25 December 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh shared with us on this special day

A brief message about Christmas, he did say

Per Isaiah nine, to us a child born, a son given

Jesus came here so our sins would be forgiven

Five attributes of Jesus are listed in that book

Wonderful, counsellor of wisdom - take a look

Mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace

His leadership means our joy will never cease

Paradoxically His birth was to enable his death

Per Isaiah, he bore our sins with His last breath

Chapter fifty three says that we have all strayed

But thanks to Him, our eternal life is re-made

What this means for us is stated in Romans ten

Confess that Jesus is Lord and will come again

Everyone who believes will not be put to shame

But will be saved when we proclaim His name

18 December 2022 - ENCS

Today Pastor Josh spoke on “Walking in the Darkness"

Jesus is the light of the world, John eight does stress

Darkness can not overcome Him, per John chapter one

For His light is brighter and longer lasting than the sun

His word is a light on our path and a map for our feet

About this Psalm one hundred nineteen is quite upbeat

There will be many times when in darkness we will walk

But about trusting in God’s presence, we should not balk

For His light is ever present and able to be relied upon

Per Isaiah fifty, without it into torment people have gone

Trying to rely on our own strengths will lead to trouble

That is why so many empires have ended up in rubble

Second Corinthians five says to walk by faith not sight

That can be tough when things do not seem to be right

But remember what is clearly stated in Isaiah fifty one

Remember all the things in the past that God has done

Abraham and Sarah are applauded in Hebrews eleven

For their unerring trust in promises from God in heaven

We should LIVE in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord

In His victory over darkness and the light of His word

We should WALK with total reliance on God, Josh said

In trust of His character, not by sight but by faith instead

We should LOOK at God’s faithfulness and His promises

And at God’s face with trust, not as doubting Thomases

11 December 2022 - ENCS

Today we heard Pastor Quentin of United Family Fellowship

Via Bangkok from Nashville USA  he made the very long trip

An ex-professional pianist, two churches he now pastors

Also running a coffee shop, many skills Quentin masters

He appropriately titled today’s message “Trust The Process”

