Thursday 30 April 2015

A prayer for the Unemployed

We celebrate "Worker's Day" tomorrow the 1st May and it is good to be able to recognise the contributions of millions of workers around the country. However, I would like to offer up a prayer for those millions of people who are unemployed.

We should never be quick to judge the unemployed, assuming that they are 'lazy', 'disinterested', 'unmotivated' or a 'drain' on our resources. Many unemployed people would love to find some form of work and to have that sense of self-worth every evening when they finish their jobs. Many people are desperate to find ANY job, in a hope of putting food on the table. Of course, there will be a number of people who fit our stereotype of the unemployed, but these are in the minority.

Here is my prayer for those who are struggling with no work at the moment:

"Lord, we know that work can be a blessing in so many ways.
It enables us to feed our families, cloth our children and provide shelter from the elements.
Work even gives us a sense of self-worth and dignity - we feel good when our sweat signals a job well done or a task complete.
In a spiritual sense, we feel closer to You when we can offer our talents for your glory.

But, when we are robbed of this JOY something dies inside us.
We are left wondering where our next meal will come from.
We are frustrated and left helpless when our kids ask for something we can't provide.
We are left feeling dejected when another person turns us away.

Lord, we are not lazy, or unmotivated - we long to work and use our strength for a worthy cause.
We long to come home with the clinking of coins in our pocket,
or to be able to say "Yes" when the kids ask for a simple treat.
We don't want to survive on handouts from others or to be looked down upon when we ask for help.

Our pride has taken a knock and we have lost a lot of our self-confidence.
We sometimes even feel worthless, although we know you don't think we are worthless.
It is just the feeling we get, when people say they have NO work for us.

Lord, in your mercy, please come to our rescue. You have promised to be our provider and we still believe in that, but our patience has run very thin. We are left in that awkward space of trying to believe in your Word, but experiencing something contrary to that promise.
You have asked us to pray to you, believing that you will give to us our 'Daily Bread',
but even that isn't coming anymore.

Lord, we can't hold out any more - please come quickly. We don't want to led down the path of temptation, but when our family cries with hunger pangs, we get desperate.
Lord, provide us a miracle today.
Please Lord.
Please.
Amen."

Matthew 20:3-5 (Message) - “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.


Living in Grace
D3LM3

Wednesday 29 April 2015

Inspiration for Today


There is nothing new under the sun - these are the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes and they are so true. We can come up with all sorts of fashionable statements and cool philosophies, but it has all been said before. Take the following words from Anthony the Great, as an example. They were written in the early 4th Century, but they are timeless.

"I no longer fear God, but I love him. For love casts out fear."

"Regret not that which is past."

"What is slander? It is every sort of wicked word we would dare not speak in front of the person whom we are complaining about."

The quote that lives with me today is the 2nd one - "Regret not that which is past!"
We can't take back what has happened in the past, but we can move forward with humility and courage. God doesn't hold onto our past mistakes - He wipes the slate clean and invites us to start all over again. This is the beauty of Grace.

What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3




Tuesday 28 April 2015

Dealing with disappointment

We all face disappointment at some stage in our lives. It usually comes when we least expect it and we are ill prepared for it. Take the following scenarios as examples of disappointment:

  • losing your job
  • the end of a relationship
  • a broken dream
  • failing an exam
  • getting bad news from the doctor
  • a broken promise
  • an unanswered prayer
  • __________________
  • __________________
I am not sure what disappointment you are dealing with at the moment, but remember that God is with us in these times of trial. Even though Jesus knew the 'frailties' of humanity, before he even called the disciples to follow him, I am sure he was greatly disappointed when they let him down.

Revelation 5:4 - "Then I wept with disappointment..."

Proverbs 13:12 - "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around."

ACTION: So, what do you do when you are faced with disappointment. We can't continue to wallow in our own self-pity. Here is a wonderful suggestion from the Bible.

Samuel prayed his disappointment and anger..... YES, you did read correctly - He prayed it! He expressed it - He told God how he felt - He grieved - He vented - He allowed himself the freedom to speak it out. It was in doing this that his healing started.

"Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night." - 1 Samuel 15:11-12

Don't dwell on your disappointments - pray them out loud!

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Monday 27 April 2015

Liberation is not deliverance

It was Victor Hugo who once said, "Liberation is not deliverance."
And he was spot on!
If you look at the human race, you will see how this has played out in almost every instance. People rightly fight for liberation and the ideals we strive for are usually just and fair, however somehow we lose our way when we taste our liberation.
Take the Israelites as a case in point. They longed for Liberation and when Moses led them towards the Promised land they realised that they were still enslaved to their sins and selfishness. Liberation from the Egyptians had not brought deliverance from the sin in their hearts.

