Confronted with writing a Will

Have you had to think or have you been through the process of writing or drawing up a Will?

My wife and I have just gone through the process of prayerfully arranging what should happen to our children in the event of our death.

Let me tell you guys - I did not go about this the right way - so learn from my mistake.

Here's what I did.

"Hey honey, I have decided that if we die on our trip overseas, I am going to ask" so and so" to look after our kids.

My wife, "honey, I am not sure I am comfortable with that".

Me, "that's OK, I think it's the right thing to do, so we are going to do that".

My wife, "honey, I really am not sure about that."

Me, "I know your not babe, but it's the right thing to do and I will be held accountable if I got it wrong, so it's the way we need to go!"

You probably understand that I did not do a great job here! Here is where I went wrong, and what I learned, thanks to my wife's patient, loving and timely rebuke.

With tears in her eyes my wife humbly said, "Honey, I know that you are the leader of our home and I know that you have our kids best interest at heart but perhaps next time you could lead me differently." I'm like OK, LISTEN Patrick - this is gonna be gold. And it was...

She continued, "Honey, I am thinking that maybe you could tell me what you are thinking and then say, 'I know you may not agree with me, but I would like to pray with you about this and ask that you pray about this'".

I was like, baby that's brilliant! I'm gonna do that next time. Would you forgive me for messing this up...

Here's the great thing - We completely agree on what should happen to our children and we have a peace that - we make our plans but the Lord orders our steps! Our Will is written, signed & sealed...

I hope you will learn from my mistakes and talk to your wife about what should happen with the possessions you have been entrusted with!

Draw up that Will - having an eternal perspective in mind!

Art Exursion

Today I was at the Sydney Art Museum. I need to make a confession. I was not that impressed! Some of the paintings seemed ridiculous. Please understand, I am no artist! However I did think, that my 2 year old could have come up with a better entry then some that were there. That's art though, hey?

Something happened while I was there that just surprised me. A teacher was walking around with her student's, and the passion and the emotion that exuded from her over these paintings was foreign to me. How could someone be brought to tears by paint? I just did not get it?

As I was riding home from the gallery, a thought hit me.

Some people don't "get" why I am moved to tears by the cross. That cross that represents blood, wrath, pain, indescribable pain, tears & more blood - but also freedom, forgiveness, love, mercy, kindness, grace - oh such grace and LOVE!

Galatians 6:14 has been doing circles in my memory today - "but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...

I am not saying that you can't have passion for art, sport, family, food, coffee, shopping, golf, cars, friends etc... I am saying, may they not proceed the passion for the cross...

Oh may you and I boast and be moved by the cross - it will truly effect my/our parenting with an eternal perspective...

Father's Abdicating

I am disappointed because I am witnessing to many father's, who are abdicating their roles as fathers!

I have recently taken a position at a school and today I spent 2 class periods with a kid in year 10 who is facing terrible circumstances! TERRIBLE! He is not alone! There are many children who are missing thier father's instruction in their life... It would break your heart! But I had the wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with this young man, which I was so thankful for! I do pray that he will be able to recall the power of the Gospel and that he would have the grace to respond to it.

However, as I sat and listened to this young man tell me incident after incident of the way his father has negelected and compromised him, I was stunned. Not because I am any better. No I was stunned because I thought, without the Grace of God - there go I. There go I as a father! There go you as a father!

This father has not taken his role seriously! He is failing as a husband, and a father. In fact he failed so bad that his wife left him and has remarried! Now his son does not want anything to do with him.

As I come home to my family, I must consider how I am doing as a father.

Here's some questions I am considering - Perhaps you may want to consider these too?

• How am I loving my wife in front of my kids?
• Am I provoking my children to love and good works - or am I provoking the hell out of them?
• Am I training them in the ways of the Lord - by words only - or are they seeing their daddy model a godly life to them?
• Do my kids see me rejoicing in the GOSPEL - or just talking about it?
• How am I showing my boys to treat their wife?
• How am I showing my daughters that this is how a woman is to be treated by a man?
• Am I teaching my children about grace or works?
• How am I equipping them to be a future husband or wife?
• Does my marriage reflect the way Christ laid down His life for the Church?

Yea... Not easy questions to answer - but I am not called to abidcate these massive responsibilities! What a privilege to model Christ to my wife and children!

Oh, I need Grace... because paretning with an eternal perspective is a massive and awesome job!

Promo of The Pilgrims Progress

If you have never read -



PLEASE DO!!!

Here is a review for you:


by the celebrated minister John Bunyan of Bedfordshire.

The Pilgrim's Progress is, well, sui generis. Tradition holds that John Bunyan wrote it in Bedford Gaol, while imprisoned for the crime of holding a religious service not in conformity with the Church of England. Bunyan spent twelve years in Bedford Gaol for that offense, which helps to explain why nonconformists liked to emigrate to America when they could.

