WEEK 1
2 June 2021
My friend and I were travelling around Scandinavia, and one Sunday we caught the train to Malmo in Sweden. The train journey took 35 minutes over a very long bridge. Formerly, one had to go to Sweden by ferry.
Malmo was very quiet, and the streets were nearly empty. It was a long weekend holiday. We found a lovely Lutheran church, so we went into the service. There were quite a few people in attendance. I guess some regulars and some tourists like us. We couldn’t understand any spoken words, but we did know most of the tunes, so we hummed along.
We were seated in gated rows and the highlight was the receiving of the offering where two stewards came along the centre aisle with collection bags attached to long poles. They stopped at each row and thrust the pole out along the row, collecting the money as they drew it back.
Another tale of church giving was also in Sweden.
An interesting part of another service was again the offering. It seemed to be ten minutes where people could talk to each other as the collection was passed around.
They also had a mobile terminal for people to use credit cards. So, this was waved in the air, and if anyone wanted it they put their hand up.
So the gizmo did the rounds of the congregation. Just as well there were no more than 50 present.
Churches rely on offerings to keep going, but we give ourselves and our work as offerings, as well as our money.
I John 3:18
Let us not love in word or talk, but in deeds and in truth.
WEEK 2
9 June 2021
On a very cheap, but totally enthralling visit to Cambodia, my travelling friend and I sat at the breakfast table and worked out what to do with the rest of the day. At 9.00 am we went by tuk tuk to Green Gecko Project, a bit out of town. It was founded by an Australian woman, Tania Palmer, as a school for children who were begging on the streets. It is a place where 70 children live, and the work being done there is phenomenal.
Green Gecko is about empowering these children with skills, education, and care and support to enable them to break the begging cycle and live to their highest potential. It also provides shelter, care and stability for those physically battered or psychologically in need. Over 80% of the children have been physically or sexually abused within their family unit or extended family.
Although it is costly to keep this place going, the children are fed and clothed and taught to the highest level. Some of the children are even going to university now – an opportunity they never would have had in the former life they lived. We were very impressed with all the care, love and education that goes on at the Green Gecko Project.
Tania and her staff are meeting the needs of these dear children following the message in Matthew 18:10.
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
A testimony from one of the children can be seen at
WEEK 3
16 June 2021
I was taking a walk in Manhattan USA when I needed refreshment. I went into a diner and asked for an item on the menu: Swiss cheese and ham on toast. Later, the waitress asked me if everything was all right. I told her I couldn’t find the ham.
She was so busy wanting to know what kind of bread I wanted that she didn’t hear me ask for ham. I’m afraid that I am not understood in America. Every trip I do I rarely get the meal I have ordered, or the coffee for which I have asked.
I went to a café in London at Leicester Square and asked them if they served the best coffee in London, and they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. The coffee was passable, however, the scones with jam and cream were really lovely.
The waiter came and asked me how it all was, and I said it was OK, but I should have asked for a double shot. He said I could have had a double shot, but I had asked for light coffee. I had asked for white coffee. Here we went again!
Fortunately, when we talk to God in prayer, He not only listens, He understands. He is not bored. He tells us to ask, seek and knock.
Matthew 7:7
'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.'
Be still, my soul: your God will undertake to guide the future as he has the past.
Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be clear at last.
Be still, my soul: the tempests still obey his voice who ruled them once on Galilee.
(Katharina von Schlegel, 1855; Translated by Jane Laurie Borthwick.) Hymn No. 48 AHB
WEEK 4
23 June 2021
In England, a very important fish and chip shop is on Endell St, Covent Garden. This is one of the oldest fish and chip shops in London, and the place where the fish distribution during the war time blitz was allocated.
The volunteer owners would meet in the basement of this shop to work out how to distribute the fish caught each day, so that the different suburbs had their fair share of the beloved fish and chips.
Apart from providing the favourite fare, it was to keep up the morale around town.
Every time I go to London, I make sure I make a visit to 'The Rock & Sole Plaice' shop. Don’t you just love the name?
The population needed courage and strength. Be still, my soul, is one such hymn:
WEEK 5
30 June 2021
On a visit to Hong Kong, I was invited to the Town Hall for a graduation service of 569 tiny tots of the Pre-School Education Services. It was about two hours of magic as the children sang and performed their many items with military precision.
You can imagine how long all this took to prepare with pre-school size children. There was so much excitement, not only with the little tots but also with their parents and supporters.
I took an enormous amount of photos. Following the graduation, we dined with a sumptuous banquet lunch.
How important it is that we love and protect our youngest citizens. The Scriptures certainly emphasise this.
Colossians 3 has instructions about personal relations—Children, Parents, Slaves, Masters are all addressed.
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3
Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ Matthew 19:14
WEEK 6
7 July 2021
Well, it had to be seen to be believed. Six medieval churches in Norfolk, England, put on a first ever ‘Blossom and Yarn’ exhibition over four days. They each had a subject connected with church life and had to decorate their church suitably, using flowers and knitted articles.
They really used their imagination. Everything was knitted! The Christening area had Princess Charlotte in the cradle with the full-size minister laying his hand on her, and the Harvest section had knitted carrots, radishes, cauliflower, mushrooms, oranges, sandwiches, cakes, liquorice allsorts etc. etc. There was even a full-size knitted Queen Elizabeth II.
The churches did this because the attendance at each church was small, but following this exhibition they joined as one congregation and attended a different one of their churches in rotation.
Don’t give in to disappointment, use imagination, meet together, call on God’s direction to enable you to come to satisfactory results.
Psalm 102:21–22
He will be praised in Jerusalem when nations and kingdoms come together and worship the Lord.
