A Gift

Come to the fields,
Hear a heavenly throng
Praise our wonderful Father
In rapturous song.

Come to the stable
A wonder to see –
A child in a manger,
A gift given free.

Come to the lakeside
With the sick and the lame,
Hear all of those needy
Call His precious name.

Come to a hillside –
No glamour, no gloss.
Watch the Man who has died
Upon that stark Cross.

Come to Jesus, Christ Jesus –
No tinsel, no tree.
Just Jesus, our Saviour
His gift sets us free.

© 2015 Trevor W. Hampel.

All rights reserved.

Father, Thank You for each and every day You have blessed us here on earth.
Thank You for Your tender mercies.
Thank You for giving us friends and family to share joys and sorrows with.
I ask You to bless my friends, relatives, brothers and sisters in Christ and
Those I care deeply for, who are reading this right now.
Where there is joy, give them continued joy.
Where there is pain or sorrow, give them your peace and mercy.
Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence.
Where there is need, fulfil their needs.
Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Male Superb Fairy-wren

Let everything praise the Lord

Sing from the mountain-tops and shout to the skies!
Praise God all you messengers, and cheer all you servants!
Let the birds of plain and forest praise our God;
Galah and emu, blue wren, honeyeater and jabiru.
(From “Australian Psalms” by Bruce D Prewer)

On our recent trip to visit family in Sydney we travelled through the beautiful mountains called the Great Dividing Range. In many places there are deep gorges cut by flowing creeks and rivers, towering gum trees and farm animals grazing. When we stop for a meal or a cuppa, we often pick a spot where we can enjoy the view and see some of our colourful plants and birds. It is not hard to appreciate how wonderful this great country of ours really is.

Back home we also enjoy many aspects of God’s amazing creation in our little patch of scrub. On a sunny day earlier this week I was reading my Bible on our back veranda, taking in some of the sunshine, something we haven’t always seen in recent weeks. The warmth of the sun was very soothing and it was hard to keep awake and not snooze off.

As I sat there reading I was suddenly aware of the growing chorus of birdsong in our garden. Our little family of six Superb Blue-wrens were hopping around on the ground in front of me, their lilting song delighting my ears. Not to be outdone, a small flock of tiny Thornbills feeding in the trees joined in the song of praise, followed by several Silvereyes flying overhead. It was as if they were singing a mighty chorus of praise to their Creator. I could do nothing less than join them by lifting up my heart in praise to God.

Interestingly, I have been rereading the Psalms in recent weeks. Oh how the writers of the Psalms, especially David, knew how to praise the Lord. As we worship today may we also lift up our hearts and voices in praise to our God.

Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103

˄TH

The computer swallowed grandma
Yes, honestly it’s true
She pressed ‘control’ and ‘enter’
And disappeared from view.
It devoured her completely
The thought just makes me squirm
She must have caught a ‘virus’
Or been eaten by a ‘worm.’
I’ve searched through the ‘recycle bin’
And files of every kind
I’ve even used the ‘Internet’
But nothing did I find.
In desperation, I asked Jeeves
My searches to refine
The reply from him was negative
Not a thing was found ‘online.’
So if inside your ‘Inbox’
My Grandma you should see
Please ‘Copy,’ ‘Scan’ and ‘Paste’ her
And send her back to me!
– Author Unknown –

Christmas greetings from the Murray Bridge Church of Christ.

May you have a peaceful and joyous time celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Come See the Shepherds

Come, see the shepherds at peace in the field
Come, see the sheep grazing silently.
Come, see the angel proclaiming the news
Come, see the heavenly hosts praising mightily.

Chorus:

Fear not,
Be not afraid,
Good news
I bring to you.
This day in Bethlehem town
A Babe who is Jesus
The Saviour is born.

Come, see the baby asleep in the hay,
Come, see the birthplace so drear.
Come, see the worshipping shepherds,
Come, see the Lord – He is here.

Chorus

Fear not,
Be not afraid,
Good news
I bring to you.
This day in Bethlehem town
A Babe who is Jesus
The Saviour is born.

Come, see the Man on the Cross on the hill,
Come, see the empty tomb.
Come, see the Saviour who died for our sin,
Come, see the Lord who’s returning quite soon.

Chorus:

Fear not,
Be not afraid,
Good news
I bring to you.
This day in Bethlehem town
A Babe who is Jesus
The Saviour is born.

Copyright: Trevor W. Hampel

All rights reserved.

Mt Macedon Victoria

We Remember Them

They came in eagerness
To board the trains and ships
Bound for adventure and excitement
On the battle grounds of foreign soil.

From greenest fields of Flanders
And the hills of Afghanistan,
To the jungles of Vietnam
And the farmlands of Korea.

It was not long before they found
That this was not a game, no fun
Or exciting adventure abroad
But that the killing was for real.

So many vibrant, healthy lives
Snuffed out before they
Had a chance to make their way
In office, factory or farm.

And now they rest at peace afar
In foreign graves so stark,
So plain. We salute their valiant
Sacrifices made for us left home.

Lest we forget.

© 2013 Trevor Hampel

All rights reserved.

• Written on the occasion of Remembrance Day, November 11^th 2013.