Anyone familiar with this extraordinary work will agree with Samuel Johnson's assessment of John Bunyan, made nearly 100 years after the first publication of Pilgim's Progress and reported by James Boswell in his Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.:

Johnson praised John Bunyan highly. "His Pilgrim's Progress has great merit, both for invention, imagination, and the conduct of the story; and it has had the best evidence of its merit, the general and continued approbation of mankind. Few books, I believe, have had a more extensive sale. It is remarkable, that it begins very much like the poem of Dante; yet there was no translation of Dante when Bunyan wrote. There is reason to think that he had read Spenser."

The illustrations below come from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, With Over One Hundred Illustrations Designed by Frederick Barnard and Others, Engraved by Dalziel Borthers (The John C. Winston Company, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto, 1894). To download a larger .BMP version of the images below, just click the image.

John Bunyan in Bedford Gaol. "As I slept, I dreamed a dream."

Christian tells his wife and children of his distress. "At length he brake his mind to his wife and children."

Christian before the Cross. "His burden fell off his back, and began to tumble."

Christian and the Angels. "Behold, three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him."

The Porter meets Christian and calls Discretion to the palace door. "This man is on a journey from the City of Destruction to Mount Zion."

Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence instruct Christian at the Palace Beautiful. "Then they read him some of the worthy acts that some of His servants had done."

Pride, Arrogancy, Self-Conceit, and Wordly-Glory.

Christian enters the town of Vanity Fair. "At the town there is a fair kept, called Vanity Fair."

Madam Bubble and Mr. Stand-Fast. "I am mistress of the world, and men are made happy by me."

The King's Trumpeter.

Mr. Great-Heart

Prudence questions Christiana's children. "Then she began at the youngest, whose name was James."

Mrs. Timorous's Neighbors. Mrs. Bats-eyes, Mrs. Inconsiderate, Mrs. Light-mind, and Mrs. Know-nothing

Doctor Skill

Valiant-for-Truth

The Giant Despair "Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which is kept by the Giant Despair."

Christian and Hopeful in the Castle of Giant Despair [Doubting Castle] "So they continued together in the dark that day, in their doleful condition"

I just finished reading this to my entire family. Actually two days ago & it has stimulated many conversations. I would strongly encourage you to get your hands on a copy of this and commit to reading it to your whole family... It will have an eternal effect on your parenting!

To Live As Christ

Have you seen this?

This is challenging... but we need to remember the Gospel as we listen and allow the Holy Spirit to convict us...

I hope you will be encouraged, rebuked, motivated & humbled before God!

A Senior Saint Home with the Lord

Death is a reality! A reality we all will face. Whether death comes unexpectedly or expectedly it still is real! Oh so very real.

Yesterday a celebration service was held for a senior saint from our previous church. This senior saint was first of all a believer! Some of the fruit of this loved one was that they were generous, hospitable, caring, thoughtful and prayerful!

Let me walk you through what took place. It is confronting!

They left home last Sunday to travel to church. Like most Sunday's this senior saint would make their way into the "cry room", at the church, to fold the bulletins. After that job was done, they would go and encourage the other believers present. Like any other Sunday, they were going about their duty when pain came upon them.

A brain hemorrhage!

They were taken to hospital, the family contacted, the senior saint was operated on, and then put on life support. The family then made the hard decision of shutting off the life support machine. This senior saint was then absent from their body & present with the Lord. Just like that!

This got me thinking...

Imagine leaving home, like any other day, either to work or to church and the Lord called you home. What state would your house be in? How would your family find things? I began to question myself. Have I considered what it would be like for my wife or children to come behind in a difficult time and sort things out? It gave me something to think about & perhaps you may want to too?!

You know, I spoke to this senior saint a few days before the Lord took them home! Oh, we as a family are going to miss them. I don't think their children will have any problem's coming behind them. In fact, I think what they will find, is a faithful parent! A faithful parent who loved and cherished their Savior as well as their family!

May those who come behind you find you faithful!

The Grace of the Cross

Another prayer from 'The Valley of Vision'

This prayer helps you remember - because - we do forget...

'The Grace of the Cross'








O My Saviour,
I thank thee from the depths of my being
for thy wondrous grace and love
in bearing my sin in thing own body on th etree.
May thy cross be to me
as the tree that sweetens my bitter Marahs,
as the rod that blossoms with life and beauty,
as the brazen serpent that calls forth the look of faith.
By thy cross crucify my every sin;
Use it to increase my intimacy with thyself;
Make it the ground of all my comfort,
the liveliness of all my duties,
the sum of all thy gospel promises
thy comfort of all my afflictions,
the vigour of my love, thankfulness, graces,
the very essence of my religion;
And by it give me that rest without rest
the rest of ceaseless praise.

O My Lord and Saviour,
Thou hast also appointed a cross for me to take up and carry,
a cross before thou givest me a crown.
Thou hast appointed it to be my portion,
but self-love hates it,
carnal reason is unreconciled to it;
without the grace of patience I cannot bear it,
walk with it, profit by it.
O blessed cross, what mercies dost thou bring with thee!
Thou art only esteemed hateful by my rebel will,
heavy because I shirk thy load.
Teach me, gracious Lord and Saviour,
that with my cross thou sendest promised grace
so that I may bear it patiently,
that my cross is thy yoke which is easy,
and thy burden which is light.