Obeying God’s plans has amazed, albeit with some stress

From musician, part time preacher, and airline employee

He was approached with a challenge while making coffee

Referring to Jeremiah chapter twenty nine verse eleven

We are promised a future and hope from God in heaven

So we should all hope for a better twenty twenty three

And then believe that God will make it an eventuality

Three key points Pastor Quentin did with us then share

God always has a plan for our lives for He does care

Per Mark eleven, we must pray to God and believe

God will give us provision so our vision we do achieve

4 December 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh spoke about hope in this Yuletide season

At times, the concept of hope seems without reason

Hold fast to hope, per Hebrews six verse eighteen

The “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” it is seen

Hope is the anchor that keeps us from ever drifting

And keeps us from crashing, as it is always uplifting

Josh said hope can also help us to hold on tight

And with our faith as an anchor, we will be alright

Faith is the substance of hope, per Hebrews eleven

Abriaham's hope came from faith in God in heaven

God never lies and made us an oath, per Hebrews six

Christ is a solid rock, thus never leaving us in a fix

It can be seen that our hope has substance by faith

This strength is by God’s faithfulness, the Bible saith

The work of Jesus Christ gives our hope security

Knowing He is with us even though we do not see

God is steadfast and ever-present, per First John four

Ephesians two says that we do not need any more

Galatians four says we can receive adoption to sonship

This legal term should be the cause of much worship

Hope in Jesus provides us to the Lord access

Offering us a new start and new spirit, nothing less

God adopts us and gives us identity and inheritance

It is impossible to get more, no matter the substance

20 November 2022 - ENCS

Vicki Tekwani continued the series on famine today

Wow face recession and inflation, albeit not doomsday

Referring to Joseph in Genesis from chapter forty one

Showing God’s redemptive power can not be outdone

The question “why does God allow famine?” he posed

To awaken our hearts to God, as did Jospeh he disclosed

And to establish God’s purpose, unique for each creation

So thus bringing about divine provision and restoration 

Vicki then went on to ascertain how we can respond

We must take the action step, there is no magic wand

And by recognising God’s sovereignty and goodness

We can obey God’s leading thus avoiding a big mess

On the blessings of obedience, Vicki then did reflect

God’s redemption has a spiritual and a physical aspect

This is supported by God’s provision in things financial

As well as God’s restoration in matters more relational

Joseph was in fact a precursor, in conclusion Vicki said

Jesus went down to the pit of hell but came out ahead

The author and finisher of our faith, per Hebrews twelve

About redemption in recession we can continue to delve

13 November 2022 - ENCS

Today Pastor Josh spoke about the book of Ruth

Tis only four chapters long but packed with truth

One of the things that Josh had led us all to see

How to make decisions while facing uncertainty

Both her husband and two sons Naomi had lost

So back to home in Israel from Moab she crossed

Ruth decided to follow Naomi, her mother in law

Despite of the bitterness in Naomi that she saw

As Ruth, we are called to belong to God, reconciled

For we are all called to be someone, God's child

That leads us to build with someone, a community

Much of this in chapter one of Ruth we can see

To Naomi and her home, Ruth then decided to cling

We should also hold tight to guidance from the King

Ruth did stay faithful to Naomi and Boaz later on too

Boaz and Ruth did not compromise, we did review

Boaz demonstrated care by living compassionately

By taking in the foreigner Ruth, he acted generously

Ruth walked faithfully along the path God did show

Even though the end result she did not really know

Josh also pointed to Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew

Only five females listed and Ruth was one of the few

This completed the wedding blessing in chapter four

Which did serve to Ruth’s place in history ensure

30 October 2022 - ENCS

About mental health, Pastor Josh did today continue

Elijah, Hagar, David, and Hannah to date we did view

Through his own emotional wrestling, Jesus also went

We can all learn from how He dealt with this torment

Chesterton warned against reductivism, linguistically

Answering a complex question simply or simplistically

A key is both simpler and more complex than a knife 

Ergo Christianity is like a key that fits the lock of life

Part of the complexity results from Jesus’ humanity

He took on a human likeness, per Philippians three

Per Hebrews fifteen, he was fully human in every way

He faced temptation so can relate to us, Josh did say

Remember that Jesus prayed to God to take His cup

Even a visit from an angel failed to lift His spirits up 

He was betrayed and deserted, and even forsaken

He knows how we feel, we should not be mistaken

Jesus experienced victory in death, per Hebrews two

Giving those who feared death a major breakthrough

Sometimes we go through difficult times for a reason

To enable us to share our faith in a different season

We should make decisions based on faith, not fear

The Spirit’s law frees us, Romans eight makes clear

In summary, Pastor Josh referred to First Peter three

Jesus suffered once so our sins are cleansed eternally

The Book of James

James may be a mere five chapters long

But its messages are powerful and strong

Pastor Josh and Howie both shared views

Over four weeks, we sat on chairs not pews

Luther actually said this book was “from straw”

Because of the conflict with Paul that he saw

But a careful reading leads most to disagree

Such God-inspired wisdom is clear to see

About trials chapter one does take a stance

The testing of faith produces perseverance

We can ask the Lord if wisdom we do lack

But we must not let doubts our belief attack

If we persevere under trial we will be blessed

Getting the crown of life for standing the test

God can never be the source of temptation

Desire leads to sin and then to condemnation

We should be quick to listen, slow to speak

For anger is not what God in us does seek

Listen to the Word and then do as it does say

Do not forget everything and go our own way

A tight rein on our tongues we should keep

Otherwise His full blessings we will not reap

Chapter two starts on the topic of favouritism

Remember in God’s eyes there is no schism

To love our neighbour as ourself we are told

By showing favoritism, sin will get a foothold

A critical message appears in verse thirteen

As “mercy triumphs over judgement” is seen

Verse seventeen is controversial, it is said

James claimed "faith without actions is dead”