This train is an invention from Australia, but the powers that be were not willing to spend the money on such a train, so the idea was sold to China – they are building them in various cities.
I now have a speeding ticket! – the ticket to go on the very fast train. We were spoilt.
We had two hours to do the market, and we all went into the market in a happy state, and I think most people bought the place out. Saw myriads of large fish and thousands of people enjoying the outdoors and so on at the Yu Gardens, near the market.
I surmise that the Maglev gave us the same thrill as the chariots of Jeremiah’s day.
Jeremiah 4:13a
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles.
WEEK 7
14 July 2021
On a visit to China, in 2018, a group of us were listed to go sightseeing 'somewhere', but we kept pestering the tour guide to take us on a bullet train.
We really wanted to go on the bullet train when we were booking, but just couldn’t manage to fit everything in. Our wonderful guide, David, told us that he would take us on a train that was faster than the bullet. And he did!
We went on the Maglev (magnetic levitation – no wheels) train and reached 431 kph. We just did a return trip without getting out. It was wonderful. It took 7.15 mins to do 30 kms. The Maglev was not on the agenda, and we ditched the visit to the museum to go there. None of us minded.
WEEK 8
21 July 2021
In August 2013, my travelling friend and I were holidaying in Chile at the home of a mutual friend who was working there. One day we set off at 8.30 am on a tour around the region. Our driver was Sergio, and he took us firstly to Frutillar where we walked along the foreshore of Lake Llanquihue. It is an all-German town and very pretty.
Puerto Varas was our next port of call – another German town. After something to eat, we were taken to a craft place and bought one or two things. We were then treated to a trip alongside the Andes mountain range. Two volcanos, Calbuco and Osorno, were covered in snow and looked so majestic and peaceful.
One of the largest historical eruptions in southern Chile took place from Calbuco in 1893–1894. It ended with the formation of a lava dome in the summit crater. Later eruptions have enlarged the lava dome complex.
‘Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man’. Luke 21:36
WEEK 9
28 July 2021
Iceland was a very interesting place to visit. We were staying in B&B accommodation and had trouble connecting to the rest of the world; we desperately required Wi-Fi. After enquiries, someone told us to ask at a hotel. There was a hotel opposite our accommodation, so we were able to access not only the internet but also to book tours and the pickup bus there.
We went on a whale-watching tour. It was lovely to go out to sea and look back at the city of Reykjavik with the snow-capped mountains in the background. We did see quite a few dolphins and whale, but it was hard to get them on camera, as they were so quick at diving back into the water.
As we were only there for two full days, on the second day we booked a Golden Circle Tour and had a swim in the thermal pool.
We naturally think of a whale when remembering the story of Jonah, perhaps because the Scriptures tell us that it was a big fish and that’s the ‘big’ fish with which we are familiar.
The book of Jonah reveals that the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. He was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. See Jonah 1:17 and Jesus’ record in Matthew 12:39–41.
WEEK 10
4 August 2021
The MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory of Australia are a 644 km long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia, and they consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs. It is said that 300–350 million years ago a mountain-building event created the MacDonnell Ranges.
Since that time, folding, faulting and erosion have shaped the range and created numerous gaps and gorges. The ranges are composed of many rock types but are most famous for their red quartzite peaks and gorges. Other rock types include granite, limestone, sandstone and siltstone.
Some of the valleys of the range contain fossil evidence of the inland sea that once covered central Australia. The MacDonnell Ranges were often depicted in the paintings of Albert Namatjira.
We are constantly being changed according to our environment and our relationships with others around us. We are also shaped by our relationship with God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
WEEK 11
11 August 2021
In my journeys in Taiwan, I caught the high-speed rail for the 265 kms to Tainan, 306 kms by road. The top speed was 297 kph. As it happened it was Easter, and I was there to contribute to the sermons on Good Friday and Easter Day. On Easter Sunday we went out to the streets and distributed boiled eggs wrapped in red cellophane.
On this trip I was asked by a local if I had tasted sweet soup. Well, “no” was the answer. I discovered after conversation that my friend was asking if I had tasted custard. We also had an Italian meal at a restaurant and another meal at a Russian restaurant. My stomach felt like I had mixed with the United Nations.
I was happy to rejoice with the congregation as we sang “Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Hallelujah!”
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:5–6 (NIV)
WEEK 12
18 August 2021
A group of us went from Sydney on a study tour of Greece and Turkey. The capital of Greece has always been a birthplace for civilization. It is the city where democracy was born and most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of the ancient world flourished in Athens and can be seen today through some of the world's most formidable structures.
The Acropolis was nominated to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world. The Holy Rock of Acropolis dates back to the 5th century BC, the famous Golden Age of Pericles.
We went to Philippi and saw the ruins there. Had devotions at the Baptistery of Lydia, which was special. We were at the stream where she was baptised as the first Christian in Europe. The baptistery, which is on the grounds, is special in that Lydia appears as a main character in the fresco.
Back to Kavala for lunch, and then on to Alexandroupolis for one night at the Hotel Nefeli. I had a swim in a lovely big pool whilst everyone else was inside doing their washing. Each balcony was filled with washing. It looked like a Chinese laundry rather than an appealing Greek hotel.
Isaiah 58:12 (NASB)
Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.
Image by Trey Ratcliff, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
WEEK 13
25 August 2021
The sun does rise and set, but it is only a blink in between as it is light day and night in summer. It is said that Iceland was originally populated by 70% of Norwegian men and 60% of Irish women, so in honour of 60% of them being Christian that became the official religion of the Island.
The terrain is as astounding as it is rugged and stony. There used to be 25% trees, but now there is only 2% and we hardly saw one. 2020 was the target date for improvement.
