Air conditioning

The weather is extremely hot and to add to the discomfort the air conditioner in our bedroom broke down! The compressor went bust and is beyond repair! The set is more than 10 years old!  For the last few days, we slept in a sauna; or seemed to be!

Anyway, we have a new unit put in as the old one put in and we are able to get a good night's sleep.

We are so privileged!  We should be grateful; think of the heat in Pakistan. The extreme heat has spared no one. The very young, the very old and those in the prime of their lives are affected. Hospitals are overwhelmed, relying on volunteers and donors for ice, water and even spare beds. By Thursday, the death toll from the oppressive heat wave in Sindh province topped 1,000.

What is the world coming to?

The dream of our General

Let's share the dream of our General  - Andre Cox

I dream of a committed, effective and joyful Army, rooted and confident in the word of God and on its knees.
I dream of an Army that truly reflects the mind of Jesus in our commitment to the poor and the marginalised.
I dream of an Army that practices what it preaches from the top leadership down, an Army that is a visible and living example of Kingdom values.
I dream of an Army that values its youth where our young people feel that they have a voice.
I dream of an Army with strong relevant and streamlined administrative structures and a much more effective use of our financial and material resources.
I dream of an Army where all cultures are equally accepted and celebrated through the spiritual ties that bind us all together.
I dream of an Army that shuns the dependency culture.

We say Amen to that statement. May it be the dream of every Salvationist and anyone connected with The Salvation Army.

50 Day 2015 - Daily Readings for 50 days before National Day

We have always been blessed in using the Daily Readings produced by Love Singapore. In previous years,  the readings were for 40 days leading to our National Day.

The articles are very well written in simple language - no highfalutin, pompous language like some writers do just to boost their own ego. It is always better to be plain and simple than burden the readers' mind with language that they cannot understand.  Long, complicated, complex sentences tend to confuse the reader. Let's be simple and relevant.

Get your copy now and use it in your devotions. Be assured, you will be truly blessed as I have been.

Tragedy at Charleston USA

The world shares the grief and sorrow of the relatives and friends of nine innocent black people who were mercilessly gunned down by a racist young white 21 year old man. The victims were at a Bible class held at a Methodist Episcopal church. What a tragedy for the nation.

For PeaceEternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen. (From Book of Common Prayer)

 "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2: 1-4 (ESV)

My soul be on thy guard

Shakespeare in his play "Cleopatra" paints a picture of Antony as one of the great soldiers in the world. He was pictured as one of the triple pillars of the Roman Empire.

Sadly, his dealings with Cleopatra led to lust of the flesh. Gradually he yielded to temptation and became a fleshly slave of Cleopatra - " a strumpet's fool, reduced to dotage and disgrace."

O God, Am I to run a race,
Who lack the very self restraint
That would all subtle lust abase
And win the laurel of a saint?

Everyday, lust lies in wait like a crouching tiger or a serpent at the door ready to pounce upon us, urging us to surrender to passion. Remember the warning in Scripture against the wiles of the flesh - the world, the flesh and the devil. They appear on the screens of television, the internet, in books and magazines, the list is endless.

My soul, be on they guard!
Ten thousand foes arise;
The hosts of sin are pressing hard
To draw thee from the skies.

O watch, and fight and pray!
The battle ne'er give o'er;
Renew it boldly everyday,
And help divine implore

Ne'er think the victory won,
Nor lay thine armour down;
Thy arduous take will not be done
Till thou obtain the crown.  George Heath

 

 

Picture printed in the Sunday Times 8th June 1958

Our 57th Wedding Anniversary

Fifty seven years ago, 7th June 1958, my wife and I were married. As we look back we thank God for all these years He has given us. We've journeyed together through stormy seas, dark valleys; we have enjoyed mountain top experiences. We thank God for days of adversity and days of prosperity. And the Lord has always been with us.

Every morning we have our own private devotions. We make use of The Salvation Army publication "Words of Life" thus join ourselves with the International Army world in prayer. In the evening we share the Daily Bread.  

Every evening before we end the day, we have prayers together. At the end of each day we thank God for His blessings for the day and bring before Him our family and friends.

God is with us all the time,
In the morning when joy bells chime.
In the evening when lights are low,
Our God is with us everywhere we go. (Author unknown)

Lieut. Colonels Allen and Esther Satterlee

In our lifetime, we have met and worked with many reinforcement officers, or missionaries as we used to refer to them. Some came and worked for a term or even less, others served more than one term; a few served a whole life time here in Singapore and Malaysia. In the past they used to work for five years, then the length was reduced to four. Then there was a further change to allow a mid-term furlough after the first two years. Now the term is changed to three years.

Some officers do not connect with us after their return to their home country. There are others who keep up the relationship. Among these were the Satterlees.  Lieut. Colonel Allen was our editor of the War Cry and his wife Esther worked the Women's Department. They were appointed Corps Officers (pastors) of the Pasir Panjang Corps which later moved to Upper Bukit Timah and became the William Booth Corps. We were privileged to work with them through the years and have been blessed by their ministry.

We have kept contact with them since they left us to serve in Papua New Guinea, the Caribbeans and now back in their homeland, USA. They were on their way to visit Thailand and was able to break their journey to spend some time with old friends in Singapore. They visited us and we were able to share lunch fellowship with them.

One of the precious gifts in life is friendship and my wife and I have been truly blessed by many friends. Of course the majority live in Singapore our homeland. But we have friends all over the world. Now with modern technology we are able to make contact very easily.

Birthday celebrations

Last week was a week of celebration for my birthday. We were invited out for lunches and dinner by friends and relatives. On the day itself, 30th May, we had high tea in a restaurant at Thompson Plaza with our son and family. We came home and I thought to myself -'now I can have a quiet evening all to ourselves.'

This was not to be; for in the early afternoon, our son and daughter-in-law turned up and before long, a group of our former young people of Singapore Central Corps invaded our home. We were Corps Officers (pastors) of this church at that time in Clemenceau Avenue from January 1970-1974 some 40 years ago! These 'young people' now in their fifties have not forgotten us and a group came to celebrate my 83rd birthday! One came from Italy for holiday and was able to join in the celebration. There was an abundance of food that they brought. One lady, Lydia a professional cake maker made a lovely cake iced with the Salvation Army Crest. What an unforgettable evening we had! It will remain in my memory for a long time.

We thank God for the privilege of serving Him in Singapore and Malaysia in the early days of our ministry - Singapore, Melaka, Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching. We have friends in all these places. God has blessed us with many spiritual children quite a number we still keep in touch.

In January 1983 we were transferred to Hong Kong and Taiwan and after seven and half years moved to the Philippines. What adventures we had; not a dull moment. Our last four years in active service were spent in London. Our work entailed visiting 15 countries in South Pacific and East Asia and making even more contacts. As a bonus we were invited to conduct meets in Europe and America. God has been wonderful to us.

The day after my birthday another of our former young people, now happily married and settled in Australia telephoned us. She had heard from her friends about the celebration and wished she could be with the group. We had a long chat on the phone.  She wanted to know why I have not been blogging of late. The truth is as age catches up with me, I do feel tired at the end of the day. She had been following by blog. So here am I starting again rambling along, typing the thoughts as they come.

We became officers in The Salvation Army in October 1954 and retired in May 1997. Active and retired, we have been serving God as officers for almost 61 years. Not a moment of regret. There have been disappointments and discouragements, but His grace has always seen us through.