Patrick's Sense of Humour

I want to share with you this little insight into the way the sense of humour of Patrick our 12 year old son works but to start with I have to give you some background.

During the recent Olympics I was preaching a series of sermons that was called iRun. Using as the basis of my series 1 Corinthians 9:24. With titles such as iRun with Confidence, iRun in Good company and so on.

We have been trying to organise our workday so that which ever one of Perry or myself is preaching is at home in the afternoon to be there for the kids coming home, sometimes this does not work and they come to the church if we are not home.

The other piece of infomation that you need is that Perry is still playing soccer at the weekend and he has been getting injured fairly often ... not seriously but enough to make it a joking and talking point at the church.

One day Perry had taken Emily home and was working but I had the car and because the car was not in the driveway the twins decided to come down to the church without checking inside. When they arrived I was explaining to them the fact that just because the car is not at home does not mean that nobody is there and the whole the one who is preaching will be at home.

Patrick says to me "I thought that you were preaching"

I told him that it is now his dad who will be preaching. He came back as quick as anything.....

"Will he be preaching about the Para Olympics."

The people of our July Holiday

Our July Holiday included a catch up of massive proportions. There was those who live in Christchurch Corryn and the Toganivalus. The Bray, Marshall, stevens and Lequ families. So as you can imagine there was chaos at meal times when we were all together at either Corryn's house or Shelley and Tiko's house. Here are photos of some of the funnier people who showed up.

Ethan trying to prove that his mouth is bigger than his ice cream and stomach.

Shelley as seen by a smaller person.

Julie at her multitasking best. Eating and making a round of hot drinks.

Talei, Christina (black eye included) and Hannah.

The day before school finished Christina crashed with a high school student while at Buller High to do technology. The result was a huge and impressive black eye. This photo is almost 8 days later and the colours are still changing.

Talei making faces

Simeon doing that thing with the eyes

Christina and Hannah together again

Feeding time ...... why are we waiting....

Tiko makes eyes at the camera

Rueben and his ice cream

This of course was not everybody only those who made it in front of our camera. Corryn is strangely absent. She had been ill while we were visiting..... I think this night she stayed home to throw up.

July Holiday - Christchurch

For the first week of the holidays we decided that a catch up in Christchurch was in order and so we packed our bags and headed out. The first problem of the holiday was how to get to Christchurch when the Lewis Pass is closed.... Thats easy you go to Greymouth (1 1/2 hour drive) and then hang a left somewhere and then drive to Christchurch through the Arthur's and Porters Pass. (Another 4 hours)

The road through the Arthurs and Porters pass was also marginal but at least it was open and we had chains. Chains that were slightly too small but they would do.

The scenery was spectacular and the drive was reasonable.... At least the road was not closed. We did have to try the chains for a small 500 mtr stretch as a truck had jackknifed in the ice that was a little scary but we made it through safely. We did at that stage decide that chains that fit were necessary.

Here are some of the photos of the scenery on our trip.

Share and share alike I say... This bridge just out of Greymouth is a one lane bridge but I am guessing that the trains get right of way.

Our first decent view of the mountains to come.

Snowy conditions are on their way.....

This bridge has been built over the road to allow the snow that comes down the side of the hill to fall harmlessly to the river below.... It was cool.

And this structure just 150 mtrs up the road to allow water to go in the same direction. Some of the water was in frozen icicles hanging off the end of the bridge. This photo was taken from the lookout area.

Christina having some fun in the snow.

Patrick has found his own footsteps in the snow.

A Kea that came out to play with us.... or maybe it was the food he came for.

Emily is enjoying the snow too.

We finally made it to Christchurch after having to put the snow chains on the car to discover that they were too small but they were enough to get us past a really tricky bit of ice that had caused a logging truck to jackknife.

God's Love - Article Four

This was my last article of four - Published on 27 June 2008

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Over the last three weeks in this space I have been talking about the love that God has for each of us, about God’s pursuit of our hearts and the empty space that all of us have within that only God has the power to fill.