Take our own beloved country, South Africa, as another case in point. We fought against the evil of Apartheid and pursued freedom for all people in our nation. This was a JUST cause and liberation was deserved for millions of disadvantaged South Africans. However, in celebrating our liberation we forgot that we had not experienced deliverance from the evil in our hearts. In a sense, Freedom does not deliver us from our own 'demons'. In fact, all it does is lull us into a false sense of victory and soon our 'demons' eat us from the inside out. 

In my opinion there is only one person who can LIBERATE us and also DELIVER us - His name is Jesus Christ.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

Here are another few quotes to chew on as we reflect on our Freedom. Have a blessed FREEDOM DAY.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." -Ronald Reagan
"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires." - Nelson Mandela
Living in Freedom
D3LM3

Do not be afraid

We are confronted with fear on a weekly basis - some of us even on a daily basis.
fear of the future...
fear of failure...
fear of crime...
fear of our finances running out...
fear that our health will get worse...
fear for our kids...
fear for our parents...
fear of making mistakes...
fear of bugs...

You name it - we are afraid of something. The thing is that often these fears are learnt and not genetic. As Karl Menninger once said: ""Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out."

Of course the Bible speaks on numerous occasions about not being afraid. We can trust everything into the hands of God.

  • Psalm 91:5 - Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.

  • Matthew 28:10 - "Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid."


"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic"- Unknown

 So as you go into this new day ask God to go with you and to help you conqueror the fears in your heart. Remember to trust all the things that concern you into the hands of Jesus.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Sunday 26 April 2015

Fear of the light


There is a name for people who are afraid of the LIGHT - it is called "photophobia."

I know a number of people who are scared of the dark, but how many people do you know who are afraid of the light? There is of course one person who hates the light - he does all he can to stay away from the light of Christ and he does all in his power to keep us from the grace of God. However, we need to remember that Christ has already won the battle - the enemy will have to stay in the dark!

James 4:7 - Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”- Plato

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Saturday 25 April 2015

Getting perspective

This morning we had the privilege of sharing in the work at Eden Kids. We were helping set up some gardens and clearing a few areas so that the kids can plant some veggies soon. It didn't take more than 2 hours, but the time was beneficial for all.

In fact, I often believe that we get more out of these 'mission trips' than the youngsters we are trying to help. It always reminds me of how blessed we truly are and consequently how much responsibility we have to help others.

It seems that people have been speaking about this for generations - it is just for us to listen and to give of ourselves:

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” - Mother Theresa

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

 “For it is in giving that we receive.” - Francis of Assisi

 “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”-Charles Dickens

Living in grace

D3LM3 

Friday 24 April 2015

God, make haste!


"God, come to my assistance. 
Lord, make haste to help me.
Assist me in my quest to find you, God, in the midst of the noisiness of life. 
Make haste to help me find silence, Lord, so that, like Elijah on the mountain, 
I may discern your still small voice therein." -
John Cassian

How often do we find ourselves praying - "Lord, hurry up!?" We want the Lord to make haste because we feel that our prayers aren't being answered or that God is taking to long to respond to our needs.

I am not the most patient of people (as my family will tell you), but often God expects me to wait for things - it is in the waiting that God reveals more of who He is and God reminds me of who I am.

So next time you are praying to the Lord this prayer: "Lord, make haste!" perhaps you may need to rather be praying, "Lord, show me your plan and will in this time of waiting!"

The two prayers are very different, but we have to rely on the wisdom of God.

Psalm 70:1 - Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.

"Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." -Soren Kierkegaard

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Thursday 23 April 2015

Stir up some courage

"...he will stir up his strength and courage." - Daniel 11:25

When we face tough situations in life we need the Spirit of God to stir up our strength and courage. Perhaps our courage lies dormant, next to our other emotions like fear, worry and joy - we just need the hand of God to stir up those emotions so that our strength and courage can rise to the surface.


"You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour." -Aristotle

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Tuesday 21 April 2015

A wonderful prayer

Benedict was born in the town of Nursia during the 5th and 6th Centuries. His life took him to many different places and his influence lives on through the Monastic moment and especially through the 'Rule of Benedict.'

I love the way that he was able to articulate his prayers. Take this one for example...

Gracious and holy Father,
please give me:

intellect to understand you;
reason to discern you;
diligence to seek you;
wisdom to find you;
a spirit to know you;
a heart to meditate upon you;
ears to hear you;
eyes to see you;
a tongue to proclaim you;
a way of life pleasing to you;
patience to wait for you;
and perseverance to look for you.


