Remembering the fallen on Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Canadian Major  John McCrae wrote this now famous poem after the loss of a friend to artillery fire in WW I.

My father, Jack McKillop, served faithfully in the Canadian Army during the 2nd World War.

Thankful for the prayers of God's children

Prayer matters!  We are thankful for our praying friends.

Learning more about Giving Them Grace: Dazzling our kids with the love of Jesus

Now that my teaching semester is over (just final exams) I'm trying to catch up on some of my reading list.  Elyse Fitzpatrick and (daughter) Jessica Thompson, along with the Holy Spirit, are convicting me of my sins of forgetting the gospel when it comes to parenting.  I wish they had written their book 20 years ago before we started having kids!  Oh well, I'm taking comfort in the fact that I'm still going to be parenting (to some degree) as long as I'm alive.    

I'm seeing that I have often used the Bible more as a rule book that as the "good news."  I haven't taught them enough about justification and Christ's righteousness, but have sometimes focused more on obedience and good behavior. I have succumbed to the false belief that "good parenting in, good children out," a formula contrary to the gospel.  My understanding of bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is changing.  Amen!

Pastor Godfrey Watson and Rev. Gordon Woolard.

Our Mission To the World friend, Gordon Woolard, took time from his busy travel schedule last month to be here in Jamaica for a week with us.  He met for three evenings with 17 pastors and deacons at Hewitts View Baptist Church near Black River teaching on church leadership.

One of the topics addressed was interpersonal conflict between leaders in the Church with some help from Jim Eliff's "15 Resolves for Maintaining Spiritual Balance in Severe Interpersonal Conflicts."

A very helpful topic for all Christians, but leaders in particular; here is resolve number 1: I will accept whatever means God may use to make me more humble and therefore more dependent on Him, no matter how damaging to my reputation or ambition.  (2 Cor. 12:10 "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."   Pretty counter-cultural?  See all 15 here.

Such beauty we often take for granted.  

From our patio we enjoy some of the most spectacular sunsets.  Every one is different.

Pastor Sylvester Green, here with his wife and my Mom who was visiting for 10 days.

Pastor Green stayed in our home when he was a Bible College student many years ago and spoke at the memorial service for my father in Black River last Sunday.  He pastors Rock Cliff Baptist Church and Sellington Baptist Church.

Cresencia graduates from Fairview Bible College.

Saturday afternoon was the graduation for Fairview Baptist Bible College students.  Karen Walls, MK from Jamaica was here from Canada with her family to see several students get their diplomas and certificates.