There is more than a folklore story about how the Icelanders love elves. Some even seek messages of advice from the elves. And if you try to build a road where you may have to shift the elves’ houses, there will be a hullaballoo.
We even saw what were purported to be elves’ houses (see below), each with their tiny door. Some claim that over 50% of Icelanders believe in elves and more than that say they could exist.
2 Peter 1:16 (GNB)
We have not depended on made up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw His greatness.
WEEK 14
1 September 2021
The Appian Way, Italy, was a crucial road for the Roman Empire. It connected Rome to some of its most distant settlements. I spent a morning wandering along the Appian Way and finally found a bus stop and bus which took me back into town.
One thing that is good in Rome is the water pipes alongside the roads.
Rome’s cold, clean water has flowed through ancient aqueducts, gurgled in baroque fountains, and poured incessantly from thousands of 19th-century spouts that still grace the city streets. The water is drinkable and very cold, so I was able to keep my water bottles filled up. I used them often last time I was in Rome.
John 7:37–39 (NIV)
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Between the church service and the lunch I sat on a step, and the young ones came up and ran their hands up and down my lower legs feeling my stockings. They don’t see stockings in the hot weather of Sri Lanka. We then played a singing game with tapping on hands (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and you’re out) but making sure amongst themselves, by whispering, that I was not the person to go out, following which they decided they wanted to play with my hair.
We had a lovely day that day. The children were well behaved and had a lesson in how white people dress themselves in hot weather! I remember the day with fondness.
Psalm 71:18 (ESV)
So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
Train up a child in the way s/he should go; even when s/he is old s/he will not depart from it.
WEEK 15
8 September 2021
I was visiting Sri Lanka with an Australian friend who had previously lived there. One Sunday we went to Dehiwala, a suburb in Colombo, to a morning Sunday service and lunch. The church was next to a home called Hope House, an eventide home for elderly ladies, and a Child Development Centre for young girls. The two age groups got along famously.
WEEK 16
15 September 2021
Greece: Went to Ancient Corinth and had a guided tour around the ruins. The ruins of this once magnificent city are spread over a vast area and ongoing excavations since 1896 have uncovered extensive remains of the former capital of Roman Greece.
As far back as the 5th century BC, the city was one of the richest, most powerful, and vice-ridden cities of ancient Greece. The site lies at the base of the imposing Acrocorinth, a 575-metre mass of limestone rock with the remains of a fortress, which was among the most forbidding and impregnable strongholds in Greece.
Corinth was situated on the isthmus of two ports. It was a rich city.
A lot of stories that took place in Greece, and in particular Corinth, are recorded in the New Testament. The “Love Chapter” of 1 Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings. In the social climate of Ancient Corinth, the following verses are just as relevant today as ever.
Corinthians 13:4–7 (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
Matthew 2:2 (GNT)
Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We have seen his star in the East, and we have come to worship him.
WEEK 17
22 September 2021
In 2014, I was holidaying at the home of some friends of mine who were Rural Chaplains. They were working from Longreach in Australia. It was December, and they were busy with all the Christmas preparations. They had to travel hundreds of kilometres to reach properties of farmers and their families for Carol Services and gift giving.
On the way, a feature of the property name signs was that they were decorated with tinsel. They called it the ‘Tinsel Trail’. We arrived at Lake Dunn in 45⁰C heat and pulled up and set up the van. It was a round trip of 400 kms. Then we went to the homestead to meet the people who lived there.
The flying rural mission family flew in on their helicopter. They are based in Mount Isa, which is an 8-hour drive from Lake Dunn.
The forecast was for heavy rains, so many rang to say they wouldn’t risk it. A small group of 22 gathered outside and we had a lovely evening singing carols. The musical accompaniment was taped, and the audience didn’t feel like they were singing alone.
Two days later, we went to Ayrshire Downs, a return trip of 500 kms, for another Christmas carol service. It was so lovely to see 4-wheel drives and dual-cab utes, all coming down the long drive. By the time the outdoor carol service commenced, there were 60 persons present.
At both venues the dark sky and lack of artificial lights and clouds highlighted the millions of stars. The night sky was absolutely stunning. What a way to worship!
I take courage and comfort from Revelation 21:3–4, The Message Paraphrase:
I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighbourhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people, He’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good – tears gone, crying gone, pain gone – all the first order of things gone.”
Image by Lars Curfs, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons
WEEK 18
29 September 2021
A very sad time in our history was the Vietnam War. During a visit to Vietnam, a group of us went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which is a maze of underground passages, chambers and booby traps used by both the Viet Minh and the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.
There was a sign up at the Tunnels which said: “Rules for Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels. You should not enter the Tunnels if: Visitors are afraid of darkness and narrow places, Visitors of old age – 70 years or more.” (My friend and I were both 75 years old when we went down the tunnel.)
On the way back to our hotel we were taken to the War Museum. It was very emotional, especially seeing the room full of pictures around the walls of the children and adults affected by Agent Orange, and bullets. I couldn’t stay.
WEEK 19
6 October 2021
Most people will know of the Taj Mahal in India. My friend and I were off at 7.30 am to get to see this marvellous structure. This is the special place I had been waiting years to see.
Before we could get to see it, we women had to line up like cattle in the saleyards for such a long time. Of course, the men were just allowed through at once.
The interesting thing is that no matter how close you get to the Taj Mahal, you cannot see it until you are right at the main gate. Emperor Shah Jahan built this exquisite white marble mausoleum for his favourite queen, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb, mosque, guest house, main gate and the overall Taj Mahal complex have maintained their condition of authenticity since the time of their inscription.