Grant me:
a perfect end,
your holy presence.
A blessed resurrection,
And life everlasting.


There is so much 'meat' to chew on in this prayer. I invite you to make this part of your prayers for today.

God Bless
Living in grace
D3LM3

Monday 20 April 2015

We need more...



Mother Theresa once remarked that "the biggest disease today is the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for or unloved.”

How true is this comment?
We are living in a world of so much brokenness and strife. There are millions of people who are longing to belong somewhere and I hope that the Church can offer people the Hope that they desperately seek. Of course this HOPE is not a religious institution, but rather the person of Jesus. 

We don't need more religion - we need more grace and mercy.

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

2 John 1:3"Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Sunday 19 April 2015

Draw a line under it....

When you say that you want to 'draw a line under something' you are implying that you want to be finished with it - it is done and you want to more on from that particular episode. Well, I want to DRAW A LINE under the 18th April!!

The day started off with much promise and excitement, but it ended in many tears, pain and disappointment in our family. When we eventually got to bed that evening, I was so 'over the day' that I was ready to draw a line under it and pray that today would be better (which thank Goodness it has been.)

So, what do you want to 'draw a line under?'
Is it a particular behaviour?
Is it a thought pattern?
Is it a traumatic incident?
Is it something that was said to you?
It is a bad day?

I believe that we can draw the line under our bad days with HOPE that tomorrow will be better. We are people of the Resurrection and so God can always make things better. For us, the pain still lingers, but the promise of a brighter tomorrow gives us the strength to persevere for one more day.

Luke 20: 36 - "They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Friday 17 April 2015

Andrew Murray, really....!!!!

I see that the statue of Andrew Murray has also been vandalised in the past week. For those of us who don't know anything about Andrew Murray, please click on this link for some info. Andrew Murray (not Andy the Tennis player) was a missionary to South Africa, and in this week of Xenophobic violence, it is worth noting that he was certainly a 'foreigner' in every sense of the word. His father was Scottish and Presbyterian, but served within the Dutch Reformed church, while his mother had links with the French Huguenots and the German Lutherans - that is tough to beat!

I still can't understand why someone would want to deface his statue after all the good he did in our nation, but then again, people are also defacing statues of Gandhi. Some people are just never going to get it!!

Anyway, here are some of my favourite Andrew Murray quotes:

"Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” 

"Here is the path to the higher life: down, lower down! Just as water always seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds men abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless.” 

"Answered prayer is the interchange of love between the Father and His child."

"How different our standard is from Christ's. We ask how much a man gives. Christ asks how much he keeps.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Tuesday 14 April 2015

It all starts with a Statue

These are my personal musings on the issues facing our country at the moment. Sometimes I speak in the voice of others...you may have to read this piece of prose more than once to comprehend my deep concern for the hearts of our people.


It all starts with a Statue!
I don't like you and what you represented so I will happily try and remove you from my world - so I remove your statue.
But, what have I really done?

Mr Cecil Rhodes (et al.) you lived in the past and represented an evil policy that hurt and broke me. You left me disadvantaged, poor and angry. I cheered when the new government came into power, because I had dreams of a new beginning and great opportunities, but they too have left me feeling empty and disillusioned. Now I need a new way of venting my frustration and to feel a little taste of victory - so let me tear down your statue!

But tomorrow when I wake up and realise that my heart is still broken, what then?
I will start to look for another statue.
And then another....
And another....
But, when all the statues are gone, I will STILL be left with a gaping hole in my spirit.
What then?

There are no more statues to tear down, so I will turn upon YOU.
I don't like what you represent. I am fearful of you and what you can take from me. I shouldn't speak the word out aloud, but really what I feel is 'Xenophobia' - I fear YOU as the "other" person, the stranger, the one I can't understand.
I fear you.

So, I will tear down your shops and homes - I will take your food and clothes. I will kill you if I have to, because I feel the need to get rid of anyone that robs me of MY rights.
I deserve that job!
I deserve that house!
I deserve that food!
It should be mine and not yours!
I fear that you will take it all away from me and that for a second time I will be robbed!

But, when I have destroyed your property and maybe taken your life, what then?
What will have changed?
Would I really have found some peace?

If I find 'peace' for a moment maybe I will even erect a statue in my honour.
It will stand as a symbol of my victory and the pain I have caused others.
It may stand for a few decades, but soon someone else will feel the need to tear that statue down.
My statue will fall.
It will FALL!

Angry descendants of "those foreigners" will come seeking justice for the Xenophobic attacks on their ancestors.
Will they not have a right to take down my new statue? After all my statue will insult them and all those innocent victims of my acts of violence and Xenophobia.
They will seek revenge.
And they will destroy the new statue.

