Fellowship through similar interests and commitment

This past week has been a feast of fellowship for me with other writers and other committed Christians.

Let me start with the monthly meeting of Society Women Writers Tasmania last Monday. I was unable to go last month and it was good to hear what the writers had been busy doing. Then we enjoyed the workshop about understanding people with sociopathic characteristics and how to portray them in our writing efforts. I find these meetings with other writers stimulating, help me be more disciplined with my writing. This time I did remember to take some photos!

Ray shared on his post last Monday a little about our week of fellowship with our Texas friends. The last few days have continued to be a feast for us here in our little church in our small village on the shores of the beautiful Tamar River.

Last week we shared fellowship on a special evening for the ladies. My diet certainly flew out the window with the temptation of all the goodies prepared for us. It was a fun night which included that chocolate fountain where we coated yummy marshmallows, strawberries and even slices of banana now rather a luxury after the floods this year in Australia destroyed so many plantations! While we nibbled away (now... is that the right word or should it be guzzled for me?), it was great to chat together and get to know women from our area. Later we were blessed and also challenged in our daily walk with God through the items in song and the talk by Heather Horton from Lake Fork Baptist church.

Well, that was last week’s feast for fellowship - especially with other women - but yesterday and today were added feasts as we shared a morning tea again with women in our neighbouring village. Today I was privileged to take our three ladies from Texas to enjoy with me the Beaconsfield Aglow meeting. Another time of praising God and this time being reminded that God’s promises are sure, certain and He never fails to keep them. But what about promises we have made not only to others but especially to God?

And perhaps the fact I kept forgetting to take more photos to share here and on Facebook is an indication how carried away I get at times when sharing God’s Word with other women. It is not only a time of enjoying fellowship but sharing the challenges to live as women who belong to Jesus Christ. Only then can God be glorified in and through us as we not only “talk the walk” but “walk the talk.”

And so, I've enjoyed fellowship these past days with writers who share with me a passion to put thoughts in words on paper and women who seek also to be strengthened in their Christian walk and praise the Lord as I do.

What kind of fellowship do you enjoy the most?

Whatever the Weather!

4th of July is America's Independence Day and we have our team from Texas still with us this important day for them. Thought I'd share this photo of Ray and I visiting a Rocky Mountains lookout in Colorado back in 2009 and also in one of the shopping centres in Denver. If you click on the photo to enlarge it you should see words of their national anthem above our heads. We flew from Denver to Dallas and visited the Lake Fork Baptist church in Texas where our team here comes from. We are so grateful to them for their generosity in helping our little fellowship reach out to our community with the love of Jesus and want to honour them this special day - despite the really bad weather yesterday and again today here in northern Tasmania.

Children and wet weather are not a good combination. Fortunately in the first week with the Texans it was cool but fine as they ran the Children’s After School Club. The numbers were down. Not being school holidays didn’t make recruiting for the time any easier. Still, on the Saturday, there were a number of children enjoying games, bell ringing, stories and craft. The concert that night was beaut. We were encouraged by the number of parents and friends present who were there for the first time.

Sunday night the weather changed. It was cold, wet and windy. Adults may handle it better but not by much. Still our 5pm service was well attended despite cold noses and frozen toes. It has been great to see some of our young people being involved for the first time, singing or playing the guitar up front. Chris spoke on Nehemiah and applied Nehemiah’s approach to building Jerusalem’s wall to how we need to approach building relationships for the Gospel.

This week will be another busy time with meetings each night and some during the day. A men’s Barbeque is planned for Wednesday night. Will it be outdoors? Not if the weather man is correct about rain, snow down to 300 metres and wind. Oh well, indoors or outside a burnt sausage smells and tastes the same!

Whatever the weather however we will hang in there thanking God for what we are about to receive. As Paul reminded the Thessalonians, “In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God for you.” So whatever the weather, whether we like it or not, in the discomfort of getting wet or the pleasure of sitting near the heater, we say thanks. Why? Because it expresses our confidence in the faithfulness of God to us and His over-ruling of what happens. So, wherever you are, in whatever weather you are standing or hiding from, say thanks to God. Why? ‘Cause it could be worse? No! Because He will be either teaching you something or displaying something through you to others.

From wet and wonderful (W)ray.