God's@work in Anna's Uncle & Aunt who don't believe him (and might think they can't)

Amen, dear God

your work in Len,

and Hannah's got

them further than

they'd ever be

if it weren't for

Anna's listening

which shows you're more

than they have seen

in life, so far

These books have been

good help; so "Ta" -

to your word,

and your daughter

may't be they've heard

your spirit's water

running somewhere,

so they now get

thirsty to share

a draught, and bet

their old life on

the better yet,

and come on strong,

lest we forget -

what you have done

in each of us -

You've really won

us from "just dust".

Thank you.

Remember, don't forget, what is true, let it into you!

After looking at the the stories of Abraham being led by God into new things: from polytheism, into worshiping Elohim;  from being a wandering Aramean, into being a landed people (including from a childless old couple into a small nation), and in the process from slavery into being free-people (under YHWH). Then looking at the stories in the times of the Judges, the people of Israel did ok while there remained some alive who had personally witnessed the miraculous events of the Exodus; after they died the people became fodder for the Caananite culture & religions which claimed ownership & inside knowledge of "The Land", that these newly freed people now found themselves trying to farm etc.

Then we retired for the night deciding to read (since it was the 7th) chapter 7 of Proverbs. We noted that these were not Proverbs proper, but the first 9 chapters were an injunction to seek Wisdom & understanding, so that you could then be in a position to use the Proverbs well. Read the chapter. Then Ian & I took the first 5 verses & noted how it fitted with the need of the time of the Judges, for parents/teachers to teach their child(ren), to help them see the importance of their learning, & to recall & live it out. Also reminded us of Jesus's similar statements to his "children". We tried to make it more memorable for ourselves, to digest it creatively, so we tried to turn it into a poem-ish thingo:

My son, remember what I say,

never forget what I tell you

& you will live, if you obey!

Take it, make it what you chew;

as  you keep things out of your eyes,

keep my teachings with you always,

& keep them with the things you prize.

Treat wisdom as your closest mate,

and insight as your dearest friend;

together they keep you away

from all the wives of other men,

from women who seduce their prey!

(it kind of fits to a tune like... "I've looked at love from both sides now, from up & down, & still somehow...")

E) Quiet fun listening to "The Hawk & the Dove" etc.

D) Quiet fun listening to "The Hawk & the Dove" etc.

C) Quiet fun listening to "The Hawk & the Dove" etc.

B) Quiet fun listening to "The Hawk & the Dove" etc.

A) Quiet fun (beside my daughty: Annabelle) after tea@Canowindra CS centre: listening to Georgie read "The Hawk & the Dove"

God’s Gracious Gift to his children, formed into a Nation; of Ten "Words"

It was fun for me the other day (in OT studies at Canowindra, with Russ Hodge & the Canowindra students) trying to put the ten ideas involved in the ten commandments into one (hyphenated) word each. The Jew's apparently know them as the Ten Words. Then afterwards I tried to just see how each one connected with the BIG PICTURE & expressed it, even at the expense of surpassing the word limit. Here is what I came up with:

God’s Gift - "Ten Words"

One!  -is the I AM, Yahweh;  Honour  Yahweh  as  god, as No.1,  as  God the only One!

2. No technological images to worship! (They miss the most important thing about Yahweh - LIFE. The only allowable images of Yahweh, are those living images created by Yahweh & procreated by us, in fulfilling God's mandate to us)

3. Honour God’s name! (Names are important & linked to the person, at least through language, which must be important in linking us with our father & with other humans & with our own humanity too)

4. Copy God’s  use of time, & energy; (his priority of regularly celebrating not only his work, but his friends/family,)   Sabbath.

5. Honour your earthly parents (who are meant to mirror and concretize God’s authority/ relationship to  you).

6. Dishonour not the other sex, nor your word to one, or all (nor the covenant relationship of a man & woman leaving their own father & mother & being formed into a new family unit - by God).

7. Dishonour not the right to existence of  an image of God in God’s world (as though you yourself could choose whether another image of God should live on God’s earth or not. For who made you a ruler or judge over others?).

8. Dishonour not people’s capacity (as images of Yahweh) to rule over the stuff (things & places) of God’s world (since God has given us such authority).

9. Dishonour not your neighbour’s nearness & trust (since it is God who ordained the boundaries of our existence in time & space; and you know more about your neighbour who lives beside you trusting you. You are responsible for that knowledge, to use it to bless, not curse, your neighbour).

10. Dishonour not your own lack of things (in general & in particular, even though you have the capacity to change many things, there are some things you are simply stuck with - or without) at God’s ultimate discretion; since Yahweh (not others, or our own self,) is our god, our number One!

