tornado (The Collins Concise Dictionary) a violent storm with winds whirling around a small area of extremely low pressure, usually characterized by a dark funnel – shaped cloud causing damage along its path.
At the beginning of this year I started to read the Bible at the beginning (Genesis 1:1) and I arrived just now at Jeremiah chapter 44 and the chapter 44 has this headline:
“DISASTER BECAUSE OF IDOLATRY“
Psalm 94:9
“DOES HE WHO IMPLANTED THE EAR NOT HEAR?”
Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
“IT’S NOT OK THAT IN THIS COUNTRY, POLICE RESPOND TO A FAMILY VIOLENCE INCIDENT EVERY 7 AND A HALF MINUTES.”
You find a variety of posters on the walls of hospitals. But yesterday I saw several in the local hospital – it was also the day when a tornado carved it’s mark in our local hospital – that really took my full interest.
The posters are put out by the Northland District Health Board and the posters call all Ages, Cultures, Communities and People! It says:
“FAMILY VIOLENCE IS NOT OK”
“Say YES to healthy relationships”
“Say NO to violence, abuse and neglect”
The posters advertising also an Emergency Contact Card with contact details. People are invited to take one. An emergency Phone Number is also given.
Front of Emergency Contact Card:
Inside the card are the Phone Numbers of Rape Crisis, Women’s Refuge, Victim Support, Police and Age Concern.
There are already a number of posts on this blog that deal with family violence. And – I was not going to mention it again. But it ‘just happened’ that I was having the local paper in my hand when that thought – not to mention family violence again – was still on my mind and that I ‘happened’ to look at the following in the paper: “Two community buses will carry elder abuse and family violence prevention messages around the Far North for the next year.” (Northern News, July 1, 2009)
So it seems that FAMILY VIOLENCE is sadly very much in the NEWS, especially during this winter time. It seems, that winter is not a happy time for many people!
So we have to mention it again. We cannot forget about it!
You remember that it says on the poster mentioned earlier: “SAY YES TO A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP”. But how can we say YES to a healthy relationship? It is very dfficult, as we can see all over the place!
It is easier to say YES to a healthy relationship, when you have a LIVING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
You ask: ” How is it possible for me to have a LIVING RELATIONSHIP with the Lord Jesus Christ?”
PLEASE READ MORE POSTS ON THIS BLOG!
Isaiah 26:4
“TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER, FOR THE LORD, THE LORD, IS THE ROCK ETERNAL.”
“It’s not the years in your life…….
It’s the life in your years!”
I saw that written twice in big coloured letters in the the local paper recently. (Northern News, July 1, 09) and I like it. I like it very much, because it is actually my story.
I remember very vividly the second of September 1958 in my life. I was eighteen years of age at that time. Until then the almost nineteen years in my life did not have any life in them. (It took me some time to realise that!)
Why? Why did they not have any life in them? Because I did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour.
But after the second of September 1958 I had life in my years, the Lord Jesus Christ!
I remember also something else from that time: Near the place where we lived (Bottrop, in Germany near Essen in the Ruhr – District) was a cemetery and just about in the middle of the cemetery was some kind of a monument with a cross and the writing on that monument was from the Gospel of John, John 11:25-26:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Also in the Gospel of John, in John 10:10 the Lord Jesus Christ says: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Please read also what the Lord says in John 5:39-40!
Do you have years in your life or do you have life in your years?
You certainly would not call me an animal lover. When I see a dog on my side of the road I am very likely to go to the other side for my safety. (Only this evening, when I came back in the dark, there was a big dog almost right in front of me and I did not even have a chance to go to the other side of the road.)
But today I saw also the most beautiful animal, and I was so attracted to the dog that I got talking to the owner, who had the dog on a leash as you can see on the picture.
I wanted to know the breed and the answer was, “It is a siberian husky!” I was so enamoured with the beautiful animal and asked ,”Do you mind, if I take a picture of the dog?” Permission was given and I think the owner was even pleased, that I asked.
The owner of the dog was a complete stranger to me and I noticed his accent. Just about when I was going to ask him,” Where do you come from? You are not a Kiwi”, he picked me as a German – my accent – and we also talked a bit in the German language.
He is also a resident of this beautiful town! (Kaitaia: 5 202 resident population)
Needless to say, we talked about spiritual things as well – and it is always so interesting to hear the stories of other people………….
This is from the WEC magazine called “GOinto.org.nz”:
“Samuel Zwemer, a missionary to Muslims of about a century ago said, ‘so many young people’s minds and hearts are occupied by the weak things, by inconsequential things. Their eyes have never been illumined by a great vision, their mind has never been gripped by unselfish thoughts, their hearts have never been thrilled with the passion for the lost, their hands have never grown weary and strong in the lifting of a great burden.'”