But what then?
They too will wake up with pain in their belly and a gaping hole in their spirit.
They too will realise that revenge leaves only a bitter taste in the mouth.
What then?

It all begins with a Statue!

............................................

Is this why Jesus urged us to forgive one another. He knew that the cycle of revenge would never be satisfied. Jesus' word on mercy and forgiveness is NOT an easy word to receive, but in the midst of a mad world, it will be the only thing that puts out the fires of hatred.


Matthew 6:14-15 -“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.
Psalm 130:3-4 - If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshipped.
Matthew 5:43-44 - “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Living in Grace
D3LM3

Monday 13 April 2015

Starting again

As we start another quarter of the year let us be mindful that nothing is won or lost as yet. We may think that the year has been a failure so far, but we still have time to make things right. God is always willing to help us restore the broken dreams of our lives and to walk alongside us.

The Resurrection reminds us that Christ always offers us new life and a new start. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (The Message) 

“Tomorrow when I awaken, the slate will be clean, and a new day will stretch before me. God's mercies are new every morning.” - Lori Hatcher

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Sunday 12 April 2015

Heart rings

One can tell the age of a tree by the number of rings that it has on it - obviously you can only see these after it has been cut down. I was privileged enough to see a tree that looked 150 years old yesterday. The stump of the tree was impressive and I could imagine how stately the tree looked in it's prime. I am not sure what caused the tree to be chopped down - old age or progress, but what remains is the proof of the age.

It got me thinking about our spiritual hearts and whether there are "marks" or "rings" that appear for every year we follow Jesus. I know that every year we get older we show signs of wrinkles, hair loss, and other wear and tear, but what about our Spiritual core?

For me, the fact of the matter is this: When we pass away their will be signs of our physical age - albeit if we are young or old. But these signs don't count towards our Eternal lives at all. Jesus spoke about us all being "Born again" or "Born anew" in John 3 - these are the years that will count in the long run. These are the "rings" that God looks for when we meet him face to face. Well, that's what I believe in any case.

1 Peter 1:23 - "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."

What are your thoughts?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Saturday 11 April 2015

Remote jammers

Today I popped out to the shops to pick up a few things. I wasn't in a rush, which was probably just as well, because as I clicked my car remote I noticed something strange - it didn't sound the same as it usually does. I turned around and unlocked the car and locked it again - this time I checked that the doors were shut.

At the same time the guy parked nearby saw me and commented that he was having the same problem with his car. Together we realised that someone had just jammed our cars, so we stood around and watched the cars around us. Suddenly a car with 3 youngsters pulled off near us - they knew we had seen them. I guess we got off lightly in the end.

This incident made me think about how often we don't hear the message from God because there are other signals blocking the message. These 'signal jammers' could be a whole lot of things, ranging from stress, fear, anxiety, anger, sin, selfishness, pride, busyness and so on.

Let's resolve to pay attention to the voice of the Spirit. The message that the Spirit wants to convey is filled with LIFE - it does not want to rob us of anything.

Titus 1:9 - "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it."

Living in Grace
D3LM3


Friday 10 April 2015

Shut their mouths!

"...and kings will shut their mouths because of Him." - Isaiah 52:15

I could think of many kings and politicians who would fall into this prophecy. I am sure you could do the same. Imagine God shutting their mouths for awhile - wow, that would be fantastic.

Even though leaders, kings and politicians sprout forth all kinds of nonsense, there will come a day when they will be silenced! I strongly believe that when they meet God, face to face, they will have no choice but to "Shut Up!" Their own words will seem so trivial and hypocritical in the presence of Jesus.

Proverbs 17:28 - Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

In the presence of the TRUE KING all of us will bow our heads and worship Him.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Sunday 5 April 2015

God comes up trumps!

Resurrection Sunday reminds me that even when the world throws its' best at us, God can still make a way. Evil thought that he had won the day, but God still came up trumps. Jesus conquered death and paved the way for us to follow him.

I have been trying to read through the books of Proverbs and Job over the Lent period and I find it awesome that these words are part of the last chapter of Job.

Job 42:1-2
" Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do all things;
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted."


It is true! No purpose of God's can be thwarted. Even when evil throws the kitchen sink at us, God's love will still prevail.

May you have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday...

Christ is Risen!

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Saturday 4 April 2015

Waiting...

Hebrews 6:15 - "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised."

I often find that Easter Saturday is a day of waiting. It is almost like a lull in the middle of a busy week. It could be that we have so many services in the week that the adrenaline has been flowing for 6 days and then suddenly one has a moment to pause. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy this day, but it just seems slower than all the other days in Holy Week.

