Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🎀💝🎁🌺🌹MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY. SUNDAY AUGUST 30, 2O26. "THERE'S NOBODY LIKE HIM! (5)" ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?...’ Psalms 27:1 NKJV WE ALL need an encounter with the transfigured Christ; the One who is greater than Moses the law giver and Elijah the prophet, and all the other prophets who have ever lived. The One who wears the true crown of the universe, God’s beloved Son. We need to fall on our face and see Him as the Holy One, the Highest One, the Only One. As you do, all your fears, save the fear of Christ Himself, will melt like an ice cube on a summer day. You will agree with David: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ In the book Prince Caspian, there is a great illustration of this. Lucy sees Aslan the lion for the first time in many years. He has changed since their last encounter. His size surprises her, and she tells him as much. ‘Aslan,’ says Lucy, ‘you’re bigger.’ He replies, ‘That is because you are older, little one.’ Lucy says, ‘Not because you are?’ He replies, ‘I am not. But every year you grow, you find me bigger.’ And so it is in our walk with Christ. The longer we serve Him, the greater He becomes. It’s not that He changes, but that we do. We see dimensions, aspects, characteristics we never saw before; increasing and astonishing increments of His purity, power, and uniqueness. Only when we have fallen at His feet in humility and total dependence will He say to us what He said to His disciples on the Mount where He was transfigured: ‘…“Arise, and do not be afraid”’ (Matthew 17:7 NKJV). Bible In A Year: Ezek 20-21, Matt 22:15-22, Ps 111, Pro 19:18-20. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation 🌹🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌷🎀💝🌹. MD.ii. [29/08, 10:05 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA* SUNDAY, 30TH AUGUST, 2026 *SEEKING THE BREAD OF LIFE: BEYOND TEMPORARY BLESSINGS* *TEXT:* JOHN 6:24–34 24. When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26. Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. *Timeless Truth:* _But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you _*(Matthew 6:33)*. *INTRODUCTION* In 1997, the world watched as Mother Teresa continued her work among the poor and dying in Calcutta despite having very limited material resources. Her ministry was not built around accumulating possessions, but around serving people and pointing them toward Christ. Her life demonstrated that material needs, though important, cannot by themselves satisfy the deepest needs of the human heart. This truth is reflected in Jesus' encounter with the crowd in John 6. The people had witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. They had received bread miraculously and when they could no longer find Jesus, they sought for Him. However, Jesus exposed the motive behind their search: *“You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”* (John 6:26) They were pursuing Jesus primarily because of what He could give them, rather than because of who He is. Jesus then redirected their attention from temporary bread to eternal nourishment: The passage challenges us to examine our motives: Are we seeking Christ because we love Him or primarily because of what we hope to receive from Him? The crowd came looking for Jesus, but Jesus knew why they were looking for Him. They had eaten the bread, enjoyed the miracle and wanted more. Their problem was not that they wanted bread. Their problem was that they wanted bread without fully recognizing the Bread of Life. This remains a danger for Christians today. We can seek God for: employment, healing, financial breakthrough, academic success, marriage, protection, promotion, material provision and all these things may legitimately be brought before God in prayer. However, if our relationship with Christ is reduced to what He can provide, we have misunderstood discipleship. Jesus is not merely the Provider of bread; He is the Bread of Life. The greatest blessing is not what God places in our hands, but who God places in our hearts. Physical bread sustains the body temporarily. Money can provide comfort temporarily. Success can bring recognition temporarily. Possessions can give pleasure temporarily, but none of these can satisfy the deepest hunger of the human soul. Only Christ can do that. Therefore, we must examine our priorities. Are we spending more time pursuing things than pursuing God? Are we more excited about God's gifts than about God's presence? Do we pray only when we need something or do we desire fellowship with Christ because we love Him? The answer of Jesus is clear: *Do not labour for the food which perisheth, but for the food which endureth to everlasting life.