Jono Miller

WANNA BE A CHAMPION?

Become a champion hugger. A hug says:

• Hello

• Goodbye

• I'm sorry

• I forgive you

• I like you

• I care for you

• You're special to me

• I love you

- Not always, but often far better than any words can ever do.

(Courtesy Uncle Roger’s father of the groom speech)

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

UKRAINE

VLAD

Tom writes:

WHEN IS IT OK TO CHEAT?

The answer is “today”. I don’t have an inspirational or challenging thought ready for you today and I need to go to sleep. So I will repeat what I did once last year and copy and paste a few quotes from my website. A few people commented that they were blessed by them last time anyhow.

God provides the wind of His spirit; all we have to do is set our sails in the right direction. — Ken Duncan

Sport is a preserver of health — Hippocrates

The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution. — J. Oswald Sanders

Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved.

— Henri Nouwen

Forgiveness doesn't make the other person right, it makes you free.

— Stormie Omartian

He became what we are that he might make us what he is.

— Athanasius of Alexandria

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. — Leo Tolstoy

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

TO ALL MY FANS . . .

I have a ceiling fan in my room. It’s always been there. I hardly notice it. I turn it on during hot summer days and the only time I think about it is when I take my shirt off – it’s a low ceiling!

But on Saturday down at the “church spruce up day” I cleaned the ceiling fans. Some of them were pretty dirty. Now they look pretty good. The only problem is now I notice how dirty the ceiling fan is in my room. Before then, I had no clue and it didn’t bother me. Now, every time I glance at my ceiling fan, it bothers me and will continue to do so until either I clean it, or I get used to it.

Sometimes negative character traits or habits may exist in our lives and we are blissfully unaware. But when the Holy Spirit convicts us of the righteousness to which we are called and we can no longer ignore a specific personal attribute, then we have two choices. Clean it up or let it harden.

It can be painful, and it can take up time and effort we think we’d rather put somewhere else, but I know that cleaning it up is better.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!

I may have started the countdown rather early, however anyone can follow the countdown here and the really eager have saved it to their computers. Today another early countdown was announced. Julia Gillard announced an election – in September. Fans of football and rugby sometimes start counting down to the next world cup as soon as one has finished. Too bad they have to wait four years and none of their friends are interested in the countdown.

What am I getting at? If something seems too distant, it is easy for us to forget about it, lose sight, be distracted from the goal, or begin to think it will never actually happen anyway. As far as our wedding is concerned, I will not forget about it. I am counting down with an eagerness and enthusiasm that borders on extremism. For others it’s not such an occasion.

THE UNKNOWN YOUTH PASTOR

This is the true story of an unknown youth pastor. But first I must tell you about Dean (name changed for privacy). Dean grew up in a rough and tumble neighbourhood with rough and tumble friends. In High School Dean played on the football team. Their team had such a reputation that on away games after the game they were escorted from the locker room onto the bus and driven clear out of town. Definitely no one in Dean's team ever went to church. But for home games a skinny scrawny local youth pastor would come down to their locker room and pray with them before the game and invite them to visit the church's youth group.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE!!

Have I got your attention?

I thought so!

Today is my parent’s wedding anniversary. They have been married for 46 years which is a wonderful achievement, a wonderful testimony to the institution of marriage and a wonderful example of faithfulness.

“Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam.”

These oft quoted words to do with marriage from the Princess Bride are favourites of mine. What images does the word or concept of marriage conjure up for you? We all want to believe in the fairy tale but all too often witness (firsthand or second-hand) more harsh realities.

At church we have just finished a series of “Sunday School Lessons”. We did a quick overview of basic Christian doctrines and the last two weeks we have been looking at heaven and hell. A dear old friend gave a beautiful picture of heaven. It is also the most beautiful picture of marriage. For heaven is all about Jesus. He is our bridegroom and we His bride. The perfect marriage.

WHEN I’M STUCK FOR WORDS

It is not often that I am stuck for words. Sometimes when I want a pick-me-up I go to my own website (it’s not as bad as it sounds) and hit refresh a few times to read the various quotes of the day. Here are a few to share with you and just maybe one of these is God ordained for your situation this day. From one of my favourite authors and a truth I readily experience:

The soul is healed by being with children. — Fyodor Dostoevsky

For those questioning which church to attend:

The perfect church service, would be one we were almost unaware of. Our attention would have been on God. — C.S. Lewis

For any Swedish friends – or just those who tend to be a bit anxious:

Worry gives a small thing a big shadow. — Swedish Proverb

From another classic author along similar lines:

Our whole life is taken up with anxiety for personal security, with preparations for living, so that we really never live at all. — Leo Tolstoy