But, perhaps that is the gift of Easter Saturday. It causes us to reflect and wait for the JOY of the Resurrection. It brings back childhood memories of waiting for Christmas or your birthday. You hope that you will receive a gift, but you are too excited to allow doubt to cloud your hopes.

Sometimes we need to patiently wait for the good things that come next. We mustn't wish away the moments of waiting - they build expectancy and trust in our spiritual lives. In time we will receive what we have been promised. Good things are worth waiting for....

"The Scriptures contain many stories of people who waited years or even decades before the Lord's promises came to pass. What modern believers can learn from the patience of biblical saints like Abraham, Joseph, David, and Paul is that waiting upon the Lord has eternal rewards." -Charles Stanley 
"Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about him for whom we are waiting." -Henri Nouwen

Easter Saturday marks the eve of the Greatest Day in the History of the world - it is so worth waiting for...

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Friday 3 April 2015

Deus, Deus Meus

In my post yesterday I shared those harrowing words from Jesus, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" As I mentioned, there are a few different understandings of these words, but I wanted to reflect on the first part of his cry today.

What could his words, "My God, My God!" mean for us? In Latin, these words are translated "Deus, Deus, Meus!" On a very simple level they remind us that even though Jesus was feeling abandoned by his father (in that brief moment), he still identified God as being "My Father." It speaks of a deep relationship with his dad, despite the circumstances.

Have we got to that point in our lives where we call Jesus, "My God?" I am not talking about this in a possessive sense, because we can never own God, but in the sense of belonging to Jesus?

Are you able to say "Deus Meus" this Easter?

The motto for the Fransicans is "Deus Meus et Omnia" (My Lord and My ALL!")

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Thursday 2 April 2015

Forsaken?

When Jesus cried these harrowing words from the cross, what did he really mean?

"Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani!" (We translate them as, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?")

On some level, these words are shrouded in mystery, yet they are central to our Christian faith. There are a few interpretations of these words, but in the end, I guess only Jesus knew what he was trying to say to the world.

i. He could have been reciting the beginning of Psalm 22, which is a Messianic Psalm. This Psalm starts with an atmosphere of devastation, but ends on a note of Victory. Have a read of it and see what you think...

ii. Jesus could have literally have felt forsaken by his Father in that moment.

iii. He was bearing the full weight of humanity's sin and this would have lead to a separation from his dad for a time.

iv. Perhaps something else we haven't yet understood.

Whichever one of these was the reasoning behind his cry, in the end it tells me that Jesus understands my pain, sin and brokenness. So when we cry out to the Lord, he is one who is familiar with depths of my hurt.

This Easter period remember that Christ understands all of our emotions and troubles.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Which books to read?

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend and they ask you:
"Have you read _____________ book?"
Either their comments can make you decide to get a copy of that book or they may influence you to give it a miss.

I keep getting emails from book clubs and shops promoting free/cheap books. I am the first to admit that I really LOVE reading and I am a sucker f
or a good bargain, but I could never read every book that comes my way. In fact, there are so many books in print (hard copy and digital) that we could never ever get through them all in our life time.

Google estimates that there are over 130 million books available for us to read at the moment. So, if you started reading one book a month/week from today, you would only explore 12/52 books a year, for the rest of your life. Depending on how long you have to live, that only leaves a few books to read. At best we could only get through a few hundred of the 130 million, so here is the million dollar question: Which books would those be? Amongst the millions there are certainly a lot of 'trash', but there are guaranteed to be many hidden gems.

So, what I would love from you all, is to know which books you would choose to put on your list?
Please reply to this email and let me know which books you would recommend - even if it is just one. I will compile a simple list from your replies and post it in a few days time. In that way, we may get to discover some awesome new books.

 “A room without books is like a body without a soul.”Marcus Cicero

 “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”Ernest Hemingway


Living in Grace
D3LM3

April Fools - Lent #25


Solomon has a fair amount to say about fools, so I thought that on this "April Fools Day" we should reflect on some of these words. He actually mentions 'fools' over 70 times in the book of Proverbs, eleven of which appear in Proverbs 26 alone.

"Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!" - Proverbs 26:1

"Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool." - Proverbs 26:8


"Pound on a fool all you like—
you can’t pound out foolishness." - Proverbs 27:22 (Message)

It seems that our world is not short on foolish people - we see them at every turn. However, best we reflect on our own lives before other people refer to us as being 'foolish'. There is a thin line between farce and  honour.

I leave the last thoughts on foolishness to Paul. This is what he had to say to the church in Corinth.

  • "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18
Don't be counted among the foolish this Holy Week.

Living in Grace
D3LM3