“goodreading” is the name of a magazine I enjoy very much. One page is called “me my shelf i.” ( I still have to find out what the meaning of that is.)

Fourteen questions are asked on that page and all of them have to do with reading and books.

One issue of “goodreading” has the picture of David Hobson on that page and he is asked the 14 questions.

David Hobson is one of the best – known operatic performers in Australia with a number of awards. With other words he is famous.

Here are some of the 14 questions:

What are you reading now and why? How are the books on your shelves organised – or aren’t they? Which author would you like most to meet, and why? Where is your favourite place to read? Here is another question: Which books have had the most influence on your lifestyle and philosophy? I am very much interested in that question as you can well imagine. But the following question I like best: What is your all – time favourite book?

I am not writing down here the answers David Hobson gave to those two last questions, but if you have read other posts on this blog you know my answer already, namely my answer to those two last questions is : The Bible, the Word of the Living God!

But don’t worry, I am not going to finish this post here. That would be a little bit disappointing. And nobody likes disappointments!

After reading the answers given by David Hobson I picked up another issue of “goodreading” and turned to the page “me my shelf i” – I still don’t know what that means – and read the answers to the same questions given by another very very famous Australian citizen. His name is Graeme Clark, Professor Graeme Clark AC. The father of professor Graeme Clark was profoundly deaf and professor Graeme Clark invented the Bionic Ear. In the year 2004 professor Clark was awarded Australia’s highest civil honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for services to medicine and science. In the year 2004 he was also proclaimed Australian father of the Year! A world famous man!

Was I pleased and encouraged to read all his answers to the 14 questions. And I hope you are also encouraged.

His answer to the question: Which books have had the most influence on your lifestyle and philosophy? The Bible has been the guiding light in living.

His answer to the question: What is your all – time favourite book? Apart from the BIBLE, War and Peace and Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.

Personally I find the last bit about him mentioning the book Anna Karenina by Tolstoy very interesting. I read the book A. Karenina by Tolstoy many many years ago – but lately it came to my mind to read it again! In that book is one part that made a deep impression on me when I read it for the first time.

Today I read in the Coffee News (26. 10. 09):

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” – Elizabeth Kubler -Ross

Paul, the apostle, calls all the christians in Thessalonica sons of  the  light and sons of the day. He says also that we don’t belong to the  night or to the darkness.

First Thessalonians 5:5

That has not always been so! There was a ‘once’ and a ‘but now’ in their life! Once they were darkness, but now they are  light in the Lord. The apostle Paul admonishes the christians in Ephesus to live as children of light and to find out what pleases the Lord. He tells them also what the fruit of the light consists of, namely:  in all goodness, righteousness and truth.

Ephesians 5:8

The Lord Jesus Christ says that we are the light of the world. We are also commanded to let our light shine before men. Our neighbours should see our good deeds. Because when they see our good deeds they are going to praise our Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

We are living in a crooked generation. Our generation is also depraved. In this crooked and depraved generation we are to shine like stars  as we preach the Gospel!

I read something about “our shining stars” in the Baptist HomeCare Waitakere newsletter while in Auckland.

“We think that we have some of the most awesome staff on the planet working for BHCE! It’s great to know that a lot of you think that too, judging by the phone calls we get each month saying how much you appreciate your Support Worker and all they do for you.

To nominate you Support Worker, give your Co – ordinater a call and let them know WHO you want to nominate and WHY and they will make sure that information gets to the right people.”

Every month there is a different picture of a Support Worker in the newsletter.

Philippians 2:15

Let me close with Acts 13:47. ” ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring SALVATION TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.’ “

YES, TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!

“Walking in a churchyard I have often asked myself, ‘Where are all the bad people buried?’

Charles Lamb, English essayist

I have been thinking quite a bit about FAITH lately and today I found quite a bit about faith. Here we are:

“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”

Oswald Chambers

“Faith does not minimise difficulties but does magnify God.”

Bramwell H. Tillsley (Manpower for the Master)

“What is faith? It is giving myself to God, ‘risking’ myself ( if we may use such a term, when there is no risk about it), risking my all, for this life and for the next, on the truthfulness and the goodness of God, and daring to live and act contrary to everybody around me, knowing that all God has said is true.”

Catherine Booth

Life and Death

Listen to what D. L. Moody says: ( I hope you have heard about D.L. Moody!)

“NEXT  TO THE MIGHT OF GOD, THE SERENE BEAUTY OF A HOLY LIFE IS THE MOST POWERFUL INFLUENCE FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD.”

“….THE SERENE BEAUTY OF A HOLY LIFE…”

IS THAT WHY WE AS CHRISTIANS HAVE LOST THE CUTTING EDGE?

Today I read something what I have also experienced.

It brought back to me what is written in the letter to the Hebrews in chapter twelve. It says there that God is our Heavenly Father and that we are his Sons. The first thirteen verses of Hebrews  chapter twelve have the caption: “God Disciplines His sons. ”

I don’t know if you have heard about Joy Cowley. But she writes the following and she says it so beautiful:

“I’ve had a very ordinary life which at the same time has been very rich — lots of wonderful things have happened. But the most wonderful things are the ones I didn’t want at the time, the HARDSHIPS.”

Hebrews 12:7 mentions hardships. Here we go: “ENDURE hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?”