So what does God’s love, His pursuit of our hearts and our empty space have to do with anything?

Well it has everything to do with Christian faith and hope. God’s pursuit of our hearts went to the extreme of Him sending His Son to die for our brokenness. To pay the penalty that must be paid for the sins of the world. Our empty space was caused by the broken relationship between us and God that we experience because of sin.

Christ’s death on the cross has given us the opportunity to mend that relationship with God but it is a choice that we need to make for ourselves. It is not something that is forced upon us or that we earn by proxy. We need to make a choice to accept God’s pursuit of us through the cross of Christ. It is through Christ that we have access to a friendship with God.

All of what I have talked about over the past 3 weeks means nothing if I am to just leave it there. God’s pursuit of you and the love that he has for you means nothing if this is where I leave it. What all this comes down to is that you have to make a decision to accept the love that God has and then to start pursuing for yourself the life that is available to you through choosing to have Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, looking to God as the head of your life.

This might mean taking a look at this life that those who live in relationship with God and believe that Jesus is their Saviour call the Christian life. For you maybe this designation of being a Christian brings with it so much baggage of what you think that this kind of life might be and the things that other people say this life is. But you need to move past that and discover for yourself what a life with Christ is like.

God wants you to know that a life with Christ is a life lived to the full. Jesus tells us in Scripture that “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The Christian life is often described as something that is full of restrictions a long list of things that you have to do and many things that you shouldn’t do.
In all reality there is a freedom that comes with the life that is lived with God at its centre, because we live lives that are grounded in the truth and lives that look more and more like what God intended our lives to be. Jesus says that ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Yes you might have to make changes in your life but those changes will be for the better, they will be changes that bring joy and happiness, changes that complete you and teach you and will bring about the restoration of your broken relationship with God.

The reality is that a life with Christ is about becoming a child of God. A much loved child of the creator of the universe. The Christian life is living a life that conforms to the rules of the family, the rules of the Father and these rules are just ways for us to live in better relationship with God and one another. These rules are not really rules but more a way of life.

So what about you? Are you looking for that thing that will fill your empty space inside? I want to tell you that God is the answer to the empty space and to that need for completion that you have in your life. God is drawing you to himself and He wants you to discover that you need Him in your life and He wants you to learn what it means to be a child of God.

It is your choice. Find a church that suits your personality, not all churches are the same and ask the right questions …. You owe it to your empty space and yourself…..
God is waiting for you.

Officers Residential Fellowship

Just a small break in the articles. At the end of June Perry & I attended our Divisional Residential Officers Fellowship. It was a great time of refreshment and catching up with other officers. We spent much time in the hot pools, eating good food and laughing with session mates and others.

The fellowship was held at Hanmer Springs and while we were there it snowed and in fact we had lots of snow on our way home on Thursday. This made the week even more special as it is the first time I have actually been snowed on in my life. Yes I have seen snow and made snow balls etc but I have never been there when it fell. Here are some photos of our week and the way home.

The first snow fall.... Tuesday or Wednesday

The morning before we left. What a beautiful day and look at the snow on them there hills

But the drive home proved to be beautiful for very different reasons. The roads had been closed up until 2 & 1/2 minutes before we left.

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The snow on the trees was amazing. There was waist high ploughed snow on the sides of the road. It was more than a little bit disconcerting when the snow got too heavy for the trees and plopped onto the roof of the car.

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Everywhere we looked was snow through out the Lewis Pass to just past Springs Junction. We were snowed on while driving.

The Empty Space Inside - Article Three

This was my third article for the Westport News - Published 20 June 2008

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The Empty Space Inside

Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your life, something you know you need and sometimes it seems like it is just about in your grasp but then in a brief moment it disappears again. You feel like there is something that you need to make life complete. Or as that intrepid little mouse Stuart Little put it in the movie of the same name when he was wondering about his real parents and where he had come from he told his adoptive parents the Littles “I have an empty space inside”. Here he was living in a house with a family who were able to give him everything that he needed he still felt that there was something in his life that was incomplete and he was searching for the thing that would fill that empty space.

