Holidays and time away from the usual routine, gives additional time to reflect
as the 'shadows lengthen' and another year and birthday slips past
and to note that there are more funerals occuring than other occasions …

I recall a story of a Monarch who asked his wise men to come up with just one phrase that would be applicable to each and every occasion of life ... a big task indeed !
Eventually they returned with this phrase … AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS AWAY !

And there's the story of the man who kept expanding and buying more property, and who eventually ended up in a plot measuring … 2.5 metres x 1 metre x 2 metres deep !

here we have no abiding / continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Hebrews 13: 14

only one life will soon be past only whats done for / by Christ will last

The Sallies (Salvation Army) people call death = PROMOTION … to Glory
the believers blessed hope and assurance

I read again one of the first scriptures that I found through a Concordance
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13
strangers and pilgrims   =   travelers,   sojourners,    just a passing through !

and now I find …
        my early morning walk taken most days …
        that my prayers have become simpler and more towards praise and thankfulness
        thank you Lord for another day, for life and health and strength
        for such a wondrous creation, for trees and fauna, amazing birds, insects,
        marine life, (even singing whales I'm told) ... you did a great job Lord, and I am exceedingly         grateful
        for mercy, repentance, forgiveness, salvation
        for the quickening of the Holy Spirit on your Word
        for a true helpmate, off-spring, grandchildren ... and pets
        for the knowledge of the Holy
        to know and to be known … wondrous indeed !
my ever increasing gratitude and thankfulness for such amazing Grace

and other thoughts ..
that         GRACE and TRUTH came by Jesus alone John 1:17
that         GRACE and TRUTH are inseparable ….the 2 sides of the 1 coin

where there is GRACE          it is now linked with TRUTH
where there is TRUTH         it is now linked with GRACE

so where does this leave Legalism and the LAW ??
redundant, obsolete, superseded, relegated to being just a forerunner

my question to the Legalists and those in the PRS the Present Religious System
is simply this ...
exactly    WHOSE KINGDOM ARE YOU BUILDING   in actuality ??

and         WHOSE METHODS ARE YOU UTILISING ??

the END simply does not justify the MEANS
for God's work must be done GOD's WAY      or not at all

by observation there are so many with  MIXED MOTIVES   and  HIDDEN AGENDAS

the simple test we have been shown is to look at the FRUIT
and we all can and should be FRUIT INSPECTORS !!
for trees are only known by their FRUIT

and as I have pondered recently on Gods Love, a saying comes to mind ...

KEEP SAYING   YES LORD    AND LIFE BECOMES   A    R O M A N C E ! !
with God Himself as our LOVER

and that's been my recently renewed experience !

Finally ...
Reflections are only seen on water when it is quite STILL and untroubled
now there's another topic for study !

and I must tell you about some holiday reading I enjoyed …

MUTANT MESSAGE DOWN UNDER    by Marlo Morgan
and its sequel     MUTANT MESSAGE FROM FOREVER

about the lifestyle and the wisdom of Australia's native Aborigines
(not to be confused with the 'immigrant' blacks of the Northern Territories)
a mildly controversial book I'm told, but very thought provoking by making comparison with our Western materialistic lifestyle.       Not everyone can handle our crop of Western society false Gods being identified by comparison and shown up !

These truly amazing native Aborigine people with a totally sustainable lifestyle.
NO carbon footprints there !        and so many valuable lessons to be learned from someone who spent time amongst and walked with this amazing race of people from antiquity, compared to whom -- we are the Mutants !

                BY COMPARISON

Item         NATIVE ABORIGINES                                 WESTERN    
                INDIGENOUS

LAND      Nobody owns                                             Private Ownership
       yet   EVERYBODY owns                                     Bought / sold / traded
                SHARED by ALL

CLOTHES Basically ONE item                                the Fashion Industry
                Renewable                                                 Vanity Fair

FOOD      From Nature itself                                 Processed
                 Natural organic protein                         Poisoned - pesticides. insecticides
                 Only use what is necessary                   Hoarded, stored, sold
                Seasonal - their journey                         Processed nutrient & vitamin
                follows the seasons deficient

HEALTH NO heart disease                                    Disease prone / the sickness industry
                NO stress                                                 Stressfull
                Longetivity  to 100                                 Reduced life span

MEDICINES All from Nature                              the Drug industry

RECREACTION
                Non competitive games                             Competitive sports
                for skill development                               Superstars idolised - $$$'s
                All are participants                                   Most are passive observers

FINANCES No currency                                          Currency = greed
                 All needs supplied from Nature             Disparity of rich & poor
                Individual skills for the group                Personal / individual skills
                 Social interdependency                         Selfish achievements
                                                                                   Self exploitation

CULTURE Oral passed on personally                     Written
                 known by all
                Secret places of paintings
                and visual history                                     Museums

                No crime - elders  guide                          Crime riddled
                Interdependent socially                         Prisons / penal system

                Wisdom of the Elders                             Aged in rest homes
                revered and respected                           Largely disrespected

BUILDINGS None                                                  Buildings. construction
                Use natural caves                                   Resources plundered
                Planet left untouched                             Planet plundered

                NO housing                                             Houses, Apartments, buildings
                Sleep under the stars                            Cities      Urbanisation

TRANSPORT Travel by foot                               Vehicles
                Human endeavour                                  Fuel and energy depletion
                Tracks only                                            Roads / bridges
                                                                                vast disruption of land mass

TOTALLY SUSTAINABLE                                   GREED      Avarice
                NO carbon footprint                            Consumerism      Wasteful

                Totally sympathetic                              Depletion of Resources
                integrated with nature                         Rape of nature
                 harmony with seasons
                a peaceful people                                  Wars & Conflict
                not warriors                                          2 World Wars

and these items were apparent and evident in the natives of most other lands and races eg the North American Indians,    Eskimos    etc

and some dared called them             Primitive !!

what would history call us ?             MUTANTS ??                  RAPISTS ?