Heaven is also a marvellous place. There is an old Gospel song which simply says:
‘Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace.
I want to see my Saviour’s face. Heaven is a wonderful place.’
See you there!
WEEK 20
13 October 2021
Travelling in Vietnam is chaotic, especially with all the motor bikes. There are 7.5 million of them in Ho Chi Minh City alone. We travelled by coach to Bến Tre to discover the ways of life of those living alongside the mighty Mekong Delta. There were hundreds of motor bikes travelling alongside, in front of, and behind the coach all the way. At least the condition of the road was OK.
Mekong Delta is known as the ‘Rice Bowl of Vietnam’ and offers a real experience in the tropical culture of the locals. We embarked on a cruise to a brickworks, a coconut processing workshop, and a local village along the Mekong Delta that was making sleeping mattresses. After passing by green rice paddies and vegetable fields along the way, we had a lovely lunch on board before travelling the 85 kms back to our hotel.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
WEEK 21
20 October 2021
Many years ago, an Australian Church Women friend, from Melbourne, and I went to a conference in Thailand, and for the following week popped into Burma, now called Myanmar. We stayed with an Australian family but had a look around the work of The Salvation Army as, in those days, it was impossible for the International Salvation Army to have any contact with their people in Burma.
In the compound was a children’s home, a church, a ministerial training college and the administration office, all based in very primitive circumstances. The compound residents were so happy to see two ladies from Australia, and we enjoyed being with them and leading services and teaching (all without prior notice!).
We met with women’s groups and loved to see how happy the children in the home were. It was difficult times in those days for Christian churches.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
WEEK 22
27 October 2021
I have often visited Paris, and other places in France, and I knew it was no good in getting up and about as nothing is moving at 6.00 am. I went out to find breakfast at 8.30 am — even McDonalds does not open until 9.00 am. On this visit in 2012, I was introduced to electric cars. In Europe, electric cars were just catching on and outside my hotel there were four positions for charging up the cars.
The adverts for electric cars say you can do 100 km on €1 (1 euro), which is approximately AU$1.60. It is a wonder that Australians are not taking up these cars more, but I shouldn’t wonder because Australians love their petrol cars, and a Smart Car is not smart enough.
God asked Solomon what special thing He could do for him. Solomon said he wanted to be smart enough to lead His people properly and well. God said, since he answered unselfishly, He would make Solomon the ‘smartest’ man ever, in the world. Solomon had an up and down experience with smartness and, although he was not always a good example of goodness, he eulogised wisdom in Ecclesiastes 2:14–16 (NIV).
The wise have eyes in their heads,
while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
that the same fate overtakes them both.
Then I said to myself,
“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
“This too is meaningless.”
For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!
WEEK 23
3 November 2021
On a visit to the United Kingdom, I was found in Burnham Market, a town of under 900 people, which is getting more expensive to live in because celebrities have bought some local properties. There is a wonderful hat shop here called simply ‘The Hat Shop’. It is probably the largest hat shop in the UK with up to 5,000 hats, plus fascinators.
There are other rooms with bags, shoes and all sorts of other things. It was very fascinating to see this shop. The women who wear these marvels must have grace to carry off the style. I have visited this wonderful shop a couple of times, and it never ceases to amaze and dazzle.
We sing about the amazing love of God, the grace of God, the peace of God and the blessings which God bestows on those who love Him and serve Him.
The crown on the head of Elizabeth II, our Queen, is also a type of headwear. I hope that the verses of 2 Timothy 4:7–8 (ESV) will be able to be said by you as you go through life: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.’
Marble effigy of Roger de Montgomerie
WEEK 24
10 November 2021
I don’t know if you have ever come across the murder mystery novels written by Ellis Peters. I have been “hooked” on them for many years. In one of my visits to the United Kingdom, I made sure I travelled to Shrewsbury which is the setting for these novels.
Within easy walking distance from my hotel was the Shrewsbury Abbey where the fictional Brother Cadfael is based. On my first day there I decided to go to the abbey to have a look around. I arrived there just as morning prayers were finishing. I had a lovely talk with one of the men about the Cadfael Mysteries. He says they are fairly accurate according to the times.
There are gravestones all over the floor, and it is impossible to walk anywhere but on them. I saw the marble effigy of my ancestor Roger de Montgomerie, which was a bit mangled as centuries ago it had been thrown out by Henry VIII and then rediscovered and brought back inside the church to be on display.
It was lovely to share each morning with the faithful prayer group meeting at Shrewsbury Abbey in January 2018. A four-line chorus can help us express our thoughts:
When I talk with Jesus,
Bring to Him my care,
With His own sweet comfort,
Jesus answers prayer.
WEEK 25
17 November 2021
One of the group tours I went on in Vietnam was to take the optional tour of the Golden Bridge. It was quite a journey to the foot of the Bà Nà Hills and then a ride by cable car up to the Marseille station. It was a short walk to the Golden Bridge from the bus. The newly opened bridge had been designed as if the bridge is being lifted by two massive hands of the gods.
Wikipedia says that “The Golden Bridge is a 150-metre-long pedestrian bridge in the Bà Nà Hills resort, near Da Nang, Vietnam. It is designed to connect the cable car station with the gardens and to provide a scenic overlook and tourist attraction.”
We don’t have to wait until we get to a golden bridge to feel the massive hands of a God lifting us up, especially in times that are doubtful, distressing or disappointing. We are assured in Deuteronomy 33 verse 27:
“The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’”
(New American Standard Bible 1995)
WEEK 26
24 November 2021
On a visit to Turkey, which was entitled “In the Footsteps of St. Paul”, it was a wonderful experience for a group of ministers, of which I was fortunate to be in their company. We had magnificent tour guides who knew their scriptures and lived in the areas they were describing to us. The group was about 25 persons, and we mostly knew each other, so it was a happy group that scrambled through ruins in the places where Paul had travelled.
