I could have sworn that a couple of weeks ago we had snow here in Hawera!  This morning my eldest daughter Hannah came into my room and declared, "Daddy it's spring today - it's the 1st of September, that means it's spring". She was so right because as I look out my window now the sun is streaming in and there is a definite "springy-ness" in the air. I guess that means that pretty soon I'll have to think about mowing the lawns again (sigh).

Isn't it amazing how seasons change, and how quickly it happens. I have no doubt you've heard every cliche under the sun about life and seasons, but it's actually quite important that we remember these things.  Sometimes in life we feel that nothing is going right, everything is upside down or on top of us. Other times we feel "on top of the world" and able to conquer any challenge. Often we're somewhere in between.

Whatever season we may be in; whatever challenges we may face, we must learn to worship God through it all. Yes it can be difficult, and we may not always "feel" particularly effective, but we are sons and daughters of the Almighty God. With our identity found in HIm we start to find Him in the strangest places - and that's where we should bow our heads and worship God.

Blessings
Pastor David Auty

On Monday I left Hawera early in the morning to go to Rotorua for a day of
meetings about my "sinking house" saga - just what everyone wants to do on a day off (sarcasm intended). Over half way into the journey I noticed that a strong frost had developed and as I drove past Lake Whakamaru there was an "ice" sign on the side of the road. I responded by slowing down a little, but on rounding a corner I found myself on ice and the car sliding all over the road.  I braked and tried to correct the sliding but after a scary skate along the road the car spun out of control and crashed into a raised ditch at the side of the road.

In some ways we could say "it was just an accident", but in other ways I believe that we can see God's hand in and around the circumstances of this accident. Let me share a few reasons I think this with you:
 
- My heavy, late model car did a great job of keeping stability and allowing the car to slow down before it inevitably crashed...a different car may not have handled nearly as well and probably would have gone off the road a lot earlier at a much higher speed.

- There was a bank down to the lake on my right hand side and a very high cliff-face on my left when the car started sliding. I ended up on top of the only area with a small raised ditch - far preferable to a cliff-face or lake!

- My mum told me that she felt concerned for me at the time of the accident and "knew something was wrong". She started to pray for me on the spot - how awesome is that!?

- I am safe and unharmed (if not a little rattled).

It's difficult to know how I might see things if the result were different (scary thought)...but the fact is that they weren't this time, and I can see God in the circumstances and worship Him for his care and protection of me. Can we worship God in every circumstance?  Can we honour him even amidst sinking houses and smashed up cars?  Yes we can...and we will!

Blessings
Pastor David Auty

Wasn't it exciting to see snow on Monday morning! I was over the moon because I've never lived in a place where snow falls. My excitement was put into perspective when a relatively reliable source informs me that the last light dusting of snow in Hawera was in 1964, but that snow hasn't settled on the ground like it did on Monday since 1936 - wow - pre-WW2!

Speaking of "once in a lifetime" events...the Rugby World Cup (RWC) is just around the corner and everyone is gearing up for a festive six weeks. Do you remember what George Wieland said about festivals and politics? I bet the National Party are hoping for an All Black win to launch their election campaign.

Snowfall and World Cups don't seem to have a lot in common, however they pose an interesting question for us. How do we engage with our world in a way that connects our faith to our shared experiences? I'll put it another way: What difference does it make to our lives that we are Christians? Many of us enjoyed the snow on Monday; many of us will enjoy the RWC (I've got my tickets!)...but how is our engagement in these things any different from anyone else in the world? What difference does Jesus make to a RWC?

It is important that we ask these questions, because if we are to "pray without ceasing", if we are going to "run the race to completion" then our faith needs to be able to engage with all parts of our lives. Let the games begin!

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty

Helen, the girls and I have been on holiday up in Auckland for the past week - it's been a really nice family time! The great thing about holidays is that they give us an opportunity to get things into perspective. Holidays help us to reflect on our part in the world with fresh eyes; to notice the opportunities and challenges that our circumstances present; to rest, and allow God to re-create us - that's why it's called recreation!

Often we can get tied up in the busyness of our lives and forget to spend the time to simply "smell the roses". When was the last time you took an intentional break from the hustle and bustle of life? Are you planning on giving yourself some space to get that fresh perspective and recreation any time soon? It's worth asking yourself the question.

When we take the time to care for ourselves in this way then we find that we are more productive, more imaginative...simply better at doing the things we do, and being the people that God has made us to be. The Sabbath principal in Scripture relates to this. A weekly day of rest and regular time of recreation and restoration - it's the way God has created us to function best.

So go on, take a break! Take the time to smell the roses.

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty

I had a very interesting time on Tuesday night. Helen and the girls drove me up to New Plymouth to catch a 7.35pm flight to Auckland only to find that the flight had been cancelled. Why had it been cancelled?  Something to do with a plane in Blenheim having been grounded after being hit by lightning. What that had to do with a NP-AK flight I don't know. All I know is that I had to jump on a bus that eventually got me to Auckland after midnight.

A second incident came when I told the "flight crew" that it was a real inconvenience for my sister to pick me up after midnight & asked whether the airline would pay for a taxi. I'm glad they gave me a taxi chit for what proved to be a $63 Taxi fare from Auckland airport to West Auckland where my Mum lives.

Two things I learnt from these experiences:
- there's more than one way to get to where you want to go.
- you don't receive if you don't ask.

Sometimes in churches we can get so caught in the way things "ought" to be done, or the way things have always been done that we miss the fact that our plane is grounded & we need to take an alternative way. At the same time we can forget to let others know when we need some help & so we miss out on a free taxi ride.

If we live out our lives in Christ to the full, then we find that we can see God in every circumstance. That's an important lesson for us all to learn.

God Bless,
Pastor David Auty

Having been a bit "fragile" over the past week or so I have been reflecting a lot on gratitude. It was interesting to me that Rocco spoke on that topic in his "rescue sermon" for me on Sunday. It can be so easy for us to be consumed by expectations and desire, and to forget that we are truly blessed people.

Here are some of the things that I'm grateful for:
- a loving wife and wonderful children
- a Church family that care about me and my family
- the ability to be able to work (even with "interruptions").
- the privilege of being involved in people's lives in meaningfulways.
- the invigoration of having people involved in my life in meaningful ways.
- a God who cares about me and my circumstances
- the local churches in Hawera with the desire to partner together
- food, shelter, clothing...
...and the list could go on for a long time.

We need to practice being grateful. As God's people, gratitude ought to be a constant in our lives. So what are you grateful for? Spend a few minutes right now and reflect on that question...it will do you the world of good.

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty

Living a Christian life is like caring for your teeth! 

I often think of it like that. Morning and evening it’s always a good idea to brush your teeth—it’s not that something tragic will happen if you miss once or twice, but it’s so important long-term that you make the effort, right? It’s the same with our devotional life. To give time to nurture our relationship with God is not a rule, but ra-ther an intentional daily act that helps strengthen our faith. 

But there’s more to tooth care than brushing your teeth. When you eat a big juicy steak you might get some stuck in your teeth requiring some “incidental attention” - we we find that this happens frequent-ly throughout the day. In the same way we need to be continually in dialogue with God throughout the day and nurture that moment-by-moment relationship with Him. 

Finally, you would be clever to get your teeth checked by a dentist a couple of times a year. In the Spiritual life I would equate this with going on a retreat, or spending time with a Spiritual Director. This kind of “spiritual check-up” allows us to more fully consider life and to seek God deeply. 

Three keys to the Spiritual care: 
1)  Intentional daily devotions 
2)  Moment-by-moment incidental attention 
3)  Spiritual checkups 

Blessings, 
Pastor David Auty