As human beings I’m sure that we have all at some time or another felt that there has to be something more that we need in our lives to make it better and to make us feel complete. Many of us spend so much time searching for that perfect thing that will make us feel complete and whole. We think that if we could just be more confident, have more friends, be more popular or making more money, then everything will better. The problem is that so often the things that we try filling up our empty space with in reality are not really good for us and are things that will not make any difference to the empty space that we have.

There are plenty of things that people try to fill this empty space with. Some people try eating all the nicest food and end up overweight, they might think that alcohol might make them more likeable and confident but they end up just being drunk, using drugs might make people feel happy to begin with but that is just a false sense of wellbeing. When we look at being more popular or having more friends we end up being in destructive relationships that have the opposite effect and end up leaving us feeling less confident about our self worth than we did before. Working as many hours as we can to have money also is not the answer and neither is filling up every moment of every day with stuff to do. There are many other compulsive and addictive behaviours that can trap us into believing that we are filling up that empty space inside.

And so no matter how hard we try the emptiness still remains and we go on thinking that there has to be something to fill it.

I believe that all of us have within us something a friend of mine once called “A God shaped hole”. An empty space that only the love of God can fill. God is the answer to the empty space that we all have within us. He is the perfect person to fill the void that we all feel.
A relationship with our creator gives us everything we need to fill those areas in our lives where we think that there is something lacking. God is the friend to those who are lonely you do not need to be more confident, you do not need more money and you definitely do not need to prove your worth to him. As I have said previously he is pursuing your heart anyway because you are worth it.

All you need to do is to respond to His pursuit of your heart. Go to a church and find out how God through Jesus can fill the empty space that you have in your heart and you will find out that there is a “YOU” shaped hole in the heart of God because He is waiting ….. just for you.

God's Pursuit of Your Heart - Article Two

This is my second article in the Westport News June 13th
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In last week's comment I talked about God’s relentless pursuit of each of us and God’s intimate interest in you. I thought that this week I would talk to you about God’s pursuit of us, God’s pursuit of you.

Consider the courting couple who are doing everything that they can to declare their love for one another; the gifts, the words spoken, the written words, the snatching of every possible moment together and hurdles that they will jump over to prove their love for one another. They pursue the one they believe to be their true love and soul mate.

God’s pursuit of us can be looked at in much the same way only much much more profound. His pursuit began at the beginning of time andhe will continue it until the end of time. He will not let anything hold him back in His pursuit to win your heart. Everything that he has ever done has been in the hope of winning your heart and having you become one of His children.

The difference between the courting couple’s pursuit of each other and God’s pursuit of us is that the courting couples only see and show the very best to each other. They do not wear the comfy at home or in the garden clothing while out together, they do not show each other the things that are lurking in the closet.

But God already knows the worst about each of us, he has seen us in those comfy clothes that have holes in them and stains on them and He has seen all the warts that we possess. Yet He pursues us anyway because He loves us for who we are not what we are or what we look like.

Throughout the Old Testament we see stories of God rescuing His people from near disaster, disaster that they brought on themselves by making choices that were not in God’s will for them, but every time they called on God he came and rescued them. All these stories that we have did not happen just to fill the Bible with words but to win your heart. To show you the lengths that He is prepared to go to demonstrate that His is a relentless pursuit and that His love for you is beyond anything that you can conceive or imagine.

It is true that in all of the stories of the Bible God is teaching Christians about living a Godly and righteous life but He is also trying to show you what a life lived with him can be like. He is showing you what you can expect when you accept his pursuit of your heart.

In the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) he is telling you that with Him in your life you can know that he will help you to slay the giants in your life. In the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) he is showing you that no matter what you do in life that when you ask Him for forgiveness you are forgiven and blessed.

In the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:12) he is showing you that while trouble may come in your life that over time when you trust in Him even the worst things can be used for the good of you and many others besides.

