Monthly Update November 2011

ON ALL THINGS GOOD

 ‎”Goodness is not an abstract concept, it is an element of the character of God.”

I always like to believe the best about people. I always try to find the good in any situation. I expect people to be upright, honest and generally good. Maybe I am naïve. Maybe I am trying to encourage people to be the best they can be. But I want people to be good. I want to believe they are good. I want to be good and I want to believe that I am good.

But the only way I can achieve those dreams is to reduce goodness to something that I can grasp, understand and possibly attain.

In English we overuse the word ‘good’ almost as much as we overuse the word ‘love’. We give it the very highest and yet most common of meanings. We attach to it the pinnacle of intense worth or casually expel it in a flippant phrase.

But God is good! And all good things come from our Father!

And He has made me good – not through anything I have done or deserved. And He has good plans for me.

Now that sounds good.

UKRAINE CONNECTIONS

This has been a dramatic week for me as far as Ukraine goes.

Firstly, I received a package from Ukraine. It was a beautifully illustrated book of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. It was a present from my good friends Irina, George and George Jnr. Please continue to pray for George Jnr who at 6 years old is only just taking a few faltering steps.

Secondly, I was able to have a Skype call with Natasha. They now have a good internet connection in their own home so I will be able to talk more often. We chatted about a few things. UTSIM needs some help. The only teacher, Sveta, has been in hospital the past three weeks. She is suffering from Bell’s Palsy. A number of people around town have stepped up to help out with UTSIM. Most of all please pray for a recovery for Sveta.

And in other Ukraine news, Dan Gollan turned 40 on Saturday. Although I missed the festivities, according to the photos on Facebook it seems like Dan is a bit of a pirate at heart – who would have thought . . . !

CONNECTIONS DOWN UNDER

School is fast running towards its end for the year. Very soon I will have the pressure of report writing. I am also continuing to struggle finding the correct balance of motivating learning and corrective discipline. Teaching is a big responsibility which I don’t want to take lightly.

Between playing touch footy on Mondays and squash when I can with Masha and Losha, I’m trying to keep fit and active.

THANKS....

To the Weldons for wonderful dinners and just good times together every Tuesday.