The thermal pool at Pamukkale is the 8th Wonder of the World – “Pamukkale is the largest and finest example of elaborate calcium formation in the world. According to ancient tradition, the waters contain natural healing powers.”(1) The oddity about it is that the ruins of a former city are in the pool, and you can step over the ruins or swim over the top of them. Pamukkale is the site of the ancient city of Hierapolis.
2 Corinthians 5:1 (GNT)
For we know that when this tent we live in – our body here on earth – is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he Himself has made, which will last forever.
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WEEK 27
1 December 2021
The State Library of Victoria, in Melbourne, has had a renovation costing $88.1 million and is now a spectacular sight and well worth looking up or visiting.
My cousin and I were visiting a friend of hers living in Pennsylvania, USA, in 2016. She and her husband live in a lovely big house and for their many visitors had a separate accommodation unit. One of the things that grabbed my attention was the huge bookcase full of books in the massive lounge room. There were hundreds of books on all kinds of subjects in this floor to ceiling bookcase.
Ann’s bookcase reminded me of another library – the Bible. Sixty-six books of history, travel, law, wisdom, poetry, religion, and prophecy. How fortunate we are to be able to have more than one book in our libraries but even better to have our own Bible. What a treasure.
They supervised it carriage by carriage and mine was the last carriage. There was no problem going through immigration and an officer handed me back my immigration form and passport. Another official had taken the immigration form from me.
When I got to where I was sent, I didn’t have the ticket. The security man was very kind and went to look for it. Couldn’t find it so asked the man in charge of the train what to do. He said for me to get back on the train and he would sort it out later.
There is a whole lot more to that story, and on the return journey the engine broke down and the 12-hour trip took 18 hours. What a trip! Several years later it is still a vivid memory.
Psalm 32:8 (NLT)
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you”.
WEEK 28
8 December 2021
In August 2011, I took a rail trip from New York to Toronto for a holiday to visit a friend of mine. I had never visited Canada before, so I was looking forward to spending time with my friend and seeing something of the city of Toronto. I caught the train and at the border at Niagara Falls, Canada, all passengers had to alight with their luggage.
Kuching was a great place for a holiday. There were places to go, things to see, shopping to do, and we couldn’t believe how inexpensive it was. There was no graffiti, the streets were clean and tidy, and people were very polite and helpful.
1 Corinthians 12:24b–27 (NIV):
But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it
WEEK 29
15 December 2021
On a visit to Kuching, Malaysia, my friend and I were taken in a fishing/tourist boat to the small Kampung Salak fishing village on stilts. We walked through the village and saw how these families lived; it was so interesting.
If the occupants worked in town, they stayed in town for the week and came home at the weekend. The children went to school, and there was a village hall and an all-purpose shop. The homes ranged from quite primitive to a more acceptable stone or cement house.
This place had an enormous recreational ground, which did not have one blade of grass on it.
I also went to the castle for an inspection. The castle rooms were elaborate, and I climbed a lot of steps and stairs whilst there.
"Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:7–10 (NIV)
WEEK 30
22 December 2021
One day while staying in London I decided to visit some friends from Portugal days who now lived in Wales. Caught the coach to Cardiff at the Victoria Coach Station and left at 12 noon. Coach journey was smooth and uneventful except that the air conditioning was freezing, and I had to ask the driver to make it a bit warmer. I was chosen by other passengers to do the asking!
My friends met me, and we drove to the house which was to be my home for the next two days. While they were at work, I bought a hop-on-hop-off ticket for the tourist bus at the Cardiff Castle and stopped off first at the National Museum of Wales.
The Museum had a wonderful display of rocks and birds and animals, which included giant mammoths with mechanisation that made them move their heads and trunks, which was quite fetching. No one seems to know how old or long ago the giant mammoths lived, there are only the bones in museums. Large animals are on their way out and we humans are the cause of it.
The children were encouraged to ask us questions in English, and we discovered that they were learning their lessons very well.
Acts 5:42 (NIV)
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, the apostles never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
WEEK 31
29 December 2021
In Cambodia our tour party comprised our driver, our tour guide, my friend and myself. We travelled in a car and although we were taken to see the wonderful sights, we could also ask or be asked to go somewhere that was not on the tour list.
Our tour guide had a sideline that he conducted in his rural home. There, in a makeshift room arrangement that was attached to his house, he held a school class teaching English. We were asked to teach the children a song in English, so we taught them ‘Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree’ after letting them know what a kookaburra was. My travelling friend also had to teach them about colours.
In the same vicinity I noticed a sign that I think is worth contemplating; it said ‘Home for the Elders’. The families treat their elders with respect. It is certainly better than ‘Home for the Elderly’ or ‘Old Folks Home’.
Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendour of old men [and women] is their grey hair.
WEEK 32
5 January 2022
On a working visit to Sri Lanka about ten of us went off on safari in two vehicles. We saw eight elephants, some peacocks, several water birds and monkeys. It was very rough terrain as there had not been rain for some time, and the roads throughout the Game Park were all rutted. It was so rough we thought our brains would fall out.
One of the little settlements we saw the day before was of mud huts – very poor – and one of them had been destroyed completely by an elephant. The framework was up, and they had put a brand new corrugated iron roof on it. It was not yet habitable.
The big excitement, though, was to visit the elephant orphanage at Rambukkana. We planned to arrive there in time to see them bathing in the river. There were dozens of them there. It was glorious to see them.