* Let us therefore, seek Christ above possessions, eternal life above temporary success and God's kingdom above worldly satisfaction. When Christ becomes our greatest treasure, we can enjoy God's blessings without allowing those blessings to become our god. The deepest hunger of the human heart can only be satisfied by Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. *1. The Pursuit of Temporary Satisfaction* a. The crowd crossed the sea looking for Jesus, but their motivation was primarily physical. The people sought diligently for Jesus after discovering that He had left. Seeking Christ is good, but our motives matter. We should seek Jesus not merely for His blessings, but because He is worthy of our love and devotion. b. The crowd had witnessed a miracle and wanted more. They were attracted to what Jesus could do rather than surrendering themselves to who Jesus is. *(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)* (2 Corinthians 5:7) — Miracles can point us toward Christ, but miracles themselves must never become the foundation of our faith. Physical food satisfies temporarily; eventually, we become hungry again. *Questions* (i) What do I pursue most—God Himself or the blessings I hope to receive from Him? (ii) Have material possessions, comfort, success or recognition become more important to me than spiritual growth? *2. The Priority of Eternal Substance* a. Jesus redirected the crowd from physical food toward the nourishment that leads to eternal life. This does not mean Christians should neglect legitimate work or physical responsibilities. Rather, eternal things must have first priority. Our careers, businesses, education and possessions are important, but none should replace our pursuit of God. b. Jesus made it clear that eternal life ultimately comes from God. *For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:* (Ephesians 2:8). We cannot earn salvation through human achievement. When the crowd asked what they should do, Jesus answered: The central response God desires is genuine faith in Jesus Christ. *Questions* (i) Am I investing as much energy in my spiritual life as I invest in my career and material needs? (ii) Am I trusting Christ for salvation or am I depending on my good works and religious activities? *3. The Provision of Sufficient Bread* a. The crowd remembered the manna given to Israel in the wilderness and asked Jesus for a sign. They referred to Moses and the manna: They were focusing on an earlier miracle instead of recognizing the greater One standing before them. Past spiritual experiences are valuable testimonies, but we must continue walking with Christ today. b. Jesus corrected their understanding: *Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.*(John 6:32.) God's provision in the wilderness pointed beyond physical manna to Christ Himself. We can trust God to provide what we genuinely need while remembering that our greatest need is spiritual life in Christ. The crowd responded: *“Lord, give us this bread always.”* Although they still misunderstood, their request provided an opportunity for Jesus to reveal the truth that became explicit in the following verse: *And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst* (John 6:35).Jesus Himself is the ultimate provision for the deepest hunger of the human soul. *Questions* (i) Where do I turn when I experience emotional, spiritual or inner emptiness? (ii) Am I allowing Christ to satisfy my deepest spiritual hunger through His Word and fellowship? *Prayer Points* 1. Lord, help me to seek You above every temporary possession, achievement and earthly ambition.🙏 2. Father, create within me a deeper hunger and thirst for Your Word, Your presence and Your righteousness.🙏 3. Lord, teach me to trust Your provision and to remain content with what You graciously provide.🙏 4. Lord Jesus, draw those who are spiritually empty and searching, to Yourself and help them discover that You alone can give eternal life.🙏 *Hymns:* I’d Rather Have Jesus *THE BIBLE IN ONE* YEAR:ESTHER 1-5 [29/08, 10:05 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY Ⓜ️ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS) SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST, 2026``` *SEEKING JESUS RIGHTLY* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️✝️✅🤔🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:JOHN 6:24-34```📜📜 🔑📖```KEY VERSE:``` _*"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed" (JOHN 6:27).*_ *Happiness is a lifetime pursuit, but sadly, it is rarely sought rightly. Youths seek it in alcohol, drugs or pornography and end up in self-destruction. Adults seek it in marriage, money, mansions but end up in unfathomable failure, frustration and great pain. As Solomon makes clear in Ecclesiastes, any earthly thing that you seek to satisfy the inner void is like chasing soap bubbles. You catch one only to have it burst in your hand.* *Our text opens with a narrative about seekers of Jesus. Seeking Jesus is a good thing, but it is not enough. What you seek Him for is more important. The sinner must seek Him for salvation, recognising he is spiritually bankrupt without His gift of salvation. Sadly, the crowd in our text sought Jesus for temporal gratification, not eternal salvation! Jesus saw their motive for seeking Him and punctured their search with a scathing, incisive, yet profoundly true remark: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled".* *The Bible is clear that our ultimate source of happiness and pleasure is God. David wrote, "In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore". Jesus told the disciples: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". We will find fullness of joy and pleasures forever when we seek the Lord rightly.* *Beloved, never seek the Lord for superficial motives. They are a mirage; bubbles that never last. Beyond the bread (healing, deliverance, prosperity and miracles) that Christ gives, seek Him who is the Bread of Life, the Bread from heaven. Be discreet to shun dispensing your life energy on labouring for perishable material things that will never satisfy the imperishable soul. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?" (Isaiah 55:2). He still saves as many as would come to Him for salvation and restores backsliders who truly repent. God does not despise genuine hunger and thirst for righteousness. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."* ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*It is self-cheating to seek the Lord only for material or temporary blessings.*_ 📜📜```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *ESTHER 1-5*📜📜 Seeking Jesus Rightly https://dailymanna.app// *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 253: MY PORTION FOR EVER; GHS 244: ALL THINGS IN JESUS; AND GHS 77: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS;* *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#DailyManna30thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [29/08, 10:05 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*HIGHER EVERYD🅰️Y: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_ ✍🏽👩🏻‍💼🌻 🍇🙏🏽🛰🚀🔬📚 ```SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST, 2026``` *IN HIS SECRET PLACE - 2* 🎚️📓📖🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🗣️🙏🏽🙌🏽 📜📜```TEXT:PSALM 91:10-16```📜📜 📖``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (PSALM 91:10-11).*_ *In the early hours of February 6, 2023, thousands were confirmed dead in the aftermath of two huge earthquakes in Syria. Baby Aya (meaning miracle in Arabic) was still connected to her mother by her umbilical cord when she was rescued from the rubble during the earthquake disaster in Syria. Her mother, father and all four of her siblings died after the quake hit the town of Jindayris in Syria.* *Aya survived, although she was in such a bad state. She had bumps, bruises, and was cold and barely breathing when she arrived in the hospital. Fortunately, the hospital manager, Khalid Attiah, had a daughter just four months older than she. The wife offered to breastfeed Aya alongside her own daughter. What a divine protection!* *Who would have thought that such a child would still be alive under the debris? God kept her alive in His secret place. The Lord has promised to give His angels charge over you to keep you from calamity. His promises are sure. "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul" (Psalm 121:7).* 💬 ```QUOTE:``` _*His promises are sure.*_ 🏆 ```CHALLENGE:``` _*He watches over His own.*_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, I hide under Your wings for refuge.*_ In His Secret Place - 2 https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#HigherEveryday30thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [29/08, 10:05 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣6️⃣)*_ 🙇🏼🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼‍♂️ ```SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST, 2026``` *BEARING ONE ANOTHER'S BURDEN* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🤝🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```GALATIANS 6:1-4```📜📜 🕔📚🖋️🚻😁🎼🏆🍉🪴🌈💻 🔑📖 ```Key Verse:``` _*"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).*_ 📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖 Sometime ago, at a special Olympics event, nine contestants (all physically disabled), assembled at the starting line for a 100-yard race. At the sound of the whistle, they started out all happy and eager to run the race and win. As they were running, one of them stumbled on the track, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry, they slowed down and looked back. Then all of them turned around and went back to the fallen athlete. Lifting him up, they walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood to cheer them for several minutes. *This was a practical act of bearing one another's burden. More than winning for ourselves, what matters in this life is helping others to win, even if it means slowing down. A candle loses nothing by lightning another candle.* *The lesson for us here is that we must show love, concern and care for others. God is much interested in how we show love to our neighbours than the number of laurels we gather. The boy or girl next to you is in pain - show love to him or her. When we care for one another, the burden becomes lighter.* 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥 ```🅿️rayer:``` _*Lord, help me to learn to always give a helping hand to someone in need.*_ 🙏🏽 ```📖 Further Reading:``` *Romans 15:1-3* Bearing One Another's Burden https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#SincereMilk30thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]. 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. ⏤ Psalm 122:1 True prayer is not asking God for what we want, but what He wants. ⏤ Wesley L. Duewel Father, as we pause to rest this day with You, the great feverish world keeps throbbing on. May something of Your blessed Sunday peace flow out into this restless world and quiet it. Let this day be a true blessing to all Your people, and may the influence of this day reach far and wide, making its power felt throughout the world. We ask that Your grace be given so that all who worship You today may receive a blessing. Let Your blessing be upon all assemblies that gather for worship and upon all Sunday schools. May there be divine power in the preaching of Your word. May lost sinners be convicted and led to repentance. May Christians be strengthened and encouraged. May those who are sorrowful