This seeming contradiction is just a paradox

For faith cannot be contained in a sealed box

Abraham’s faith and actions worked together

So he was God’s friend no matter the weather

We must try to have our actions honour God

To ensure that our faith is not just a facade

Teachers should be careful, per chapter three

For those who know will be judged more strictly

With references to Matthew twelve and Luke six

A mouth speaks on what the heart does transfix

Able to corrupt the body, the tongue is a fire

To ensure words impact positively, we aspire

A good life includes deeds done in humility

Such humility comes from wisdom not envy

For where there is envy and selfish ambition

Disroder and evil practice will be the condition

Heavenly wisdom is both pure and sincere

Also peace-loving and considerate we hear

Those who sow in peace reap righteousness

For their approach will so many other bless

About quarrels, chapter four does then begin

They result from covetousness, which is a sin

We do not have because of God we do not ask

Or we do so with the wrong motives as a mask

Befriending the world implies being God’s enemy

For His Spirit to dwell in us, God longs jealously

Submit to God and resist the devil so he flees

Humbly purifying our hearts will the Lord please

We should not slander others, per verse eleven

The only judgement should come from heaven

We can never know what will happen tomorrow

Giving God control therefore eliminates sorrow

Let our faith bear fruit in our works in this life

Those works ensure eternal glory will be rife

Chapter five has a warning to rich oppressors

James considers them fraudulent aggressors

Hoarding and saving have different motivations

The former feels unsafe due to its foundations

Have patience in suffering, per verse seven

Stand firm and then get blessings from heaven

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy

Many Biblical examples of this we can see

Letting words speak for themselves is a must

The foundation of strong relationships is trust

The prayer of a righteous person is effective

Caring for each other was Jesus’ directive

Sin is destroyed when it is exposed to light

Helping others turn from sin is clearly right

About our heart James does more than quip

So we pray, meditate, proclaim, and fellowship

23 October 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh shared another mental health episode

On how to deal with emotions before they explode

He read from the first book of Samuel chapter one

Hannah was barren, without a daughter or a son

Josh said that barrenness can lead to desperation

Of course Hannah was getting filled with frustration

At times God allows us to go through severe pain

If that prepares us to help others, it is not in vain

In those days, married without children was a curse

Being mistreated by her rival just made things worse

Her husband loved her a lot but still misunderstood

And the priest misjudged her instead of doing good

To God in prayer, Hannah poured out her heart

Praying selflessly, willing to from her son depart

It was clear to the priest that she prayed in faith

“May God grant you what you asked”, he saith

God’s process often starts with some barrenness

The healing process often requires brokenness

For this can lead to an important breakthrough

As with Samuel, who Hannah later gave birth to

After the sermon, Josh shared Isaiah forty three

One of the critical messages resonated with me

On our past mistakes we should not overly dwell

For what we can do in the future God will us tell

16 October 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh referred to the recent mental health day

A topic on which the Bible actually has much to say

He focused on David, an example of human condition

A character study of the pain and power of desperation

David was identified in First Samuel chapter sixteen

From overlooked lonely shepherd to king, it was seen

Loneliness and persecution are two ways to learn

From Psalm twenty three we see what he did discern

He could trust the Lord no matter what the situation

For God “restoreth my soul” was David’s affirmation

This allowed him to view circumstances differently

And allowing God’s will to prevail, not coincidentally

In David’s loneliness, he experienced what God sent

Including restoration, deliverance, and empowerment

David also learned from his lengthy leadership duration

Overcoming hardships, betrayal, and false accusation

Nonetheless David’s legacy had both lows and highs

Like many, he was seduced by the lust of his eyes

Succumbing to the lust of his flesh with Uriah’s wife

And in the end David submitted to the pride of life

Pastor Josh said from David lessons we should see

From his loneliness, his leadership, and his legacy

Josh said we should never retire from serving God

As one who is vocationally retired, this is a apt prod

11 September 2022 - Keene UCC

Pastor Cindy spoke on “Famous Last Words” on Sunday

For last words are often the best endings, she did say

Examples are David to Solomon and Jacob’s blessing 

And of course to the Israelites a dying Moses addressing

There are many abandoning organised religions now

Their multiple reasons Pastor Cindy cannot disavow

But we can still rely on the church to teach good truths

And to care for the spiritual well-being of our youths

In these uncertain times, to Joshua one we can look

Our faith in God’s Mosaic covenant can not be shook

“Be strong and courageous” three times we do see

God is with us all the time, everywhere we may be

Joshua 1: 1-2, 5-9

4 September 2022 - Keene UCC

On Sunday I visited the United Church of Christ Keene

Pastor Cindy spoke about Jeremiah chapter eighteen

“Vesseling” was the title of her sermon and example

(For illustration, we each used a play-doh sample)

God can do with us as we did with the balls of clay

Allowing ourselves to be malleable is the best way

God wants to change our evil ways, Pastor told us

And like a potter with a wheel, God can re-mold us

And very apt were the lyrics from the final hymn

For God, "Our Potter” is an appropriate synonym

"Change my heart Oh God, make it ever true.
Change my heart Oh God, may I be like You.
…………...You are the potter, I am the clay,
Mold me and make me, this is what I pray."