Acts 17:11–12 (NIV)
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
WEEK 33
12 January 2022
On a Voyage of Discovery cruise to Greece, a group of us went to Veria (its Greek name) or, as we know it, Berea from the Scriptures. It is built on the foot of Mt Vermion and is the capital of Imathia.
Today, it is mainly modern housing as it has been burnt three times. The population of Veria is 55,000 and they have four museums and 35 Byzantine churches!
Veria is famous for its marble, which is quarried nearby. It is called Veria Green marble.
It is here where Paul preached and baptised according to Acts 17. The beautiful mosaics on the outside display walls are in very good condition. There is also a bronze statue of Paul in the garden.
WEEK 34
19 January 2022
Ever since I was young, I have secretly nursed an urge to see and walk the Great Wall of China, never thinking I would.
On Saturday 18 August 2018 I had the opportunity at Juyong Pass to do this. Juyong Pass is one of the three most famous passes along the Great Wall. The wall itself, we’re told, is 3,700 miles long.
Ten weeks before this trip, I had begun wearing a moon boot because I had fractured a bone in my foot.
Two weeks before the trip the boot came off, which was a fantastic day.
On the Great Wall day, I climbed up the wall to the second level with the aid of a walking stick for security. People were taking pictures and videos of my climb, and I got a round of applause from those at the start, about to ascend, who were watching me.
It was a very slow climb, but there was determination behind the effort.
Matthew 5:3–10 gives us a glimpse of another climbing experience. Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill where he sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. What followed is what we call the Beatitudes.
Royal Telephone
Telephone to glory, O what joy divine!
I can feel the current moving on the line.
Made by God the Father for His very own,
You may talk to Jesus on this royal telephone.
Central's never busy, always on the line,
You can hear from heaven almost any time.
'Tis a royal service, built for one and all,
When you get in trouble, give this royal line a call.
Public Domain
WEEK 35
26 January 2022
How wonderful it is that we can find alternate ways of getting in touch with our families, friends, and businesses. We have telephones, mobile phones, televisions, emails, computers, postcards, letters, and so on. In a lockdown pandemic, or being away from home, we can even utilise the many ways of being connected face-to-face with Zoom, Kahoot, Skype etc.
In 2006, I was staying in a hotel in Spain and saw this very old-fashioned telephone exchange still in use in the office. It staggered me that in the 21st century this old machinery was still in use. Fortunately, I didn’t expect to receive any important calls.
It did remind me of the old popular song sung by Jimmy Little:
(Click video below to play song.)
WEEK 36
2 February 2022
Have you ever had trouble finding your ticketed seat at a sporting fixture or a theatre you had not visited before?
In the end, you have to ask an usher or, if you are too embarrassed to do that, struggle along the rows looking for your allotted place.
Imagine yourself at Pergamum in Turkey and trying to find a good spot in this massive 3rd Century outdoor theatre. Its capacity is about 10,000 people.
When I took this picture, I was pondering how it has kept its shape and quality over at least 17 centuries.
Each of us can have a reserved place in heaven because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. We don’t have to wonder if or what, as we are assured through the Scriptures that Jesus is the way to a place in heaven.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
There are numerous stories of quarantine in the Bible when people were told by God to stay safe at home during times of plague and disease.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
WEEK 37
9 February 2022
Everything is in the timing. I guess most of you have had an experience of that. I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in New Jersey, USA, on a scheduled visit. This was just as the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) was hitting the world.
I was sorry that I had to cut short my visit because I did not want to spend my days back home in quarantine. As it happened, I booked the change of ticket and then discovered the same day that our Prime Minister had declared that from midnight people returning on flights from overseas would go into immediate house quarantine.
I could have saved $202 and a lot of time and trouble for my son, in particular, having sat on the phone for two hours to change the flight, when all the time I could have used up the first ticket and gone home at the scheduled time days later.
1 Corinthians 13 is most often called the ‘Love Chapter’. The 13th verse says:
These three things remain: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.
WEEK 38
16 February 2022
In 2005, a colleague and I went from Portugal to Morocco. It was tempting to look through the markets in Tétouan, which is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea. It lies a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar and at one point, in our wanderings and looking at carpets and mats, we were subtly physically removed from each other.
The salespeople were determined we were not going to influence each other against buying. Neither of us wanted to buy a rug, but in the end each of us knew that to get out of this market we had to buy something. I have only once used my expensive Berber mat and that was for a renewal ceremony of marriage vows for two of our church couples. Instead of being separated from each other as my friend and I were in Tétouan, these two couples professed their continuing love in marriage and their desire to stay together.
WEEK 39
23 February 2022
It has been my privilege to visit Greenwich, United Kingdom, a few times, and I was fascinated by the 24-hour clock and the official measurement measures of feet and inches at the Greenwich Royal Observatory. The observatory was completed on the foundations of Greenwich Castle in 1676. We are familiar with Greenwich Mean Time because we use GMT to align time in Australia.
The Greenwich Meridian was chosen to be the Prime Meridian of the World in 1884. Forty-one delegates from 25 nations met in Washington DC for the International Meridian Conference. By the end of the conference, Greenwich had won the prize of Longitude 00.
Astronomy observatory nights are held at various times. This was under the programme called the Stars at Night looking through an 18-tonne telescope. The stars, moon and sun are all part of the planetarium at the observatory.
Time and timekeeping are essential to our daily lives. It brings order to our living. The wise men from the east used the stars to find the baby Jesus. We read of this in the book of Matthew.
Genesis 1:14-15 (GNB)
Then God commanded, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years and religious festivals begin; they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth” and it was done.
