and got wet on the way home from school. Mum pegged the clothes on the verandah line because they wouldn’t dry out in the rain. Netball games were played in the wet. Indoor games were played when it was too cold and wet to go outside. Other memories are the frost on the lawn, the home-made pasty slice and the casseroles that Mum made for us during winter.
These are my warm fuzzies - they bring back wonderful memories or bring comfort when things around are looking quite dreary.
When I worked in a care giving agency in Queensland, we knew that when the day was wet, cold and cloudy, our number of contacts would increase quite markedly.
So it is quite often in our Christian life.
When all is going well, we don’t stop to think about times past, but live for the “Now”. When things start going wrong, we go into a winter of our soul. We start to think of God and how He might take away the hurts and strain and stress, and make things run smoothly and happily again.
What we need is to remember that no matter what season we are in our lives, God is there with us. He never leaves us on our own but walks beside us always.
“Take my hand precious Lord,
Lift me up, don’t let me fall”
Lift me up, don’t let me fall”
These are words to a song that we sang with our son when He was growing up, especially when he was sad. It still comes back to me when I am feeling down, reminding me that God is with me, wanting to give me the warm fuzzies. He takes us through hard times to help us help others and to teach us to rely completely on Him.
9 June 2007
3 May 2007
A Day of and for Thankfulness
This month we celebrate Mothers Day! It is celebrated many different and varied ways. For some they visit, others send a card, or make a phone call, buy a gift or perhaps a mixture of these to express our heartfelt thanks for all our mothers have done for us throughout our lives. For those whose mothers are no longer alive, it is perhaps a visit to the cemetery, or to wear a flower in her honour.
The day is one when we laud and honour them. But with all the accolades there is also a responsibility to share this outpouring of love shown on this day every day of the year. To quote my own mother “Mother’s Day is every day of the year.”
As it has been said that we should experience Christmas and Easter everyday of the year and remember what Christ did for us, so should we remember our mother every day.
Mother’s Day for me is a day of thankfulness that I was chosen to become a mother. Along with the privilege comes responsibility to raise our children as good citizens of this world. This is a life-long task, we never stop loving and wanting the best for our children.
There is also the love of the Lord that we must teach them by living the life that honours Him and by teaching our children by example about the Lord and His claim upon their lives. We cannot leave the responsibility to others such as school and the church.
Let’s spare a thought for those who find themselves in dysfunctional families. It must be very hard for them as their families gather together at this time. For relinquishing mothers, separated mothers, grandmothers whose grand children do not have regular contact with them due to a marriage breakdown. Great sensitivity needs to be exercised with those who have or are experiencing broken relationships with their mothers at this time.
For me this year it will be my first Mothers Day without my mum, it is going to be hard, but never has a day gone by that I haven’t thought of my mum in some way or other. She was my mentor, friend, my example to follow and most of all my encourager.
It will be different this year but I will have a great Mother’s Day and I trust that every mother who reads this, has or will have had, a Happy Mother’s Day too.
The day is one when we laud and honour them. But with all the accolades there is also a responsibility to share this outpouring of love shown on this day every day of the year. To quote my own mother “Mother’s Day is every day of the year.”
As it has been said that we should experience Christmas and Easter everyday of the year and remember what Christ did for us, so should we remember our mother every day.
Mother’s Day for me is a day of thankfulness that I was chosen to become a mother. Along with the privilege comes responsibility to raise our children as good citizens of this world. This is a life-long task, we never stop loving and wanting the best for our children.
There is also the love of the Lord that we must teach them by living the life that honours Him and by teaching our children by example about the Lord and His claim upon their lives. We cannot leave the responsibility to others such as school and the church.
Let’s spare a thought for those who find themselves in dysfunctional families. It must be very hard for them as their families gather together at this time. For relinquishing mothers, separated mothers, grandmothers whose grand children do not have regular contact with them due to a marriage breakdown. Great sensitivity needs to be exercised with those who have or are experiencing broken relationships with their mothers at this time.
For me this year it will be my first Mothers Day without my mum, it is going to be hard, but never has a day gone by that I haven’t thought of my mum in some way or other. She was my mentor, friend, my example to follow and most of all my encourager.
It will be different this year but I will have a great Mother’s Day and I trust that every mother who reads this, has or will have had, a Happy Mother’s Day too.
2 May 2007
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