Tag: Christian living

The proof of the pudding


Tips for Life
by Alan Bailey

Yes, the pudding may look good, even smell good, but the proof of what it promises to be is found by eating it. The one who partakes uses his taste buds and then gives an assessment.

We follow this procedure with many issues day by day. Advertising surrounds us. Claims for this and that product appeal for our attention and our money. Much of the time we have little or no idea of the truth of the claims that are made until we try for ourselves — until we taste and see.

A challenge that needs an answer
Right now, all around the world, we are experiencing an onslaught against the claims of the Christian gospel. Many voices are joined in a chorus of doubt and scepticism meant to unsettle those who believe. But there is one area where it seems little or no consideration is being given; the matter of Christian experience.Continue reading

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What’s the point to all this?

Tips for Life

by Alan Bailey

Why do we endure such stress and pressure?
For most of us, life’s a struggle. Work can mean endless hassles and even holidays can bring on more struggle. Men, women and children are working and playing their way through life. But after all the perspiration and the parties, the question persists: What’s the point?

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What price for a life?

Tips for Life

by Alan Bailey

Youth suicide appears to be dropping, but self-harm is taking over.

Most of us simply can’t keep abreast of all that is happening around the world. News spreads rapidly and much of it is hard to come to terms with, so we tend to give up. We just do our best to survive. That’s the formula these days.

But have you noted this? Trends show that world-wide, young people are losing their sense of the worth of life. Suicide is still chillingly common, but now self-harm is taking over. In numbers of countries, those in teen years in particular, are being driven to attack their own bodies. They deliberately harm themselves out of frustration, anger, sadness or just to get attention.

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Amazing acts of courage

Tips for Life

by Alan Bailey

In a world where greed and selfishness seem so prevalent, it is heartening to hear of something very different. Now and again a courageous and unselfish act takes the headlines. In recent days we have heard of someone risking his life by running into a burning house to rescue a small child. Another case saw a man furiously working to save a person trapped in a burning vehicle, dragging him free and in the process taking the chance on being badly injured.

These brave people deserve a medal and will probably get one in due course.Continue reading

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What it takes to be a man

Tips for Life

by Alan Bailey

As I grew up I learned that to be a man meant to take all of life’s hard knocks without looking for sympathy and certainly to never cry.

Manhood seems to be associated with courage, strength and endurance, as womanhood is with things more tender and more sensitive. But what really is the main distinctive?

True manhood involves shouldering responsibility. Physical toughness is not the measure, nor whether he abstains from activities thought to be feminine. A man is truly a man when he squarely faces his responsibilities and makes a real effort to handle them.Continue reading

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Learning from the samurai

by Andrew Lansdown

Anyone who has seen The Last Samurai can easily understand why it has been nominated for four Academy Awards (best art direction, best costume design, best sound and best supporting actor). It is an outstanding film about a disillusioned American soldier, Captain Algren (played by Tom Cruise), who goes to Japan in 1876 to help modernise and train an army for the Emperor. He knows nothing of the samurai, the enemy he is about to face. Then in his first battle against them he is taken captive. Thus begins his (and our) discovery of the samurai and their way of life.

And what a discovery it is! I doubt that anyone could watch the film without feeling a sense of admiration for those warriors of ancient Japan.

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Are you suffering through Christmas?

Published Christmas 2018

Most people are familiar with the basics of the Christmas story and the manger scene of baby Jesus in the hay; however, they might think ‘well so what? Even if that is the historical basis for Christmas, it is irrelevant to me now in the 21st century.’

Christmas, to most Aussies, has come to mean presents, food and maybe some time off.

For some, though, it is not even a festive holiday but a hard time. Christmas may bring with it unnecessary debt, unwanted expectations, demanding social engagements and painful memories of family members who are no longer with us or relationships that have broken down.

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Zach and Lily

Written for the children’s page

Hey Lily, are you on Insta?

No I’m reading on my phone.

What are you reading?

The Bible.

The Bible! Why would you read that? It is so full of rules! Doesn’t it tell you not to swear, to obey your parents and never to smoke or drink or have fun? I wouldn’t read a book that bossed me around so much!

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What are we waiting for?

Published Christmas 2019

“I just can’t wait to open my presents!” Isn’t that the cry of kids (and some adults!) at Christmas? The anticipation of seeing secret wrapped presents under the tree is often even more exciting than actually finding out what is inside them! We wait with expectation, for weeks, to find out what we will get and to taste the delicious food we specially prepare.

Waiting is hard. Not for Christmas morning, maybe. But life is full of other waiting times; we wait for a diagnosis, for true love, to recover from an illness, to stop hurting, to have children, to get work or to retire.Continue reading

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