PJBelfast

  Passages :   The people walking in  darkness  have seen a great  light ; on those living in the land of deep  darkness  a  light  has dawned (Isaiah 9:2) I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the  darkness  into  light  before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the  light  of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the  light  of  life . ’ (John 8:12) I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness (John 12:46) … in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God …For God, who said, ...

Here I have a photo that I cherish. It was taken at my son Jonathan's wedding. I have used the photo as my mobile's wallpaper to remind me of the joy my sweet sister brought to my life. She was my big sister who sadly passed away aged 69. Her name was Ann. She was a great gift giver. I was on the receiving side, recalling how she made my sixth party special with many balloons fit for the occasion. She also gave me a leather bound ESV Bible which was a bit special. Ann suffered ill health the last few years of her life but was never one to grumble or complain. Ann was a women of great faith, always seeing the best in others, even through her health challenges. I recall my 7 minute eulogy, referring to the dash measuring the years between her birthdate and death date 1952-2021. Ann frequently wrote me letters, with all that was happening at home, while I studied at Portland Bible College in the US 1976-1979. They say that "doubt looks back,worry looks around, but...

We sing along every year to  Auld Lang Syne, so this year I decided to see, with the help of Brittanica, what we were actually singing about.  Auld Lang Syne,  is a Scottish song with words attributed to the national poet of Scotland, Robert "Rabbie" Burns. The composer is not definitely known. In English-speaking countries, the first verse and chorus are now closely associated with the New Year festival. The lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” are in the Scots language. The title, translated literally into standard English, is  Old Long Since . The words can be interpreted as since long ago  or  for old times’ sake. It is a song of Réunion. The lyrics are about old friends having a drink and recalling adventures they had long ago. It has a universal sentiment, filled with emotion, and the nostalgia of remembering old friends. It was even used as a truce song in World War 1. It even makes it to the end of the movi...

The Review On reviewing 2021,  famous celebrities, many which you can name have passed on, but nearer to home I realise that I am somewhat sad remembering losing some very dear family members and friends. In contrast to this loss I am also happy to have gained another two gorgeous grandchildren. Life is so "sweet and sour."  My abiding memory of my eulogy for my lovely big sister Ann, was centred around "the dash" of our lives - that short timeline, on many a gravestone recording our time on earth...you know, the time between hatching and dispatching, between our birth and our death. Life is so brief.  The Optimiser Today I was today deleting photos on my smartphone, as too many were clogging the phones memory. It was then I remembered "the optimiser app" which cleans up unused apps and maximises the phones performance. Life is like that. We need to optimise our daily performance. The good book says " teach us to number our days and inclin...

Some churches, on Christmas or the Sunday after Christmas, will remove the other candles and leave a white candle, known as " the Christ candle ."  Often, churches will make the Christ candle larger than the rest to show that Christ is the reason for the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love that we have. Jesus is the reason for the season. The white coloured candle tends to symbolize Christ’s purity, showing Christ’s sinlessness.  The greatest gift of all came that first Christmas. It wasn’t wrapped in a beautiful package and set under a decorated tree. The greatest gift came wrapped in the flesh of baby Jesus and laid in the rough wood of a manger.  Jesus brought light into the world through his arrival on earth as a baby. Christmas celebrates Christ stepping down into darkness to light the world (John 8:12).  Why Does This Matter? We cannot be Christians without Christ and without love. Otherwise, our works and our purpose on earth are for nothing. We...

  Passages :   And everyone who calls on the  name  of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other  name  under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12) 18  Then Jesus came close to them and said,  “All the authority of the universe has been given to me.   19  Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.   20  And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)   Ponder: The sequel to the book of Luke, (one of the two Gospels that covers Jesus' incarnation), is the book of Acts. In Dr. Luke’s day, the name of a person was given intentionally, often saying something about the person’s character, matching their personali...