WEEK 40
2 March 2022
Climbing a mountain can be a dirty and delicate experience. You can slip or slide or trip. One of the experiences of life has been to climb the mountain to the monasteries of Kalambaka in Greece. The Meteora Monasteries of Kalambaka are delicately poised on the top of a mountain. Meteora means ‘suspended in the air’.
Meteora is the largest archaeological site of Greece in terms of the area that it covers. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989 and an official holy place for Greece since 1995. A vast complex of giant sandstone rock pillars support monasteries, six are active, which were built on the peaks of the cliffs centuries ago. They create a truly surreal landscape, found nowhere else in the world!
Orthodox Christian hermit-monks came to this place between the 9th and 10th centuries to find quiet and to isolate themselves in the many caves found scattered among the cliffs. For centuries those monks lived in complete isolation. Exposed to weather elements and to all sorts of dangers, they relied heavily on the help of the locals. They would regularly receive donations of food, water, clothing, wood, and the essential things that allowed them to survive. The locals saw them as holy men who came to dwell in the area and were worthy of their support.
It took an effort to build at the top of the mountain, so in climbing up we couldn’t complain.
Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
WEEK 41
9 March 2022
I like walking, and when I lived in Portugal I walked the four kilometres to work, and the same coming home each day. This kept me fit.
On one occasion, when I was in the USA, I was walking along a footpath which obviously the repairer of same did not walk the same path as it was almost impossible to walk without tripping. I just had to take a photo of the mess.
My knees and shins show the remains of several falls whilst walking. My friends and family will not walk with me as they say I walk too fast. (I wonder if that is the reason for so many falls and scrapes.)
My mother could not drive a car, so she walked to many bus, rail and tram stops in her lifetime. On the way, she would speak to people in the street – workmen, gardeners, people standing at the bus stop etc. Sometimes, people who are spoken to out of the blue are so surprised that they cannot answer. I find myself mimicking my mother and often say “hello” to passers-by but not always getting a reply.
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Do you remember this little song from Sunday School?
The birds upon the treetops sing their song,
The angels chant their chorus, all day long,
The flowers in the garden blend their hue,
So why shouldn’t I, why shouldn’t you praise Him too?
WEEK 42
16 March 2022
I have been privileged to live in places where the birds are prolific. In Taree, New South Wales, Australia, I had rainbow lorikeets showing up each morning on the trees outside my home. At the same address, in the back garden, I would often have kookaburras singing in the trees or on the television antenna. In my present accommodation in Melbourne, I am surrounded by magpies. I just love their singing. Having lived in cities for a few years, this was an absolute joy each day to see and hear these beautiful birds.
When I wake up in the morning in Melbourne, there is a whole magpie family singing on the fence outside of my window. I do talk to them through the closed window, and they stop for a second or two then let themselves go on their wonderful morning songs.
WEEK 43
23 March 2022
Turkana, located in northwest Kenya near the borders of Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia, is among the most remote, harsh and poorly understood places in the world. The people are pastoralists, and they are often struck by drought and many people die, even as they are walking to relief centres.
Lokitaung is a settlement in Kenya's Turkana County, a few miles inland of northwest Lake Turkana. A group of us flew to Turkana and the congregation came from afar, some from over 250 miles away, to attend a worship service at 10.00 am. For lunch we were served goat and chicken with spinach and chips.
The Lokitaung women’s singing group provided a song. They were dressed in traditional garb, which had become dust soiled from many days walking. They were from the tribes where the women wear their wealth in many neck rings. These women sleep in their rings and do everything in them. If, for any reason, they have to have them removed, they need to go to hospital as their neck muscles are weak and not able to support their head. They are very tough women.
Ephesians 1:18–19a (NIV)
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
_______________________________________
As we headed to the airport that morning for the flight, the Kenyan second-in-command, who had a very lively funny bone, said: “We are going swimming in the sky”.
WEEK 44
30 March 2022
The feature of Angkor Wat is, of course, the ruins of buildings everywhere, however, another feature is the trees which have continued to grow long after people had moved on. The trees have kept their roots growing and the vision of the majesty of the roots is incredible in the full meaning of the word. Fig, banyan and kapok trees spread their gigantic roots over stones, probing walls and terraces apart, as their branches and leaves intertwine to form a roof over the structures.
Angkor Wat is one of the best-known heritage sites in all of Asia and is located north of the town of Siem Reap in Cambodia. It was once the political and religious centre of the Khmer Empire, which dominated large areas of Southeast Asia. This was a Buddhist-Hindu culture that was heavily influenced by the Indian civilization but also developed its own distinctive Khmer art forms.
Angkor Wat flourished from the 11th to the 15th centuries when it was abandoned after the fall of the empire. My friend and I took numerous pictures of these trees and, most importantly, the roots which are so fascinating. Even years after our visit, I can hardly imagine how incredulous these ancient trees were.
Some wise words from Colossians 2:7 (NLT)
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
WEEK 45
6 April 2022
There are many sayings about the beverage tea, such as “Tea, the drink that cheers but not inebriates” is one that I remember. It is from The Winter Evening, the fourth book of The Task. A Poem, in Six Books (1785), by the English poet and letter writer William Cowper (1731‒1800):
Now stir the fire, and close the shutters fast,
Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round,
And, while the bubbling and loud-hissing urn
Throws up a steamy column, and the cups,
That cheer but not inebriate, wait on each,
So let us welcome peaceful ev’ning in.
Apparently, Cowper applied to tea an expression from The Medicinal Virtues of Tar Water Fully Explained (1744) by the Irish philosopher and Church of Ireland Bishop of Cloyne, George Berkeley (1685‒1753).
