Jono Miller

"Have mercy on me O God - because of Your love and Your kindness. Look down on me but do not see my sin. Remove it from before Your sight and mine. Cover me because of the blood of Your Son's death. May Your mercy restore me. May Your punishment be stayed. Lift me up. Set my feet on the Rock. May they not stumble again. May my foot not be moved. May my faith not waver. You have proven time and time again that You are faithful - You are trustworthy. Cause my faith in You to grow. May your mercy and grace be the crowning marks of my life. May my mouth sing praise and joyously tell forth all You have done and will continue to do. Let me dance - let me sing - may my heart be lifted up - may I see You my King, and live - Have mercy O God upon me - a sinner."

Yesterday was Independence Day. Independence - freedom - from what? Soviet rule? Yes. But is Ukraine truly free?

What about me? I want to be free Lord, totally free to live - to love - to be the me You created. Yet those I love the most, I judge. I feel judged by them and I allow negativity to bind me. I listen to selfish desires and the noose tightens. Oh who will free this soul from bondage. God like Asaph in Psalm 73 - give me eternal perspective. Take me into the house of the Lord. Let me understand that in all heaven, I have nothing but You - and for me it is good to be near God.

Oh free me! Let my spirit soar - let my soul rejoice - let my body dance. Independence Day has come.

I have been down four different wells. I've cleaned Daniel's crooked well - 20 metres, Jon's really deep well - 35 metres, my well - 8 metres and been part way down Cheryl's to fix a hose joint. Water is so essential to life. I have had lots of problems getting water to my house. Last week I spent one entire day devoted to trying to fix the problem. With help from Jon we had intermittent water by 8pm. Now Mark and Jon have fine tuned it and we have great hot and cold running water. What a blessing.

You enter a zone - a level - a place you feel you have been before but have never been before. Everything looks so familiar and yet feels so foreign. You waited with eager anticipation to arrive - and now you don't know what to do. It seems like the plan is so simple, it's complex.

And suddenly everything goes quiet. You have a moment - a short fraction of time when all around you stops and you are still. You try to be busy - you run here and there - and then a beautiful warmth comes over you - the sudden realisation that this it. You have arrived. Be still and know that I am God.

Your foundation is set. The rock is established - you cannot be moved. And as you know this - the other parts of the puzzle click back into place.

You are home!

I was recently challenged and encouraged by the testimony of a friend who having grown up in Australia, has recently taken part in some relief-based short term mission opportunities. Sometimes I hear well meaning Christians say that instead of sending people on short term missions the money could be better spent going directly to the people in the needy situation. I am a believer in the value of short term missions for many reasons (write and ask me if you like). But here are a few quotes from my friend's testimony which I think may serve as a challenge to many.

My friend recently visited Cambodia with Samaritan's Purse and some refugee camps in Thailand. She learned of hundreds of thousands of people who "have only one meal a day and very few possessions, and many of them have never seen freedom, and never will."

Today was my last Sunday with West Penno church for quite some time. My good mate Dave Peacock preached a cracker sermon from 2 Peter 3 about the day of the Lord. I'm about to head back to Ukraine. I compare so many things between life here and there. I think about the up coming months and the plans further into the future. I was greatly challenged to have a much greater focus upon the day of the Lord. Do I look forward with joy and anticipation toward the coming of Christ? Am I making every effort to live a holy and blameless life?

Whatever this week holds for you, I hope this short note refocuses your vision, and mine, upon things which are eternal. And if you have the time, listen to Dave's sermon.

I was recently sent the following quote:

If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them.    -- C. S. Lewis

Do you agree with this? Is this challenging or shaming? Those of you reading this probably have your own computer and at least have Internet access. Please feel free to make some comments on stewardship and how we as 'wealthy' Christians should budget and spend the money God allows to pass through how hands. What should be our mindset towards comfort?

I realise I'm only asking the questions - but it is an area I often consider and am challenged about.

"The time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time." Bertrand Russell

A large portion of this year for me has been "time out". It has been thoroughly necessary, worthwhile and rewarding. And also very enjoyable. But I have had to seriously deal with thoughts about time wasting, usefulness etc. I've grown to realise that so much of our thinking, and our yard sticks for success, revolve around what we accomplish: "How much can I accomplish? - and remember that time is money".

I have also been challenged about joy. God means for us to live lives full of joy. I believe joy is 5% what happens and 95% attitude  - or should I say 5% external and 95% internal.

So rather than asking, What can I accomplish?, I want to ask, Who does God want me to be? and How then should I live so He is glorified through me?

True joy finds it's source in Christ. Therefore, "the time I enjoy wasting, is not wasted time".

I wrote this psalm on December 7 while at

Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Zambia.

I had recently been white-water rafting on the Zambezi. 

God You are Sovereign.

You created the amazing waterfalls that thunder.

The people that live here and all the animals.

The rich and the poor You made.

God, I don’t understand You or Your justice.

But I know You are just – the judge of all the earth will do right.

So God, I see my problem before me.

It looms up big like a dark cloud –

Like an overwhelming obstacle that will swallow me and consume me.

Today I was reading my diary and found a couple of entries I had meant to share but never got around to posting. This is one I wrote on October 25 while I was travelling in Scotland.