In the New Testament’s story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) God is trying to tell you of the welcome you will receive from Him our Father, even after you have rejected him and thrown everything he has given you away, when you decide to return to Him with a sincere heart. In the story of the woman at the well God is showing you that it does not matter to Him who you are and what you have done your heart is worth pursuing and that He loves you.

In His pursuit of your heart God even let Jesus die a painful death on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, so that you and I can find forgiveness and know that the pursuit of our hearts continues. He is saying in this act that you and I are worth the effort and cost of His pursuit.You are special and God is pursuing your heart and will continue to pursue it. So will you accept His court-ship, His pursuit of your heart and His love?

He is waiting for you and He will not give up on you. God Bless.

Westport News Articles

Here in Westport the ministers of the different church take turns to write articles for the local paper called 'Church and Community' in June it was the turn of The Salvation Army. Perry decided that this was part of my job description.

During the year most of the ministers had not bothered to submit stuff so I had to do this a little bit blind I found out how many words they wanted and went from there. I am going to put each of the articles that I wrote onto my blog over the next couple of weeks. I wrote these articles expressly for no believers and perhaps to encourage the believer who has lost sight of who God is in the grand scheme of things.

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Week One - Printed in the Westport News 6th June 2008

You may have recently seen the ads that we (The Salvation Army) ran in this paper advertising our Sermon Series over the months of March and April which used the popular “YEAH RIGHT” in response to a question.

I have been doing some thinking about this “YEAH RIGHT” thing over the past couple of days and how it relates to a much bigger train of thought when we look at Christianity and the idea of God. Many people will hear the Gospel being talked about and hear the words that God loves them and their first thoughts will be “YEAH RIGHT”. It might even be something that you reading this comment would say to me if I was talking to you right now. And you might follow it up with something like “How could God love me after ……” and you insert the worse thing you have done in your life. Or the other side of this could be is you say “if there is a God how could he let …….. happen to me” and in this space you would put the worst thing that has happened to you.

No matter what your comments are after you have uttered those now famous “YEAH RIGHT” words the fact still remains that God does love each of us individually. One of the most read scriptures confirms this to us “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. (John 3:16 New International Version).

We live in a world where things are not perfect and we do things and things happen to us that we would prefer did not happen but they do happen because of the choices that we and or others make that go against what God wants for each one of us. But be assured that God is relentlessly pursuing each of us to show us that a life lived with Him at its centre is to live life to its full. No matter what we have done we are forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus, (the only person who is perfect) he paid the ultimate price for our wrongdoings so that we can concentrate on receiving the forgiveness that is on offer from God through Jesus.

Yes God does love you and he will do anything for you. Sometimes the pain in our lives can serve as a reminder to look for or turn to God. C.S Lewis says that “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: pain is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” It no doubt causes God pain when he has to use this megaphone but if it turns you to him then mission accomplished.

But he does so much more in our lives to get our attention, in so many much nicer ways. Every Sunrise and Sunset he paints a picture in the sky for you to see or if it is raining there is the rainbow to remind us. You know that didn’t have to happen God could have made everything black and white right from the beginning and we would not have known the difference.

Here in Westport we are so close to some beautiful reminders in nature of his love for us, places for us to rest, relax and enjoy ourselves. We also see here his provision for us through natural resources that feed us, warm us and employ many us. God didn’t have to provide these things either but he has done it out of love for us and he can’t wait to see the smile on our faces when we are up close and personal with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

God is intimately interested in you and wants for you to know and understand him and his will for your life and before you say “YEAH RIGHT” read this message from Jesus in Matthew 10:30 “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (New Living Translation).

You are valuable to God and he wants you to know that.

Family Store Conference- Hanmer Springs

One of the 1st major training sessions for me was the Family Store Conference (13 - 15 May)where I learned everything from the mission of The Salvation Army (again) to how to spot and deal with Shoplifters..... This was a good opportunity for learning, catching up with officers and family store managers from around the top end of the South Island and to have a soak in the hot pools.... Lovely.