26 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Neli Atiga yesterday led a very special worship night

The music, the words, the voices were more than just alright

Bishop Manny Carlos spoke about how God can situations fix

He based his message on Psalm one hundred and twenty six

Being in lengthy exile had been traumatic for the Jewish nation

Returning to Jerusalem was a dream but required restoration

For the city and the temple had both been entirely destroyed

God’s covenant promises people, place, presence - not a void

Manny then highlighted that God can very suddenly restore

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy even more

We should remember that our labour for God is never in vain

God has promised restoration and has begun the process again

21 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the series on Evil Days Ahead

Passages from several books of the Bible he then read

Ephesians six mentions the breastplate of righteousness

God says to stand firm, First Peter five does profess

The work of righteousness is peace, per Isaiah thirty two

Romans eight states God will always see us through

No weapon formed against us by the enemy will prevail

If, per Isaiah fifty four, of God’s righteousness we avail

Righteousness is reflected and evident in our actions

Rooted in covenants and relationships and reactions

In verse six, God’s words to His people Micah did share

Comparing our righteousness to His, we should not dare

First Thessalonians five says to put on faith and love

As a breastplate to signify we belong to God above

Remember we are all unclean, per Isaiah sixty four

A message repeated in Romans three wit detail more

Righteousness gives us peace, protection, and power

Through right standing, relating, and living every hour

By letting go of self-righteousness and receiving God’s

For believing our hearts are worth it increases the odds

1 Peter 5:8

1 Thessalonians 5:8

Ephesians 6:13-14

Isaiah 32:17, 54:17, 61:1-7, 64:6

Micah 6:1-8

Philippians 3:6-8

Romans 3:10-12

14 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh Harris continued the “Be Strong” series today

Leveraing what Pastor Joey and Ephesians six had to say

Snowden famously said that truth is first casualty of war

For us to wear the belt of truth, Pastor Josh did implore

If we are falsely accused, according to Psalm forty three

We must seek God’s light and truth to combat the enemy

For the truth will set us free, states John eight thirty two

Otherwise we are slaves to sin because of the sin we do

The answers to “why truth” are thus it gives us direction

And by seeking God, truth also provides us protection

Thirdly, Pastor Josh highlighted, truth buys us freedom

So bottom line, not seeking truth would be a bit dumb

Definitions of ‘what is truth?”, there are a preponderance

Be it logical, experiential, or universal correspondence

Truth is righteously active, as stated in Isaiah eleven

And truth is embodied in Jesus sent down from heaven

To answer the “so how?”, look at Ephesians four and five

Replace our falsehoods with our true identity so to thrive

We should remember to walk and do everything in love

Thus as God's children, we can try to imitate Him above

Ephesians 4:21-24, 5:1-2, 6:13

Isaiah 11:2-6

John 8:32-36,14:6

7 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Joey kicked off the “Be Strong” series today

Based on what Paul in Ephesians chapter six did say

We should put on God’s full armour per verse thirteen

'When (not if) the day of evil comes"'is clearly seen

We are in the midst of evil days, Pastor Joey said

Pandemic, poverty, war, pestilence causing dread

The Bible remains relevant and in it we can trust

It is always factual, spiritual, practical, and robust

Five times in Ephesians ‘heavenly realms’ appears

Struggles against flesh and blood are not our fears

But rulers, authorities, and powers of the dark world

How we can combat these Pastor Joey then unfurled

First is to be conscious about the heavenly realm

For that is where Jesus is eternally at the helm

We have been offered a chance to sit with him

Our eternal purpose and mission is not a whim

The evil that was in the heavens, God did displace

With his perfect son Jesus Christ, He did replace

As the lyrics in the song “In Jesus’ Name” stress

God is fighting for us, pushing back the darkness

Second is to be conscious about the evil days

Be careful how we live and be wise in our ways

We should make the most of every opportunity

To watch our steps and the devil’s schemes see

These evil spiritual forces include lust and greed

Envy and pride are bad; even success can mislead

We must not let the sun go down while still angry

For the devil that is a very common opportunity

"Be conscious of the resources we have" is third

All about the ’strength of the Lord’ we then heard

Per Isaiah, strength comes from hope in the Lord 

Paul said in full armour we can stand as a horde

Ephesians 1:3, 18-21; 2:6; 3:10; 4:26-27; 6:10-17

Isaiah 40: 28-31

31 July 2022 - ENCS

Today as our study of Philippians reached its final climax

Pastor Josh delivered a sermon aptly entitled “Life Hacks”

