andrewpitchford.com » Faith & Life

Better Days Ahead

apitchford — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:39:57 +0000

This morning I found this video from mate Steve Grace that he has recorded with the Watoto Children’s choir. I remember Steve saying what a challenge it was getting the primary shoot done in the outback. There’s a lot to be said for dusty trails. You need time to get where you’re going and an understanding of the wear and tear it can take on your equipment. If you jump into the trip without this understanding you’ll probably travel unprepared and unequipped. Steve and his team know the bush and so they meet those challenges head on. The right equipment, the right attitude and the perseverance to deal with the occasional equipment failure or weather change get the job done.

These are some of the great attributes of faith. When we walk through life we can be fooled into thinking; “If I have enough faith, life will be sweet”. The wiser road says if I have enough faith I know the journey isn’t the destination. Heaven isn’t a ‘place on earth’. Jesus said he would ‘go’ and then he would ‘come’ to ‘take’ us where he had prepared a place. The catch cry of this video is the line “I Believe”. I love an old line I’ve heard many times. “If faith was easy everyone would be doing it”. Sure we go through the highs and lows, the times of banquets and the times when it feels like famine. Today just remind yourself of those two words; “I Believe”.

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
John 14:2-3

Creation standing up to the Creator

apitchford — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:39:35 +0000

One of the most challenging scriptures I know is Romans chapter 1. When you see how the ‘creation’ in verses 18 through to 32 decides that even though it ‘knows God’ it will do things its own way, you can easily be challenged to ask how does this apply to me. If I have a relationship with God or have had a relationship with God what is it that has become more powerful than the revelation of God’s love for me that would make me turn my back on him. For me it comes down to arrogance and pride. I am more often aware of my sin, my thought life, my selfish actions and even with the prompting of the Holy Spirit I turn my back and walk away from my saviour. Its not pretty, its not good, it has to change.

Fall in love with God’s creation

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:05:26 +0000

I saw this video today of what happens when a drop of water is dropped into a pool of water. It is beautiful, astonishing and gives me a new sense of awe of the beauty instilled in the details of God’s creation. Check out this video filmed at 2000fps.

Visionathon – Getting Better and Better

apitchford — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:04:13 +0000

Sunday night I dropped into bed at 1:15am after a roller-coaster ride through our Visionathon fundraiser ‘Operation Acceleration’. We had a goal to raise sufficient funds to ‘fast-track’ turning on 100 new communities with a Vision relay station. Tomorrow morning on the ‘The Journey’, our Breakfast Show, there will be another great announcement.

In the meantime, see how Sunday night ended.

A Cardboard Testimony

apitchford — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:13:30 +0000

A friend on Facebook sent me this video and its a knockout. I couldn’t believe how powerful ‘two’ statements could be in one short refrain. Take a look at this presentation and ask yourself what would I put on the front and back of one piece of broken down cardboard grocery box. The leader at the end asks a beautiful question; ‘What if we were your welcoming committee in Heaven’?

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For me there was a real challenge here, thanks, conviction and a realisation I hide my cardboard to often. Enjoy!

Winner of Speech Finals

apitchford — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:28:47 +0000

Faith has just stepped out into the limelight in her first year at Loganholme State School. Last Tuesday night she competed in the year 5 speech finals. She was up against five other finalists to deliver a speech on her chosen topic of ‘A Great Australian’. The speech was to be as close to 3 minutes as possible. Faith had prepared a great speech on who are the great Australian’s in our community. She had her speech cards ready and presented an impassioned plea for all of us to be like the members of our community who deserve our applause; the teachers, firemen and volunteers.

One of the real tests is to get as close to 3min for maximum points. 15sec either side is AOK for the maximum time points of 30. While all her competitors did well Faith ‘nailed it’ as this time schedule shows. Click on the pictures to see a close up.

You will see Faith with her close friend from school, Tia Porter, who was also a winner, picking up first place for the grade 4. Tia’s speech was on the topic "Books: are they redundant?". She did a wonderful job convincing us to be avid readers. Clicking on the photos above will take you to an album of their adventure in the speech finals.

Merely a Human Being?

apitchford — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:15:44 +0000

This morning I was reading 2 Corinthians 5 and learning more of our Lord’s plan for us and our misconceptions of His son. It really hit me to consider how we have evaluated Christ in the same way we have considered one another. Isn’t it easy to put God in a box, convenient yet a concern.

If we truly think that the God, creator of the universe will fit in our box, either our small mindedness has lost sight of the universe or we have placed ourselves in the position of being controller of the box and thus in control of God.

In reading 2 Cor 5:15 I saw the error of our assumption. It then came home in verse 7 where the challenge of believing by faith comes home.

Lord,
Thank you for your creative love
Made me, redeemed me
Bless the name of Jesus
Called me, cleansed me

Find me and purify my heart
Not lost, ever watched
Believing in a sacrificial son
Never seeing yet convinced

One day taken Heaven bound
Final home and body found
While still here let me declare
Tent of ruin losing hair

Jesus, Saviour, maker, mine
Impacts life from the divine
God looks on His son endowed
To walk and talk, bring reconciled

For God made Christ the son
To be the offering, the only one
Wiped out our debt, our sin, my bad
Bringing us back home to Dad

:- Andrew Pitchford 30/10/2007

Great chapter! Read 2 Corinthians 5 now and be amazed.