SPEAK TO THE DARKNESS

Welcome to my Blog!   MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Pohutukawa, New Zealand's native Christmas tree  (Photo borrowed from - flickr.com) I cannot believe that Christmas has been and gone already! I have spent most of this week in the quiet of my home. Reflecting, and pondering my journey of 2011. The passing away of my brother last week brought a sad closure to this year for our family.  And life, goes on. Even in the midst of times when you feel like everything should stop while you take time out. Grief is real, and so is our hope in God. My brother was a family man. He loved his family; his wife and his grandchildren very much. I remember thinking as we gathered at his funeral, that there was enough of us alive to keep my brother's love going for his wife, and children/grandchildren. We, who are living are responsible to care and support those whose loved ones have passed on. God's word contains promises that we need for every situation in our lives. ...

WELCOME TO MY BLOG! It’s the last day of November and soon it will be Christmas! source:nansflowers.blogspot.com The pansies flowers I planted last month are blooming beautifully! Such little flowers but they’ve been a source of joy to me. Someone told me once that plants grow when we talk to them.  Although I didn’t really believe that, anyone who loves plants will know that plants respond well to good care.  God made us to thrive and live fulfilling lives. We are responsible to meet our own needs; and it is not selfish to look after ourselves. We must do the things we want to do, make those changes we want to  make so we can enjoy what God has given us to do. No one is going to do it for us!   image source: TreasuresOfHope albums There is always a constant battle to keep good habits alive. Like missing breakfast or working through breaks due to the pressure of work. But it's up to us to take control of these thing. I've maintained ...

WELCOME TO MY BLOG! Spring has come and it's great to feel the fresh winds of the spring season.  Our silver birch tree has new life once again! Its really something to watch the fresh new leaves dancing on the branches that were once bare and dead during the winter. I have followed with interest the process which our deciduous tree (silver birch) goes through year after year. And it always reminds me of the scripture :   "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Eccl. 3:1  I'm experiencing a new season and I am actively making changes in order to respond to new challenges I am facing. I was reminded of a quote that I came across recently - "If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living." (Gail Sheehy) . Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed when it comes to starting positive life changes. Several months ago, I made some decisions that included putting my studies on hold...

God's unfailing love is as vast as the heavens! Psalm 36:5-7 It was one of those days! Sunshine, fresh air, peace and time to think. I started walking, praying and headed for the nearby park. The daffodils greeted me and I stopped to take some pictures smiling back at them. I could have kissed them all one by one, they were so beautiful! Further along the path the magnolia tree was in full bloom. What a beautiful day! "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD" (Psalm 150:6). My heart was full of gratitude. For thirty minutes I was spoiled by the beauty that surrounded me. As I reflect on God's love. I share with the Psalmist: " Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;  your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.    Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,  justice like the ocean depths.  You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.   How precious is your unfailing love, O God!...

Welcome to a re-posting from my blog, reflecting... It's a new season...! “ God you are my God, early will I seek you, my soul thirst for you, my heart longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” Psalm 63:1 source: free images The above verse has been on my mind for days, even weeks. It is true that the more we read our Bible, the more God puts scripture verses into our hearts and minds and they are there when we need them. Recently, I spent a week at home recovering from a nasty cold. It rained almost all of that week! After three days in bed, the state of being unwell was dragging me down and it felt like I was in a wilderness. But then, when we think we are at the end of our selves, that's when God is at his best! We have a silver birch tree that grows in the front of our house. On this particular day, it got my attention. In its autumn season, the tree had only a few leaves left on it as the wind had blown most of the leaves off. The tree s...

Against the dark background of much despair, the message of Easter, of the resurrection brings to us a bright light of hope. It is a message about the courage of love that sets the Christian faith apart from all other beliefs. It is about a loving God who relentlessly pursues us (Ezekiel 34:12) despite the sin in our lives. During our reflection time at work this week – I was led to read the following scripture: Jesus said to [Martha] “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die" (John 11:25-16). Sometimes we don’t think much about the daily acts of courage as we live out our Christian values. It takes courage to speak God's Word in places where you know there are unbelievers who are resistant to the message of he Gospel. I believe this is no time to be satisfied with the status quo in our lives. We should take every opportunity that come and turn them ...

The New Year is here! What a year it's been. And I'm really glad to be starting a New Year. Looking back, 2010 was a busy year. I started a new job at the beginning of the year. Launched my blog (Treasures In Darkness) and started writing. I volunteer weekly as co-host for a radio prayer ministry to the Samoan community and the nations. The ministry celebrated it's first birthday last year. The month of April saw the start of an outreach ministry "Treasures of Hope" to local women in the community. Then in November/December, I attended the 50th Jubilee of Youth With A Mission in Kona, Hawaii. The year closed with the passing away of my father on Christmas day. That year is behind me now. It's time to look ahead! One of the values I had learned from my late father's life was that of ' perseverance. ' He believed in hard work ("if you don't work you don't eat... you become poor"). As a fisherman, he was well known for bringing big...