Also to experience the drop in temperatures due to snow in the nearby hills. There was ice on the windows of the car on our final morning and lots (or so I thought) of snow on the mountains....

Some pictures of the lovely setting that we were in.

Frost on the ground and snow on the hills

And a little bit closer

Self Portraits

It seems that all the funny kid stories are about Emily at the moment and here comes another... Sort of story.

Emily has taken a liking to taking photos of herself whenever she gets her hands on a camera... I think she is taking a leaf out of Corryn's book actually.... I guess we imitate those we love....

Here are a few examples of her photography skills in self portrait.

Smile Crocodile

Emily after she had a bit of a crash involving teeth, nose and lips

She took off with the camera again. This was the nicest shot of about 10 self portraits

Emily and her picture of her own beautiful blues

Emily comes of age

Just a really quick story about Emily. I was sitting at my desk at the office with Emily hanging around like a bad smell. She really wanted to do something other than watch the DVDs that we had brought to the office for entertainment. (We are still waiting for Morning Kindy). I have spent the morning writing cheques to pay all the bills..... Morning tea time arrived and Perry made me go to the kitchen to have a drink and biscuit.

Emily makes a detour on the way and I think that she is watching her DVD. When I get back to my desk I look at the next cheque in the cheque book and I see that Emily has been busy.

She had decided to 'write' a cheque in the book and then found a highlighter and highlighted what she had written. It was all circles by the look of it and neatly along the appropriate lines on a cheque. But then her conscience had got the better of her and she decided that this might not please Mum too much. So she found the corrector tape (the twink but dry stuff that rolls on) and 'corrected' all that she had written... well most of it.....

I wonder who the administrator of my children is going to be.....

Our church buildings

It has come to my notice that I have not put into my blog pictures of our Corps buildings or Family Store. So I have decided to make that addition today....

This a picture of our Corps building from the road

A closer look at the main entrance

Our Family Store exterior

Our Worship Hall before we made a few changes. Like putting the platform back.

Our office before we shifted the furniture around.

The activity centre that is used for all activities apart from the Sunday service. Including all activities that include food. We also hire this space out a fair amount. The pictures on the back wall that you can see are painted onto polystyrene. This room is now used for children's church and Friday night Kids Club.

Congress

So the Salvation Army Congress in Dunedin was a mission. How often would you fly from the South Island (Westport) to Wellington in the North Island to get to Dunedin (South Island). I spend 3 hours or so sitting in Wellington airport waiting for the connecting flight to Dunedin. And on the way home my flight schedule was full. Dunedin to Christchurch, Christchurch to Wellington and finally Wellington to Westport. Talk about a round about way of getting to your destination.. But on the other hand it sure was better than a 7 - 8 hour drive....

On my way home as we flew from Wellington into Westport it was raining a bit and as I looked out my window at the coast line moving on past, I was lucky enough to see a rainbow and because we were up in the plane when I looked out at it properly it was a full circle rainbow. I have never seen anything like it before. It was so cool. I tried to get photo of it but that did not really work out a tiny plane window....

Here are a couple of photos of the rainbow after we landed.

It had turned into a normal half rainbow but a double one so still a little bit different.

And that is all I have to say about that.... Congress that is.

Denniston

During March we took another trip doing some tourist stuff and we went up to Denniston which is a historic site where there was once a very busy town. The whole town was based around the coal mines that surrounded it. There is only a few houses left up there but some local people are slowly trying to restore the historic sight so that visitors can see what the mining town once looked like.

You can still clearly see the incline which was used for the coal buckets to make their perilous and fast way down the hill to the rail head to be carted away to Christchurch or to the port. There is also some of the works around that you can look at and see where different places like the school, shop and of course the pubs were. Most of it is in barely recognisable ruins but it was interesting. There are stories of children who were born up there who never came down "The Hill".

The top of the incline. The coal wagons started their journey here and basically just went over the top at speed.

The children sitting on one of the restored coal wagons that would have gone up and down the hill carrying the coal around. Small wagons were used to bring the coal from the different mine areas.