Ten WORDS

It was fun for me the other day (in OT studies at Canowindra, with Russ Hodge) trying to put the ideas involved in the ten commandments into one (hyphenated) word each. The Jew's apparently know them as the Ten Words, also noting that 10 times God speaks in the Creation story. Then afterwards I tried to just see how each one connected with the BIG PICTURE & expressed it, even at the expense of surpassing the word limit. Here is what I came up with:

God’s Gracious Gift of Ten Commands

One  is  Yahweh;  Honour  Yahweh  as  No.1,  as  God!
2. No technological images of Yahweh!(only living ones created by him & procreated by us, in fulfilling his mandate to us)
3. Honour God’s name! (Names are important & linked to the person, at least through language, which must be important in linking the human race too)
4. Copy God’s  (use of time, & his priority of regularly celebrating not only his work, but his friends/family,)   Sabbath.
5. Honour your earthly parents (who are meant to mirror and concretize God’s authority/ relationship to  you).
6. Dishonour not the other sex nor your words to them (nor the covenant relationship of a man & woman leaving their own father & mother & being formed into a new family unit - by God).
7. Dishonour not the right to existence of  an image of God in God’s world (as though you yourself could choose whether another image of God should live on God’s earth or not. For who made you a ruler or judge over others?).
8. Dishonour not people’s capacity (as images of Yahweh) to rule over the stuff (things & places) of God’s world (since God has given us such authority).
9. Dishonour not your neighbour’s nearness & trust (since it is God who ordained the boundaries of our existence in time & space; and you know more about your neighbour who lives beside you trusting you. You are responsible for that knowledge, to use it to bless, not curse, your neighbour).
10. Dishonour not your own lack of things (in general & in particular, even though you have the capacity to change many things there are some things you are simply stuck with - or without) at God’s ultimate discretion, since God is One!.

A good man and his good wife, pass on goodness through their life.

Well, here we go my good friend;
my daughter reminded me
this morning, of folk who send
the goodness in them, to be

growing into others near
(like a mould or virus grows)
till their own infection's sheer -
-"carriers" in their "Hello"s.

Both you and your wife have been
such a carrier to me,
and mine, as can still be seen,
at times, goodness grows slowly.

I'm glad that God has christened
such a great bloke as he's done:
(a second Adam, kissened
by an Eve he now has won),

but in the courts of power:
"Leader of Humanity" -
his title of the hour
that holds the rest of History.

You've let his methods win you,
his authority of love,
you've let them enter in you
with his wisdom from above!

Thanks for letting me in too,
as much as you've been able,
with all the demands on you
as we live in God's fable!

The night b4 their wedding; David & Michelle.

Hey,
Happy wedding day!
Sleep,
Well, you'll all so weep
Joy,
as a girl & boy.
Graced,
& together carefully placed.
Won,
by the God who makes two one:
Three,
One, mirrored by "he and she",
Then,
maybe it was only when
Child
came along, they fully styled
God,
whose way we're made   for (& shod)!

increased awareness of violence in Dubbo - with significant issues happening in West (where we live)..

God, please help this broken place,
broken people now deface
with broken speech, to disgrace
the broken friendships that trace
bigger breaks with lore & grace.
Help us to help out, not waste.
Amen

After Chris, then Billy..

In the past week (or so), Chris was back from Uni & made a point of visiting for a coffee & chat. He wanted to make good use of the time & we ended up deciding not to just talk about doing things, but to set some time aside to DO something, that we think we're made to do! This wasn't "öut there", so much in this external world God has made (and involved us in its continuing making), but more in the invisible world of thought & communication. So we made space to create; a poem, a song, a picture etc. It was fun, though neither of us finished what we started. The next week before he left, he visited & said how much he'd appreciated actually being helped to use time to create, and how he'd tried to do that with other friends he'd met with in between, to good effect.

So, we had another go.

It was the 18th of the month, so we read Proverbs ch 18 (out loud, alternating proverb by proverb), then told each other the three proverbs that had most interested/ impacted us. Then, choosing the one that least interested/impacted us from those three, we had 5 or ten minutes to make it into a song/dance/chant/ditty/ etc. Then we presented them to each other. I recorded our attempts. It was fun. Gilbert came in & helped us with some harmonies too.

Then the other night at a community meal, I was sitting beside Billy & recalled Chris's comments. Our community calendar has suggested that we read through Matthew ch 5 this month & pick a verse (or more) to memorize, so that we can meditate on it & let it into us in a deeper way... So we read the chapter through & picked a verse or two. We happened to pick the same one; Matthew 5:16 from The Message translation by Eugene Petersen. It goes like this...

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.


I didn't get to present it to Billy that night, so here it is Billy. This is my attempt to put it to a beat, to help get it into me more: God, help us to grow more to be like you, our father in heaven.

Sonja's opportunity, house & neighbours quite lovely:

Thank you our God
for Son'ja's house,
and both children,
neighbours seem grouse!


Thanks for giving 
those neighbours this
Son' and family
with Jesus' peace.


Jesus' spirit
in this one small
family. Grant  it
to take them all


by surprise like
that Trojan horse
when into Troy
it found it's course.


That strategy
brought on their death;
(as does fishing),
this: life and breath.


Though it means doom
to our domain,
our zombie womb;
His life again


lives in humans,
shows out his love,
as a flower bloomin'
(with) life from above.