be comforted. May this day bring new strength and heavenly impulses to children and young people. May our home be blessed and enriched by this day of rest and worship. May Your life from Heaven come down and make our land holier, purer, and sweeter. O God, Your cause on earth sometimes seems to falter. Your church does not always appear to be earnest. The world is earnest; every energy of evil is active. Wicked people are busy in their wickedness, while the followers of Jesus seem to be asleep! Your kingdom does not seem to be advancing among the nations. We pray again, "May Your kingdom come." Pour out Your Spirit upon all who bear the name of Jesus. Ignite revival fires in all parts of the church. We pray for ourselves, that we may be quickened in our spiritual life. Let a blessing be upon Your whole church, and may Your cause receive a divine impulse that will be felt around the world. Revive Your work among Your people. Hear our prayers and give us Your blessing through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/56/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

🌙✨ Good Night, Beautiful Souls! ✨🌙 May tonight bring you peace, comfort, and the sweetest dreams. Let your heart rest, your worries fade, and tomorrow welcome you with new hope. 💙🌟 Sweet dreams, everyone! 💤🧸🌙 #GoodNight #SweetDreams #BeautifulSouls #Snoopy #CharlieBrown #Lucy #CozyNight #MagicalNight #BedtimeVibes #DreamyNight #GoodNightEveryone #SleepTight #PeacefulNight #Cute3DArt #AIArt #CozyAesthetic #NighttimeMagic #PositiveVibes

🐞 Miss Tillia's Garden 🌳 🤣 The Runaway Giggles 😂 One breezy afternoon, a strange thing happened. Lucy told a joke. Nobody laughed. Benny made a funny face. Nobody laughed. Emma pretended to walk like a duck. Still nobody laughed. The children looked at one another. "Where did our giggles go?" Miss Tillia shook her branches. Tiny silver bells hidden among her leaves jingled. "Oh my," she said. "I think the giggles have escaped." "The giggles can do that?" asked Benny. "Only when they feel forgotten." The children followed a trail of tiny sparkling bubbles through the garden. Each bubble contained a little laugh. A chuckle. A snort. A squeak. A belly laugh. The bubbles floated farther and farther into the garden. Finally, they found hundreds of giggles hiding inside a meadow of bouncing mushrooms. "Why did you run away?" Lucy asked. A tiny giggle floated from its bubble. "Nobody was sharing us." The children looked confused. The giggle explained. "When children are worried, grumpy, or busy arguing, they stop sharing laughter." The other giggles nodded. "We missed making people smile." The children felt a little guilty. They had spent much of the week fussing over games and taking turns. Miss Tillia lowered a branch. "What do you think we should do?" Lucy smiled. "I think we should laugh." So the children spent the afternoon telling jokes, making silly faces, and playing games. The meadow filled with laughter. The runaway giggles floated back into everyone's hearts. Soon the whole garden echoed with happy sounds. As the sun set, Benny flopped onto the grass. "I forgot how much fun it is just to laugh." Miss Tillia chuckled. "Joy is one of God's gifts. The more you share it, the more it grows." The children agreed. And from that day on, whenever someone looked sad, they tried to share a smile, a joke, or a kind word because nobody wanted the giggles to run away again. 🌱 Seed from Miss Tillia's Garden "A cheerful heart is good medicine." — Proverbs 17:22 God loves it when we share joy with others. Sometimes a smile, a laugh, or a kind word can brighten someone's whole day. #MissTillia #childrenstory #christianwriter #christianfiction #christianfantasy #stacyfrantz

12 yrs ago with Lucy one of the many daughters I never had but for God blessing me with many😍 and my 2 sons Ryan & Bobby 😍HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !!!Be blessed!!🙏❤️😍

🌟 Why Europeans Still Have Pagan Names Today ✅ 1. Pagan Names Became Traditional Long Before Christianity Before Europe became Christian, people named children after: Roman gods (Diana, Victoria, Mercury) Greek gods (Helen, Iris, Jason) Norse gods (Freya, Odin-based names, Thor-based names) Celtic deities (Brigit/Bridget, Artos → Arthur) These names were already part of their culture, not only religion. When they became Christian, people still liked those names. 🏛️ 2. Christianity Changed Belief, Not Language The Church focused on: Ending Pagan worship Teaching Christian doctrine But it did not ask people to change their personal names. Language stayed the same. Example: “Diana” remained a name even after Christianity spread. “Freya” (Norse goddess) is still a popular European name. 📜 3. Many Pagan Names are Now Seen as Cultural, Not Religious Today names like: Arthur, Lucy, Diana, Dennis, Helen, Jason, Martin, Bridget are used because of: Tradition Culture Sound History People no longer attach Pagan meaning to them. 4. Ancient Pagan Words Became Part of the European Identity Names from Greek, Roman, Celtic, and Norse mythology became part of: Literature Royal families Legends National heroes So Europeans kept them through the centuries. Example: “Arthur” (from Celtic deity Artos) became a Christian king’s name “Dennis” (from Dionysius, Greek god Dionysus) became a Catholic saint's name 👑 5. Even Christian Saints Used Pagan-Derived Names Many saints in the early Church had Roman or Greek Pagan-origin names: Saint Diana Saint Dennis (Dionysius) Saint Martin (from Mars) Saint Helen (Helene) This normalised Pagan-origin names in Christian societies. 🌎 6. Europe Has Deep Pre-Christian Roots European culture existed thousands of years before Christianity. Names carry that long history. Christianity added new names (Peter, Paul, Mary), but never required people to abandon older cultural names. ⭐ Simple Summary Europeans still have Pagan-origin names because: 1. Names were cultural, not religious 2. Christianity didn't require name changes 3. Pagan names became part of European identity 4. Many saints even had Pagan-rooted names 5. People continued traditions from their ancestors