This was a brick viaducts that is still in place that was used to bring the coal from one of the mines to the top of the incline for dispatch down the hill for transport away.

The floor of the old engineering workshop. Not very much left

A piece of the old machinery that helped to make the coal wagon move up and down the hill.

The view from up there once the cloud cleared was amazing all over the valley all the way back to Westport and our to sea. Good a clear day. The day we were up there it was clear for very brief period of time the rest of the time it was covered in low cloud.

Additions to the Bray Family

I have just realised that I have not introduced the new members of our family.

We have two cats now. The first one came in the conventional way via a Vet/Pet shop here in Westport the day after we arrived. The second one was found one morning on our Family Store doorstep and after following us home that first day he has never left and we have adpoted him.

The first cat is a black and white fluffy girl names Cindas. This name was decided on after we realised that Cinderella was just too long. We figured that if she had not fallen into cinders/ash of a fireplace she would have been a white cat.

The other cat is a short haired tabby cat and his name is Dova. This name came about because when he first arrived Emily would wander around the house and yard asking where is 'the other' (it actually came out de ova) cat and so Dova has stuck... Like glue really.

Cindas was not so keen on sharing her family to start with but the two cat negotiated terms and are now the best of friends. As evidenced by the photos below.

This is Cindas 0n the back of the couch. She also likes playing in the clothes rack when it is up trying to dry our clothes inside

This is Dova. The other cat. This photo was taken when we were making the effort to find his real home... However he now has his real home

This is the pair of them after they had negotiated terms.... They got even closer than this but the photo is not as good.

No Petrol Signs

I have been promising more pictures of Westport. Have you ever wondered how far away Westport was from anywhere. Well this might just let you know a bit clearer how far to go to the next big town..... but then again.....

This sign is on the road on your way further up the West Coast heading to Karamea and the Heaphy Track. Once you get to Karamea it is basically the end of the road.... literally.

This sign is on the road after we turn off the main road up the Buller Gorge to head to Greymouth.

And finally this sign is on the only other road that heads out of Westport and the Buller region and this is the road that heads in the long run to either Christchurch via Reefton or to Blenhiem or Nelson via Murchison.

So as you can see it is a mighty good idea to full up with petrol before you leave Westport because it could be a wee while before you see a petrol station again. Considering there is only two petrol stations in Westport and they cost a good 5 - 8 cents more per litre of petrol than Christchurch or Nelson they have their futures pretty well taken care of don't you think.

Update

I am working on doing some updates and while this is dated 21 March it was actually written on 29 July. I am going to try to update this in order and the easiest way is by changing the dates and starting from the last entry...

Good luck following the trains of thought... here goes

And a child will teach them

A cool little story about Emily.

Just recently in church the offering had just been announced and our daughter 4yr old Emily saw what was happening and it is something that she has seen all her life. All of a sudden she took off for the other room and came running back, after the offering bowls had been placed on a table in front of the piano, with a small backpack that was full of the activities that keep her amused during church. Music was still being playing for the congregation to listen to while seated. Emily proceeded to open her backpack pull out her own wallet and take out coins to put into the offering bowl.

All eyes were on her I would wager... including mine. She gave out of no thought of the value of her coins but the lesson was that if she can give out of the few coins that she possesses, just like the widow in scripture, then why do we hold back. Her determination to give also shows us that we should do whatever it takes to give to God even if it means going out to the car to get our wallet.

It also goes to show that a child will teach us even when the child doesn't know it or even understand fully what they are doing.

Happy 4th Birthday Emily

It was Emily's 4th birthday and she really knew it this time. Here are some cool photos of cakes, pressies and things.

Thanks to Sue Stevens for this brilliant idea for balloons at the Birthday Party

Emily in her party outfit with her friends eating the birthday food

The Princess Castle Birthday Cake. Another messy creation.

Blowing out the Candles

Opening her presents on her actual birthday.

The pressie haul. Not bad for a four year old me thinks....