PASTOR'S Blog - While the wife's away

Day 7 Blue Spring and McLaren Falls Park

After a good turnout to our Wednesday morning prayer group, I enjoyed taking my new Fijian friends visiting from Fiji to Blue Spring and McLaren Falls Park less than an hour from here.

I can’t believe Angella has been away a whole week already. Wow that went fast.

It is quiet living on your own, and it gives me a little more appreciation for the situation of others who always live on their own. I have therefore provided a link below to an article which I hope provides some needed encouragement.

https://www.lwf.org/.../heartwarming-bible-verses-for...

Only about 18 days to go!

(Picture of our nearby McLaren’s Falls)

Pastor's Blog - While the wife's away

Day 6 Curry fish, potatoes (not rice) and veges on the menu

I’ve always enjoyed Angella’s curry fish, so I asked her to teach me how to do it her way. Good tip guys. If there’s something your wife cooks you really like, ask her to teach you (and vice versa – let’s not be sexist).

This meal (probably 2-3 day’s worth) was just what the doctor ordered after my annual medical check-up revealed my B12 was extremely low at 55 pmol/L. Fish and potatoes are good sources of B12, as are red meats. The doctor has started me though on B12 injections.

Thankfully, the only mild symptom I have of B12 deficiency is a little numbness in the feet. I’m still full of energy and look forward to taking some international visitors, relatives of a church brother, to Blue Spring in Putaruru tomorrow.

Today’s ministry was rewarding as the elderly always appreciate their Tuesday morning church service at Bernadette Home in Mount Maunganui. I shared a much shorter version of my recent Grace of God Experience sermon (link found below on this Facebook page at 6 May). The message opens with the thought that, if there is a God, how come humanity’s still here? Why hasn’t He wiped us out for all of the evil we continually engage in? If God doesn’t exist, how come we haven’t wiped ourselves out with our weapons of mass destruction or been wiped out by aliens who ‘supposedly’ (if they exist at all) are way more intelligent than us?

My firm view is, it is only by the grace of an extremely merciful, loving and self-controlled God we are still here.

(picture of Waihou/Blue Spring)

Pastor's Blog - While the wife's away

Day 5 Getting on with things

While the wife’s away, as quiet as it is and no matter how much I miss her, I still need to get on with things.

There are so many things to be done as a pastor besides preparing sermons and Bible studies. One is planning for church development.

I have been very motivated lately to plan for the church to expand here beyond my home town Tauranga, the only place we have a branch of the Church of God 7th Day (COG7) here in NZ. I realized it is difficult to have local members who are equipped to choose to move to start a church in a new town.

I therefore had the idea of finding suitable COG7 members from overseas who can come on work visas leading to permanent residence, live and work in our town, be trained as leaders, support the much needed growth of our local congregation and then a few years later when they are able move to a nearby city start another branch of the church with the help of others who have signed up for the same plan.

It’s a huge step for anyone to make such a move to a foreign country, so anyone interested really needs to seriously count the cost. Feel free to contact me for more information if moving countries for the gospel’s sake has been on your mind. New Zealand certainly needs more committed evangelists because, sadly, so many of our population don’t even believe God exists!

Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Oh may we all believe and diligently seek our kind and merciful God through Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself for us!

*picture of our area below

Pastor's Bog - While the wife's away

PASTOR'S BLOG - While the wife's away

Day 4 – Very pleased to report my wife finally arrives in Jamaica

(remember, blog 4-5 days behind events. RE Day 3’s blog, critical reviews of ‘Say Jambo’ communication in marriage song appreciated, Play button at www.churchofgodslove.com at Media heading, under Blog)

AUCKLAND – SYDNEY – LA – MIAMI – KINGSTON, JAMAICA

I’d suggested Angella fly Auckland – New York – Kingston, Jamaica, but she was not keen on being 17 and a half hours in the air between Auckland and New York. Nevertheless, we thank God she made it safely to her sister’s in Jamaica.

It was our Sabbath day here in New Zealand and we certainly missed someone’s smile and singing. However, she will bring sunshine and smiles to Jamaica.

