LIFE...AN ADVENTURE?

Is this true? Is it realistic? Helen Keller was blind and deaf, and yet she rose above her disabilities to become one of the most remarkable women in history. The words "daring adventure"....surely challenge us to live our lives unselfishly and generously, to use our gifts and talents and to not squander the most precious gift: TIME.

My "Bucket List" includes many selfish dreams and activities such as experiencing the great annual migration in the Serengeti in East Africa...travelling across Africa in my 4x4 experiencing wilderness and diverse cultures...capturing award-winning images on film...selling my art work etc etc. My bucket list is mostly about adventures, many daring and exotic and there is nothing wrong with that, but sadly and ashamedly, it does not include anything beyond satisfying my needs and my thirst for adventure. My growing list does not include such things as devoting time to uplifting  a poor community, sacrificing a holiday to volunteer in famine/disaster relief areas, inviting orphans to my home for a day to experience the love of a family, sharing my resources unselfishly and without counting the cost...

For life to be "a daring adventure", I must seize the here and now and make each moment count for eternity. I must see the daily routine of each day as opportunities to make a difference in my words, actions and attitudes. Life lived selfishly, only gratifying my desires, dreams and ambitions is truly "nothing"!

A GREAT IDEA!

MUD HUT GALLERY

Wise Wealth 

Excerpts from "Wisdom Hunters" by Boyd Bailey

“A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” Psalm 49:20

• The wealthy wisely seek to understand God’s game plan for their gold. They prayerfully come up with a plan, and then commit their actions to the Almighty. Then He brings success to their financial plan (Proverbs 16:3). 
• Plans without prayer are perturbing and miss God’s best. Actions committed to Christ carry out God’s game plan. To gain understanding is to frame your financial discussions with an eternal backdrop of motivation. Wealth is a stewardship not to be taken lightly. It is a belief that the Lord’s blessing is much larger than life, and is leveraged for the Lord today. 
• Understand that finances are finite. You have a window of generosity that will close one day. Don’t wait until your riches grow wings and fly away (Proverbs 23:5) to some other faithful soul who understands the insignificance of “stuff” to your Savior. Riches are like hailstones; they fall from Heaven in different sizes, garnering our attention while rattling on the tin roof of our trust. But after a while, once it draws attention to itself, it melts away into the silent ground, gone. The same is true with our “stuff”. It can be here today and gone tomorrow. It is wise to give aggressively what you have today instead of hoping to give what you may not have tomorrow. 
• Missionaries need malaria medicine now. Orphans need homes today. Growling stomachs need more than gruel immediately. Churches are waiting to receive the necessary start-up capital in order to be built. Humanitarian work and the Gospel will spread exponentially, as the wealthy collaborate with Christ, and obey. Run the risk of liberating your wealth for the Lord. It is His to give. 
• God has made us to be kind, not beastly, in our view of wealth. Animals are driven by self-preservation and instinct. But we are children of our heavenly Father. He is gracious and generous in bestowing His good gifts (Matthew 7:9-11). He uses wealth for His ways; so you are wise to do the same. Sanctify your “stuff” for your Savior. Look to the Lord for where and how to save, invest, spend, and give. 
• Beasts perish with little purpose. You graduate to be with God. At your commencement with Christ, you want to be found financially faithful. The wise use of wealth supports eternal initiatives. Wise wealth does not intimidate, nor is it intimidated. It prayerfully releases riches for God’s Kingdom. It is all about investing in and executing the Almighty’s agenda. Wise wealth wraps itself around God’s redemptive plan through faith. It understands and applies God’s generous game plan.

ON PARENTING...

MARRIAGE

Love...commitment...plans...adventures...building...preparation...together...forever...through good times and challenging times...until death do us part

PARENTS

New life...sacrificial love...nurturing...learning...joy...laughter...tears...pain...heartache...growth...adulthood...independence...interdependence...wisdom sought...wisdom shared...letting go...trust in God...realisation of lifetime, unselfish commitment to "family"...laying down your life...caring...loving...praying...supporting...pain...heartache...always present...sometimes absent...always knowing...often confused...choosing words...choosing silence...watching... waiting....worrying...wanting the best...backing off...painful observance from the shadows...helpless...praying...trust in the Father who gave his Son...

LOVING UNCONDITIONALLY!