If we look at chapter four verse twelve of his exhortation

Paul gives us secrets of being content in every situation

Starting in verse thirteen, his first point we clearly see

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

God’s unlimited resources, Paul encourages us to use

But not only with the people we would normally choose

As a side note, he adds “don’t hear what I am not saying"

Our real messaging is evident in acts we are displaying

Each of us is blessed with talents, money, and/or time

Leveraging these to bless others should be our paradigm

That adage links to a oft-quoted promise from heaven

The “generous person will prosper” per Proverbs eleven

Remember that our eyes do not face in, but look out

For God’s kingdom is outward looking without a doubt

We should aim to please God until in heaven we arrive

This is what Paul conveyed in Second Corinthians five

And do not store treasures on earth, per Matthew six

For where our treasure is, our heart’s eyes will affix

24 July 2022 - ENCS

Vicki Tekwani shared the message today on Philippians four

Over “The Closing Remarks” from Paul’s letter Vicki did pore

Paul provided the recipients practical keys to living a godly life

Something that was very hard given the persecution and strife

There were several critical truths that Paul wanted to impart

For the church in Philippi had a very special place in his heart

“Stand firm in the Lord in this way”, as stated in verse one

For there will always be disagreements, which are not fun

“Let your reasonableness be seen by all for God is at hand”

That is what Paul in verse five does instruct, if not command

Showing gentleness to our enemies is a sign of moderation

Instead of judging, we can listen and engage in conversation

Remember that Jesus shared the truth with love and grace

In the Asian context, this could involve showing others face

Verse four states that we should “rejoice in the Lord always”

The onus is on us to act, perhaps moreso these stressful days

Remember that we have free will and can exert our druthers

For when we rejoice, it strengthens us and influences others

Per Habakkuk three verse eighteen, there is an admonition

The prophet also said to rejoice despite his tough condition

For as Vicki said, we can always find things to be thankful for

The chance to worship, our family and friends, and more

Verse six is one of the Bible passages that is most oft-quoted

So “do not be anxious about anything…but pray”, it is noted

Because God cares about us, our praying gives us peace

Out strengths will increase while our stresses will decrease

As Vicki moved on and highlighted excellence per verse eight

That which is true, honourable, pure, and many a similar trait

So “be content whatever the circumstances”, per verse eleven

Verse thirteen says we can do all with strength from heaven

23 July 2022 - Faith-based Entrepreneurship

Today’s Faith-based Entrepreneurship had food platters

The focus of the video and talk was “Excellence Matters”

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” we see

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians three verse twenty three

It is critical to remember that excellence is not perfection

And it should be considered relative to one’s expectation

Perhaps the most important element is to generate trust

To do that internally or externally, transparency is a must

And since we all report to God, the real higher authority

We should approach negotiations with a win/win mentality

It is better to suffer for doing good per God’s will, it is seen

Than for doing evil, per First Peter three verse seventeen

If we act with integrity whether or not others can see

In the long run, relationships form our enduring legacy

It was aptly pointed out that if we successfully live love

We will assuredly impact others and please God above

17 July 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the series, looking at Philippians three

Halfway through the letter, the first word is ironically “finally"

“It is no trouble…to write the same...to you again” Paul said

It is an important safeguard he will repeat until his deathbed

Rejoice in the Lord and beware the dogs who to flesh do evil

The enemy whispers in our ears in order to cause upheaval

If we listen to him, our blessings from God we surely miss

That is the equivalent of falling from a peak into the abyss

We do this by worshiping God in the Spirit, per verse three

Rejoicing in Christ, not having confidence in flesh, we see

These are the internal marks that now replace circumcision

For we no longer require external proof of God’s provision

Paul pointed out his previous supposedly strong credentials

The right heritage, teaching, and actions - Jewish essentials

But those gains he now considered a loss, per verse seven

They pale compared to a relationship with Christ from heaven

It is important to note our value comes from this relationship

Rather than our performance or possessions, Josh did quip

We should forget the past and “strain toward what is ahead”