When I visited Sri Lanka, it included visiting a northern town which has massive tea plantations. You would expect this country to have tea plantations everywhere, and that is true, but visiting a plantation you realise that our lovely cup of tea comes with back-breaking toil, mainly by women.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
WEEK 46
13 April 2022
One of my favourite places to visit every time I go to London, England, is the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields at Trafalgar Square.
Little is known of the history of the earliest church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, except that it came into being between the date of the Domesday Book and the reign of Henry II, and it was a parish church before the close of the 12th century.
The current building foundation stone was laid on 19 March 1722, and the last stone of the spire was placed in position in December 1724. The crypt is well worth a visit, not only for its wonderful café with good food at great prices and the gift shop, which has many things for sale which are not available at other tourist gift shops, but also for its historical significance in the life of the city of London. You have to walk through the café and then through archways to reach the history section.
One thing that took my notice enough to take a photo was a medieval whipping post on show with an explanation of how it was used. As much as we complain about our conditions today, for example lockdowns, we ought to be grateful for the way of life that is available to us in Australia in the 21st century.
Jesus took a beating for all of us, and this is recorded as a future event in Isaiah 52:4 (NLT)
But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured that he seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
WEEK 47
20 April 2022
For a place name not found in Australia, Gallipoli in Turkey is well known to most Australians, particularly on Anzac Day. It was a privilege to visit this place on a group tour a few years ago.
We were able to go to Anzac cove and hold a short service there. We then moved on to the cemetery and it was humbling and soulful to see so many graves, mostly of men who were not much more than boys who gave their lives for their country. Those who came home were often wounded in body, mind and soul. It is right and proper that we remember them with our thoughts, commemorations, and our red poppies.
We remembered at Easter a man of about 30 years who gave His life for not just His country, but for the whole world. We often use the verse John 3:16 at this time:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
We can best remember Jesus by giving Him our lives in service to God.
WEEK 48
27 April 2022
On a visit to London, England, in 2012, I was fortunate to get tickets to go to the stage play of ‘Yes, Prime Minister’. The theatre was full of eager patrons indicating how popular this TV series was. There was excited anticipation of what was to come. I personally think it is better on TV but, nevertheless, I enjoyed myself and can say I was there.
I think what makes this play/tv series so funny is that we are attuned to how we think our own politicians act, and I guess some of it shows that ‘reality’.
It must be difficult being in any parliament in these days as, with so much access to online information or news that may not be accurate, we at times think we could do better.
Life is not a play. Each day we go through the motions of living according to the rules of the country in which we live, however, if we do not there will be consequences.
Romans 13:1 (NKJV)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
I suppose you lose any embarrassment early on if there are 44 other people doing the same as yourself. Thank God for the 21st century and for the wise words of Jesus from Matthew 15:17–20(ESV):
“Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
WEEK 49
4 May 2022
When we travel or go into a major city to do shopping, one of the first things we try to ascertain is where is the nearest toilet block or comfort room. With all the huge shopping complexes in major centres, we are pretty well assured that our needs will be met. And on long trips our stops are often associated with this part of life.
Spare a thought for the residents and travellers to Ephesus in Greece in St Paul’s day. The picture I have chosen for this example was taken at Ephesus when I was visiting with a tour group. Our group leader shocked us all by telling us that this was a 45-seat public toilet.
WEEK 50
11 May 2022
The island of Patmos is 34 sq kilometres and has a population of 3,000 people. It has 400 chapels, one high school and three elementary schools. The main employer is tourism.
On the way to the monastery of St John, we passed three windmills from the 1500s. They had been restored and were used for grinding grain.
The monastery of St John was built in 1088, but the grotto or cave where John was said to have dictated the Revelation to his scribe Prochorus is still nearby, and open for tourists. There is also a chapel to St Ann, Mary’s mother.
The Book of Revelation gives us a warning and a warming in chapter 2, verse7:
If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! “To those who win the victory I will give the right to eat the fruit of the tree of life that grows in the Garden of God.”
WEEK 51
18 May 2022
Many of us are very proud of our alma mater. We have done many years studying there and we wear the badge or have the photo of our alumni class and trophies, or other memorabilia of our days of formal learning.
Because my family moved frequently around Australia, I went to kindergarten in WA and five different primary schools in three other states, but I managed to go to only one high school. I loved A G Ogilvie High School in Hobart, Tasmania, and joined in with extra-curricular efforts such as sport, choir and, quite frankly, anything else that was going on.
Our uniform was brown right down to our lisle stockings, as opposed to the Hobart High School stocking which was black. Obviously, we were called chocolate legs and they were called liquorice legs.
With six schools in nine years, it’s no wonder I can hardly remember any of my teachers’ names, but I do remember that I had a great time at school. We were taught by dedicated teachers and, as it was not long following the end of the Second World War, many were carrying hidden scars of that time.
Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
WEEK 52
25 May 2022
If I had the time to travel the 133 kms to Évora, from Lisbon, I would take my guests to the Chapel of Bones.
Once they heard we were going to look at real people’s bones, they were hesitant. I used to say, “We will go, and if you don’t want to see inside you don’t have to”. They always went inside.
The Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) is one of the best-known monuments in Évora, Portugal. It is a small interior chapel located next to the entrance of the Church of St Francis. The Chapel gets its name because the interior walls are covered and decorated with 5,000 human skulls and bones.
It was first decorated by a Franciscan monk from the 16th Century, and it was built out of necessity as the graveyards in Évora were full. The bodies were exhumed and taken to this church to make way for future inhabitants of the cemetery.
Above the entrance is the legend “We the bones here await yours”.
Read Ezekiel 37:1–14 for the record of a miraculous revelation of the dry bones.