Guidelines for living September 08, 2025 ​ A Father’s Presence Changes Everything. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). ​Norm Wakefield and Josh McDowell call it “the dad difference”—the difference that the physical presence of a father makes in the life of a son or daughter as a child grows up. In their book by the same title, Wakefield and McDowell tell about a survey that was done in conjunction with the Barna Research Group. Analyzing the difference, which was based on interviews with teenagers from eight different religious denominations, they concluded: “The importance of a good relationship with a father was underscored over and over again. We found that the average teen in an evangelical church spends less than two minutes a day in meaningful conversation with his father, and spends only slightly more than four minutes per day conversing meaningfully with his mother. Yet one in every four young people surveyed stated that they had never had a meaningful conversation with their father.” The bottom line: “Dads are of vital importance to their children!” Speaking to dads, they said, “Your relationship with your sons and daughters now is a verified factor in their self-esteem, which in turn affects their growth in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.” Norm Wakefield is a professional counselor. Having shared some conferences in the past with Norm, I can tell you he is a sensitive, caring dad who takes seriously the commitment of parenting. Josh McDowell is an apologist, having spent most of his life on college campuses speaking to students. He’s also known for his “Why Wait?” campaign stressing the dangers and hazards of pre-marital sex. Both men, however, base their concern on the reality of what is happening to our children today. Frankly, I don’t intend to make this commentary a diatribe against missing dads, something that makes some of us feel pretty smug and others pretty guilty. Rather, I’d like it to be a clarion call to you dads everywhere to take inventory of your relationship with the child you brought into the world. Insight: No one, or nothing in all the world can take your place when it comes to the extent of influence and guidance in the lives of your children. Being a good dad begins with accepting the responsibility which is inherent in bringing a child into the world. Regardless of what courts of law or society may allow, there is a moral and a spiritual responsibility that comes with privilege. There is something else, though, tremendously important. Not only are children losers when a dad is not there with children growing up, but you as a dad are the loser too. You’ve reproduced yourself in the little guy or the little girl who so badly wants a daddy, and when you’re not there, you miss tremendous fulfillment in life. Here’s an insight for you men. Fathering is a series of small steps and continuing short-term commitments. Surprised that I say that? It’s a fact. Too often we think of what we’re going to do in the future, always thinking about the big vacation trip, or what we are going to do one of these days, overlooking the importance of Tuesday night, or Saturday morning. A cartoon by Charles Schultz puts it so well. Linus is talking to Lucy and He says, “My dad hates me. Monday night he went to a PTA meeting. Tuesday night it was the school board. Wednesday night it was the board of deacons, and last night it was bowling. So, this morning he says to me, ‘Hi there … .’ I said, ‘Who are you? I don’t recognize you.’“ Then says Linus, “He doesn’t actually hate me. He just thinks I’m too sarcastic.” ​Resource reading: Luke 15:11-32.

Greg Laurie: Reflecting on the life of Dr. James Dobson – I had so many fun times with him. I remember once he invited me to lunch, and I found myself sitting with him, his wife, and his children. To my surprise, our conversation turned to one of his favorite bands – The Beatles! He leaned over and asked me, “Do you think Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was written about LSD, or was it just a class project John Lennon’s son was working on?” Who would’ve thought I’d be asked a question like that by Dr. James Dobson? But it happened! Out of respect, I kept calling him “Dr. Dobson,” and he would gently correct me, saying, “Greg, please call me James.” Occasionally I did, but most of the time, “Dr. Dobson” just felt right. He was truly a great man of God, and he will be deeply missed. Here are some pics-

👨‍👩‍👧 Linda’s husband Ian (Co Founder), sister Lucy, who had also attended St Mary’s, and Tess, Linda and Ian’s daughter also joined her. 🙏 Donate Today: www.accesshope.org.au #AccessHope #donate #orphanage #children #sponsorship #notforprofit #StMarysGirls #WomenOfDistinction #LegacyOfExcellence #LeadershipJourney