I started life in an anti-theist family. To both my parents God was only a swear word and anyone who was a believer in any god was weak and useless as they needed a crutch.

Nowadays they also would have been known as child abusers but in those days the leather strap was normal and I did not feel loved unless I had at least one hiding a day. I was never naughty, just misunderstood, that is my version and I am sticking to it.

To my parents I was hell on wheels.

School, homework and chores were there to be avoided, if at all possible, and sleep was for those who had nothing better to do. My music teacher abused me and my mother could not understand why I did not wish to become the next child prodigy, besides all that practise was boring, there were better things to do, fight with the neighbourhood kids, or just run around in the African bush. (it was safe in those days)

I was rebellious and stubborn, If I was my own mother I would have given me away at birth.

I was sent to boarding school as the standard of education dropped in the local schools after independence. I hated it initially and tried to run away. Home was only two countries away, but since when did reason come into these things. I cried when I left. Some people are never happy!

My parents divorced when I was thirteen, not a good time, and being at boarding school did not help, though it protected me from the worst of the fights. My poor younger brother suffered the brunt of it. he is five years younger than me and I am nearly three years younger then my older brother.

 My father was a drunkard and all I can say is my mother gave as good as she got. Us kids hid.

I went to an Anglican boarding school and got into lots of trouble there too. Misunderstood again. I had a nominal knowledge of the God of the Bible and an aversion to church (every day and twice on Sundays, morning service before breakfast and kneeling for what felt like hours. Now THAT is abuse).

I could not accept that I was put on this earth to just to breathe and die. There had to be something more.

I started searching. I experimented with things that are best left alone and as a result suffered more than is normal, crazy how we try to destroy ourselves.

To me God had to be something better than what we have on earth, or He is not a God. The one religion I avoided in my search was Christianity.

My mother had taught us to sail on the dam, and watching everyone loosing houses, farms, insurances and pensions and some of my friends

A cyclone was going over the top of Madagascar and the winds in the Seychelles were NW gusting up to 35 kn. The anchor was holding and had been for a few hours and we had dived on it to make sure it was properly dug in.

A friend of mine, one of the best skippers I know, who was skippering a 56′ charter cat came and anchored in front of us. in the early afternoon. ”He knows what he is doing” I thought to myself, so I was not concerned.

I happily went to bed without any concerns.

At 00h30 a voice woke me up. “Gunter is going to drag” it said.

I quickly rushed on deck. the wind was no stronger and all the boats were the same as when I went to bed. No one else in the anchorage was awake

I stood on the foredeck and watched, getting slowly colder in the wind. “I must have been mistaken” I muttered to myself but it was an audible voice, at least it was to me.

I turned to go back aft and as I did so the wind came through with an extra shreik. I knew before I turned round that the boat in front had started to drag.

“Gunter, you are dragging” I yelled on the top of my voice. I kept yelling for a minute or two as the boats got closer and the hatches on my boat flew open and the owner and his friends appeared.

Gunter came on deck and started his motors and put them in gear. By this time there was only fender space between the two boats.

Thier dinghy line fouled a prop and it cut thier dinghy loose. by this time they had managed to turn and pass us and managed to avoid the other boats in the crowded anchorage and were anchoring at the back of the fleet.

I launched our dinghy and retrieved thier dinghy for them.

“You were on deck waiting for him to drag” the owner remarked when I got back ” How did you know”

“God told me” I replied and went back to bed.

We have just had the Tall Ships Race to Portugal and Madeira start here. It was an amazing sight and Falmouth was very busy with lots of visitors comming in.

I was Privileged to be able to be part of the “Falmouth Churches Together” outreach team. It was my first time in street ministry and I had a lot to learn and as usual, I found out how terribly human and fallible I was.

Fortunately the team was led and organised by true men of God and I felt honoured to be a very small part of a truly dedicated team.

There was prayer 24 hours a day for 7 days to cover the outreach. Not just 1 prayer room, but 3, with different types of prayer. Silent and group.

There was a prayer tent on events square for those who wanted prayer and some met the Lord there.

Christian men and women came from all over Cornwall to be part of the prayer team or the evangilist team.

The Gideons came to give Bibles to all the crew on the ships and a beautiful laser printed plaque was presented to the ships on behalf of the Falmouth Churches Together with Psalm 139:7-10

The leaflets were very well done using the international code flags to present a gospel message, and “Jesus Saves” in flags on the back.

Thousands of these leaflets were given out and lots of people engaged in conversations about the gospel. Hundreds of Bibles were given out.

 We now continue to pray that the literatue and bibles continue to do their work. We pray especially for those who refused, they reminded me so much of myself.

As a newcomer to England it was fantastic to see God at work in a country were you can enroll for college degrees in the occult 

Praise His Holy Name

Although Henri Matisse was nearly 28 years younger than Auguste Renoir, the two great artists were dear friends and frequent companions. When Renoir was confined to his home during the last decade of his life, Matisse visited him daily. Renoir, almost paralyzed by arthritis, continued to paint in spite of his infirmities using a brush strapped to his arm.

One day as Matisse watched the elder painter working in his studio, fighting torturous pain with each brush stroke, he blurted out: “Auguste, why do you continue to paint when you are in such agony?”

Renoir answered simply: “The beauty remains, the pain passes.” 

And so, almost to his dying day, Renoir put paint to canvas.  One of his most famous paintings, Bathers, was completed just two years before his passing, 14 years after he was stricken by this disabling disease.

            -The Best of Bits and Pieces

When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. If it is going to be something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility.

             -Reverend Charles Inwood

If, after my removal, anyone should think it is worth his while to write my life, I will give you a criterion by which you may judge its correctness. If he gives me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly. … I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit.

            -William Carey, often considered the father of modern Christian missions

If people knew how hard I worked at my art, they would not consider me a genius.

            -Michelangelo

I’ll take a “5” with a “10” attitude over a “10” with a “5” attitude any day.

             -Author unknown

Faith to keep on going

Faith is standing your ground when all others desert. Faith is burning your bridges so you cannot go back. Faith is willing to pay any price. Faith is doing what God tells you to do today and believing Him for tomorrow. Faith is the opposite of fear. Faith is choosing God in spite of all other possibilities. Faith is standing on God’s Word and not your feelings. Faith is willing to die trusting. That’s the kind of faith that works miracles!

GOD won’t ask the square footage of your house, but He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

GOD won’t ask about the clothes you had hanging in your closet, but He’ll ask how many you helped clothe.

GOD won’t ask what your highest salary was, but He’ll ask if you had to compromise your character to obtain it.

GOD won’t ask what your job title was, but He’ll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

GOD won’t ask how many friends you had, but He’ll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

GOD won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He’ll ask how you treated your neighbors.

GOD won’t ask about the colour of your skin, but He’ll ask about the content of your character.

GOD won’t ask why it took so long to seek salvation, but He’ll lovingly take you to his mansion in Heaven, and not to the Gates of Hell.

GOD won’t ask how many people you forwarded this to, but He’ll ask if you were ashamed to pass it on to your friends.

But the One searching the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He petitions on behalf of the saints according to God.

Rom 8:28

But we know that to the ones loving God all things work together for good, to those being called according to purpose;

Rom 8:29

because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.

Rom 8:30

But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Rom 8:31

What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

2. John 20:29 - Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

3. Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

4. 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7-8  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the

faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

5. Hebrews 12:1 - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.