I am learning that cuckoos spend winter in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and spring to autumn in New Zealand. It is spring now here in NZ, and the bird’s call can be heard.

Reading about how those clever birds handle winters, made me think about how we handle our winters. As you well know there are not only economic winters, but also physical winters and personal winters.

Are we childish enough to pretend the winters are not there? Are we immature and spend our winters looking for summers? Are we wishing that it was easier? Are we wishing for fewer problems? Are we wishing for less of a challenge?

WINTER: Not a time to look for warmer weather somewhere else, but to kneel to God. Let us remember two phrases:

“A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.”

“The person who kneels to God can stand up to anything.”

(That are also good church signs.)

“LIFE MINUS LOVE EQUALS NOTHING!” – George Sweeting

“IN WIEVIEL NOT HAT NICHT DER GNAEDIGE GOTT UEBER DIR FLUEGEL GEBREITET.”

Der Satz eines deutschen Liedes kommt mir in letzter Zeit immer wieder in den Sinn. Es ist eigentlich der letzte Satz des dritten Verses von dem Lied “Lobe den Herren, den maechtigen Koenig der Ehren, …” Das Lied hat  fuenf Verse.

“In wieviel Not hat nicht der gnaedige Herr ueber dir Fluegel gebreitet”:

Man macht oft dumme Sachen, wenn es sich um wichtige Entscheidungen handelt, auch wenn man auf der Strasse faehrt und so weiter und so weiter.

Das Lied ist von Joachim Neander gedichtet worden, der von 1650 bis 1680 gelebt hat. Er ist nur 30 Jahre alt geworden und hat das Lied gedichtet als er 15 Jahre alt war.

Three Keys

“THE FIRST KEY FOR USEFULNESS AND POWER FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY IS HUMILITY.

THE SECOND IS THE REALIZATION THAT SANCTIFICATION IS ONLY IN CHRIST.

THE THIRD IS RELIANCE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.” – Billy Graham

“YOU ARE A WELCOME GUEST AT THE TABLE OF PROMISES.” –  C. H. Spurgeon

Here are some:

One John 1:9

First Corinthians 3:11

Second Corinthians 3:17

Second Chronicles 20:12

James 4:2

Memorize the precious promises!

A beautiful flower

“BUT AS FOR ME, I WATCH IN HOPE FOR THE LORD, I WAIT FOR GOD MY SAVIOR; MY GOD WILL HEAR ME.” – Micah 7:7

Reading the letter to the editor “Power of the pen,” in our local paper, is a great encouragement for me.

I am encouraged to continue to publish the message of the Bible.

PENS

Even more so as it says in Isaiah 55:11:

“so is my word

that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire and

achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

“Wenn der junge Mensch die Herrschaft ueber sein Handwerkszeug erlangt, gewinnt er auch in einem gewissen Mass die Herrschaft ueber sich selbst; die Werkstatt oeffnet ihm den Weg, ein brauchbarer Mann zu werden.” – Thomas John Barnardo