Father's Day - My Heavenly Father....

On Fathers Day, here are just a few thoughts of just who our Heavenly Father is, there are many more and you can add to the list, Our Heavenly Father is magnificent, wonderful, glorious overflowing in love, mercy and grace……

My Heavenly Father rejoices over me with dancing and singing

My Heavenly Father has promised he will NEVER be angry will me ever again.

My Heavenly Father fills me with sweet satisfaction.

My Heavenly Father embraces my failures.

My Heavenly Father fills me with good things.

My Heavenly Father showers me, overwhelms me, and overflows me with his free, wonderful grace.

My Heavenly Father runs to greet me.

My Heavenly Father places His ring on my finger.

My Heavenly Father fills me with his glory and presence.

My Heavenly Father is with me every moment of my life.

My Heavenly Father is the heart beat inside my chest.

My Heavenly Father is the blood flowing through my veins.

My Heavenly Father is heaven inside my frail body.

My Heaven Father is a waterfall of grace that immerses me.

My Heavenly Father has taken me off the naughty list and placed me on the good list.

My Heavenly Father has eradicated my old sinful nature and given me a new holy, righteous nature,

My Heavenly Father has forgiven all my sins and healed all my sickness.

My Heavenly Father declares me his son.

My Heavenly Father invites me to share with Him in His divine pleasures.

My Heavenly Father invites me to enjoy the fruits and provision of the Promised Land.

My Heavenly Father invites me to enter into His rest.

My Heavenly Father has through Christ plugged me into the wellspring of grace.

My Heavenly Father is the source of all bliss and fulfillment.

My Heavenly Father is the fire of love.

It's Cup Final Saturday

Saturdays are special days

Saturdays are family days

Days of doing things together

Going to the park

Swimming

Going out for lunch

Having fun

With your family

When I was growing up in the 70’s

For my Dad and me there was one special Saturday

A magical day when we would be glued to the TV.

There was no moving us

My Mum would feed us with

Sandwiches

Crisps

Sausage rolls

Chocolate biscuits

All manner of tasty snacks

Because, it was

Cup Final Saturday.

My Dad and I would watch the entire coverage

There was:

Breakfast with the teams

The road to the final

Follow the coaches to Wembley

The pre-match build up

Meet the players

Abide with me

And then

The game

Everything you could have hoped for

My Dad supported Portsmouth and I supported Everton

Needless to say

Neither of us got to watch our teams play in the Final

Still there was plenty of excitement

Nail biting moments

Charlie George scoring in Extra Time for Arsenal

Jim Montgomery miraculously saving Sunderland singled handed

And of course

Bobby Stokes scoring the winner for Southampton as they beat Manchester United

David defeated Goliath

The greatest giant killing ever

Great things happen if you only have faith!

Neither of my two sons are remotely interested in football

They both see it as pointless

And as Chelsea take on Liverpool today

I will be watching it alone

With only the memories that my late Dad and I shared together

How times have changed!

I hope the game is entertaining and the best team wins

Winning is important

Christ won the greatest victory at the cross

Where he defeated sin and Satan

And satisfied the wrath of God for mankind’s sin and rebellion

Because of His perfect sacrifice I can be completely free

Free from guilt and condemnation

Free to live in the fullness of eternal life

And here’s a little secret

I will be quietly hoping that Chelsea wins

Well after all I am an Everton supporter

And I have had to endure years of Liverpool triumphs

But I know that no matter how exciting it all gets

The greatest excitement is that

Christ has won the victory for me.

The Elixir of Life

The elixir of life

The cure of all aliments known to man

A legendary potion

Liquid gold

The answer to all life’s problems

Instant health

Eternal life

Immortality

If only such a concoction existed

I grew up in a home where we had found the answer

Well

Almost

My father

Was convinced he had discovered the answer to all health problems

Liquid Gold

And as soon as a

Sore throat

Sniffing nose

Fevered brow

Outbreak of spots

Was discovered

He produced the

TCP

With its blue and yellow label

It drove fear into my heart

My sisters and I were instantly made to gargle this disgusting, medicated mixture

We gargled

And gargled

And gargled

Yuck !!

It was horrible

Liquid Hell

And the smell

The Medicated odour

That destroyed all senses

And killed all known bacteria

My dad swore by it

Believed in it

He would even drink it neat

Straight from the bottle

Swig it down

Needless to say

I am sure it has many beneficial qualities

And no doubt it has aided in the containment of disease

But

I have never bought a bottle

And never will!

Just the smell of it

Brings back

Painful memories

As I picture

The look on my sisters faces as they were made to partake of it

Fear

Disgust

God has provided an elixir of life

By giving us his only son

The blood of Jesus

The crimson stream that flooded from his hands and side

Is eternal life

To all who believe

It’s a free gift

Offered once and in full

Complete payment for all our sins

Past, present and ones we will commit in the future

The blood of Jesus covers it all

And it is all we will ever need.