APRIL
2-3 Gnowangerup area schools ”Easter and the Animal Brain” presentations
4-5 Perth area schools ”Easter and the Animal Brain” presentations
9-13 Gwellup Family Camp, in Busso
13-18 Banksia Grove Family Camp, also in Busso
May
1-4 Possible Schools Country-trip
11 Strategic Planning retreat day for OACWA committee
12 Nollamara Church of Christ, missions training
14-20 Visiting intern from Singapore (a good week to book school meetings)
22-26 OAC National Conference (Melbourne)
29 Life-Sharing training series, at Mt Pleasant Uniting
June
1 Kingsway Methodist Youth Outreach
5 Life-Sharing training series, at Mt Pleasant Uniting
12 Life-Sharing training series, at Mt Pleasant Uniting
19 Life-Sharing training series, at Mt Pleasant Uniting
June 25 – Aug 12 Long Service Leave (part 1). That’s right, I started with OAC in 1997. God has been faithful to us, through those who are faithful to Him.
Thank-you all.
.
.
.
2012 the end of the world?
I admit to mixed emotions when I think about 2012:
1) Serious: I do take seriously that one day there will be an end to time-as-we-know-it. And it may even be within our life-time, because of the exponential way global limits are coming to a head, like over-population, economics, energy supply, environmental limits, and gospel communications. But not in 2012.
2) Bemused: The Mayans simply ran out of room on their calendar stone! Hollywood is great at making block-buster, global events over stories based on the flimsiest of pretexts (Hello, Dan Brown.) If you’ve lived more than a decade, you’ve seen lots of these end-of-the-world predictions come and go. We know it’s just another fear-driven marketing tool!
3) Steadfast, excited, scared, trusting: Things are coming to a head, but haven’t yet. I can’t tell the future, but I can tell you the end of the world won’t be in 2012, because Jesus says no-one knows the time of the end-of-the-world: it will take us all by surprise, like a thief in the night.
So in 2013 I’ll be saying, “I told you so, no-one knows!” And then maybe, Bam! the end might come.
Whenever it comes, I’ll face it like I face death: with a mixture of grief, sadness, loss, fear-of-the-unknown, yes, but also excitement-about-the-Known, faith, love, relief, maybe even a sense of adventure. And I can only say those positive things because:
1. I’m convinced of the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection, and
2. the living dynamic of the Holy Spirit within me as the first deposit of that spiritual Life to come.
Who or what do you trust?
So then, you must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him. (Matthew 24 & 25)
Live as if He is already here – because He is!
Then the last day will have continuity with the New Day.