If we follow Paul’s example, God’s glory will no doubt spread

10 July 2022 - ENCS

The Philippians series Pastor Josh did today continue

He started by reading from the first verse of chapter two

But note the first word “therefore” implies a continuation

“Believe…and suffer for His sake” the preceding quotation

So in challenging times, Josh asked, how we we thrive

He said that to “be one”, not be alone, we should strive

Per verse two, we should be of one accord and mind

Start by reaching out to others as well as being kind

Look out for others and their interest, per verse four

Complaining and disputing things, we should abhor

By adopting this attitude, to the world we can be light

Even brighter at night, like the stars shining at night

To esteem others better than one’s self, per verse three

Should be done from a position of self-love in actuality

For if we look at Jesus’ actions in John chapter thirteen

Despite His position, He washed disciples’ feet clean

That is a reminder that we should always be humble

Being passionate can bring suffering - do not grumble

We should be ready by holding fast to the word of life

Being obedient to God even when temptations are rife

We should be fearful and tremble, per verse twelve

A semicolon implies that into the next we should delve

It says that God works in us to fulfil His good purpose

Input from any other source is therefore superfluous

3 July 2022 - ENCS

On the book of Philippians, Pastor Mark today did speak

Fifty one mentions of Jesus serve to add to His mystique

Understanding more about Jesus helps us His lens to use

Our perspective will change and life will no longer confuse

Many different contrasts in chapter one we clearly see

Servants and saints, life and death, good will and envy

Beginning and completion as well as confidence and fear

As Pastor Mark said, using Jesus’ lens makes them clear

Paul and Timothy were a team despite the big age gap

About their strong relationship Pastor Mark did recap

We should each have a Paul and a Timothy, Mark said

To be discipled and disciple others we should not dread

 

His points once again serve as a good reminder to me

To life’s events through an appropriate lens try to see

To obey God’s word rather than follow my own druthers

To be open to both learning and teaching from others 

1 July 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Mark shared at worship just the other night

His words were brief but the message was just right

From Second Chronicles chapter seven he did refer

We should humble ourselves and wicked ways deter

For then we will receive forgiveness from God’s hand

And the verse says He also promises to heal our land

Pastor also spoke about Philippians chapter one

From Paul and Timothy, who was his spiritual son

The term “servants’ implies obedience and humility

That tells us the attitude that in us God wants to see

Pastor Mark then spoke about different generations

And the importance of building strong foundations

Each generation can and should both learn and teach

And in that way we continue the church’s outreach

26 June 2022 - ENCS

The series “What Matters Most” Pastor Josh doth continued

Relationships help but can be challenging if misconstrued

Josh said that a major Relationship Killer is selfishness

Per James four, our covetousness can get us in a big mess

Our selfish nature can then lead our hearts to hardened be

“The evil heart of unbelief”, as is stated in Hebrews three

Sin actually trains us to be hard and thus bitter we become

Which hurts ourselves and defiles others, so is really dumb

Josh said bitterness to betterness God's grace does turn

We must “guard our heart”, from Romans four we do learn

For from our heart flows all that we say and all that we do

In how we respond to hurtful offences, this is especially true

Our heart is where our treasure is, Matthew six does remind

Hoarding earthly treasure leads to greed, putting us in a bind

The Venn diagram intersection of guarded and giving is best

Our growth comes from “guarded giving” Pastor Josh stressed

"Let light shine out of darkness", per Second Corinthians four

Since into our hearts the knowledge of God’s glory does pour

And if we do walk in the light, per First John one verse seven

We will have fellowship with others on earth and in heaven

Dear God, please help me remove bitterness from my heart

And in bringing light to this world, help me to do my small part

Let me be thankful for all the blessings you have given to me

And in line with your intentions, let my words and actions be

19 June 2022 - Father's Day

As around the world today most celebrate Father’s Day

For inspiration, I looked at what the Bible has to say

Proverbs twenty two says show children the way to go

They will not turn from the path when older they grow

Per Ephesians six, our children to anger do not provoke

But raise them with discipline and words God hath spoke

A righteous child has joyous father, per Proverbs twenty three

And he rejoices if wise his child eventually turns out to be

Have compassion on children, per Psalm one hundred three

As God does with those of us who fear Him, we clearly see

God will be our Father, Second Corinthians does say

So when in doubt, we can turn to Him and earnestly pray

I am blessed to have an earthly father who raised me well

And with whom so many memories we shared and now tell

Re Exodus twenty, I respect and honor him and my mother

The right balance of love and discipline they did us smother

Without their guidance along my life’s challenging way

I know that I would not be the person that I am today

I can only hope that with my children I have done the same

Prayerfully I have given them more than just my surname

For the many mistakes made, to them I sincerely apologise

They should know that love and pride fill their father’s eyes

And God, thank you for your guidance, patience, and love

It’s always comforting to know I have an eternal father above