Month: July 2025

Go and watch an AFL game

July 26, 2025

If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

I think I would go and watch an AFL game or two in Melbourne with my wife. She has family over there so we could visit the too.

Favourite games

July 19, 2025
Triple Town

What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

Today’s WordPress question is a good one. What are my favourite games? I am going to share about my favourite one or two of each of the card, board and video games.

  1. Card game – I really like playing Uno with my family. It is a nice simple game that is easy and fun. I also used to play it with the kids at school when I worked as a Chaplain. It was a good way to play a game and talk.
  2. Board Game – my favourite board game is Monopoly or Scrabble. It is a tie for them both. It just depends what sort of mood I am in. But I have one rule – a time limit. I am not one of those people who has to see everyone go bankrupt to have a winner. I am happy to see who has the most money or points after an hour or so.
  3. Video game – when my kids were little we got a PS2. We would play Ratchet and Clank and Grand Turismo for hours. I love the rally races and driving my trusty Subaru Impresser was so much fun. The kids loved Ratchet and Clank and made it through a few times, but I never got that far.
  4. iPad game – my favourite iPad game is Triple Town. It is a game with bears, trees and houses, you join three things together and it upgrades you to the next level. I play a quick game most games to chill out. I will put a picture above.

That is about it for me. These are my favourites, but I must admit I do not play them very often these days.

Dogs or cats

July 17, 2025

Dogs or cats?

This is a hard one for me as we have had both and love both cats and dogs.

Since my wife and I married we have had four dogs and I have really loved it. The joy you get from them is amazing. I especially love when you come home and they are so excited to see you!

Since we married we have also had ten cats too. I love the way that they love to sit on your lap and be with you when it is cold. I also like that they leave you alone at times. They are happy to entertain themselves or just sleep.

We have also had times when we have cats and dogs together. One pairing would play fight with each other. The dog would push him away and the cat would stand on his back legs and spar with him.

We also seem to have a gifting for stray cats. They seem to know our house is a safe house and they adopt us. One came and said hello one day and then decided to move in. It belonged to our neighbours but they not want him any more. Another one was adopted by a neighbour but preferred our house. The lady ended up giving her to us.

So for me, it is cats and dogs at the same time. Especially if you get them both young and they grow up together and they are friends.

F.A.I.T.H.

July 14, 2025

Many years ago I did a sermon using the letters of the word faith for the outline – F.A.I.T.H.

When preaching I always try and do something like that so people have something to hang on to and to help them remember.

By the time you make the point and read the passage you only need a paragraph or two to create a 10 minutes homily. Here are the dot points.

F – Freedom in Christ

John 8:36 NLT – So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

A – Assurance from Christ

Mark 5:36 NLT – But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

I – Involvement for Christ

Matthew 9:37 NLT – He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.

T – Triumph through Christ

Romans 8:37 NLT – No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

H – Heaven with Christ

John 14:2-3 NLT – There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? [3] When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Using an acronym is a simple way of making things easier for people to remember. Whenever I did a homily like this, most people could at least tell me some of the points a week later.

Blessings,

Dave

Praying the Scriptures

July 11, 2025

A great habit I have used over the years is to pray the Scriptures. By this I mean using the words of the Bible to convey our heartfelt needs to God.

The Bible tells us that God’s Word goes out and achieves His purposes.

Isaiah 55:11 NLT says, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

So here is an example of a prayer for healing. I start by reading the Psalm to declare God forgives our sins heals our diseases.

Psalm 103:1-5 NLT
[1] Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. [2] Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. [3] He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. [4] He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. [5] He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles.

Then I pray the next two verses as a prayer.

Acts 4:30 NLT
[30] Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Psalm 6:2 NLT
[2] Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.

For Psalm 6:2 I pray it as is for myself, but I change “me” to the persons name if I am praying for someone else.

I find praying this way declares God as our healer, it asks for His power to heal and it shows our total dependance on Him. And it is done in Jesus’ name.

I encourage you to give it a try next time you need to pray for someone, or even try it for yourself.