Many of you who follow this Facebook page already enjoy Sabbath rest on Saturdays, but if the idea sounds strange to anyone else reading this and you want to understand why I made the decision 32 years ago to give up my competitive tennis, the then first love of my life, to follow Christ, the new first love of my life, and enjoy the blessings of Sabbath, perhaps you might want to check out my sermon ‘Enjoying your Sabbath blessings (link below).

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I finally finished the Burritos (and soggy rice), thoroughly enjoying them, even on the fourth day. Yummy and I’m still alive!

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you like the sermon at:

https://youtu.be/uKP1JeTVk7w .

PASTOR'S BLOG - While the wife's away

PASTOR’S BLOG

While the Wife’s Away 

Day 3 – Get creative and dream big

(remember, blog 4-5 days behind events)

Angella is still enroute to Jamaica flying from Sydney to LA but yippee, it’s third day same burrito and rice meal coming up! I awake at 12.30 am after two hours of sleep with my mind full of ideas. With paper and pen at the ready, over the next 2-3 hours I jot down creative ideas as they come to mind.

I’m reminded of a time I spent apart from my wife when I visited Kenya. That too was a time when my mind decided it wanted to be creative. In traffic in Nairobi for about three hours with Pastor Abrahams Odongo I started composing and singing a silly song about being in a traffic jam and he joined in. Perhaps, because I was apart from my wife, the song strangely morphed into a song encouraging good communication in marriage.

I couldn’t ever remember hearing a song about a traffic jam before, but guess what the first song I heard on the radio the next day was about – a traffic jam. Then on the aeroplane home, there was a song about ‘jamming’.  Upon arriving home, someone told me a joke with the exact same humour and message you see in my lyrics below. Could God be telling me go ahead with this song? I became consumed with finishing the composition of the song dreaming of a hit single which would also be beneficial to married couples and a fun theme song for marriage retreats/conventions. Part of the lyrics are:      

                                            Share with your wife in a traffic jam

                                                 Give her your full attention

                                          Tell her you got a new job - last year!

                                         And other things you failed to mention.

                                                               Chorus

                                            Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

                                               Say ‘Jambo’  in the traffic jam

                                              Now  you got time on your hands

                                                  Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam. 

Note: ‘Jambo’ is a general Swahili greeting similar to ‘hello’.  

The funniest thing of all is some brilliant and famous Kenyan musicians soon made a first recording. I think they did an amazing job. It needs a couple of lyrical tweaks and a male singer on one verse, but I still hope it will be edited, redone and released by them. Have a listen to the recording of ‘Say Jambo’ below, see the amended lyrics, and tell me whether it ministered to you as a married person and whether you’d encourage them, or someone else, to release it.

 When the wife’s away, get creative.

say jambo mp3

Amended lyrics to “Say Jambo’ below:

Say Jambo in Traffic Jam  © by David Kidd

Chorus

Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

Say ‘Jambo’  in traffic jam

Now you got time on your hands

Say ‘Jambo’ to wife in the jam.  (Only include ‘to wife’ in first chorus)

 Know your wife in traffic jam

Find out her middle name                                                                 

Ask her her favourite colour               

Check if her hair has changed.

Share with your wife in traffic jam

Give her your full attention

Tell her you got a new job - last year!

And other things you failed to mention.

Chorus

Listen to your wife in traffic jam

She got many good things to say

Maybe the car need new tyre

It could even be her birthday.

Discuss your children in traffic jam

Find out where they go to school

Check if they’re living for Jesus

In case you have been fooled.

Chorus

            (male voice)

I talked to my wife once in traffic jam

Cos my sound system wasn’t workin

And it’s wrong to drive using i-phone

She seemed a very nice person 

Check your wife’s smile in traffic jam

Smile at her with your teeth

Find out whether she’s happy

how she’s feelin underneath.  

Chorus

Your wife may be on the edge of leaving

Because she’s been ignored

Thank God for the terrible traffic jam

That your marriage may be restored.

Toot if you’re in love again

Shout out her middle name

Rejoice! Someone actually likes you

Give praise in Jesus name.

Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

Say ‘Jambo’ in traffic jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam …  during closing repeats of chorus  have

Now  you got time on your hand             shouts of middle names in background

Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam.   

Say ‘Jambo’ in the traffic jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’  in the jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’  in the jam

Now  you got time on your hand

Say ‘Jambo’ in the jam.    Jambo! Jambo!

say jambo mp3