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Fridays with Phil

Life, family and unshakeable faith

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Why this couldn’t wait until tomorrow

The Bible tells us that love is from God. Love is the primary characteristic of God. More than that, God is love.

God’s love is a non-discriminating, sacrificial, unconditional love.

John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world (everyone) that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever (that’s you and I) believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (life now and even if we die).

What does this mean? It means that God sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for you and I, so that when it comes time for us to face our own death, we have an answer in the Saviour, Jesus.

It’s the greatest love story ever told. Everything that Jesus endured was all for you and it was all for me. Love was the reason, the motivation, and it’s the answer to it all.

If something is only as valuable as how much someone will pay for it, consider this: Jesus gave all He had for us.

Whatever the highest height or the lowest low we experience, our value as a human being is not found in what we do, our position in life, or the challenges we face, but it is found in His love for us.

Jesus died for you and I before we ever knew Him, before we called Him friend. He loved us in our sin, through our sin, and exchanged our sin for His life.  Because we are created in His likeness, God made us with the capacity for love, both to give and receive it.

Why this couldn’t wait until tomorrow is because I want to encourage some of my readers who are going through some really difficult times. Some who are literally facing the reality of their own transition from this world to the next.

Today, I encourage you to find time this Easter to consider Jesus as your answer to death and its sting, its power, its fear. It’s only as we have dealt with the reality of our own frailty and impending death that we can freely live and live freely.

And for the record, 10 out of every 10 people in this world will die!  The question is not “when will I die?” or “will I die?” but “what will be my new address when I die?”  I have chosen life, heaven, and eternity in God’s presence. I have chosen Jesus to be my Saviour.

If you’re in Newcastle, Australia and you don’t have a church to call home, I invite you to join me tomorrow at Hillsong Newcastle, 10am, 669 Hunter Street.

For everyone else, why not find a church this weekend and consider the love that Jesus has and its relevance to you.

Phil

Here is a link to some services around the world: crossequalslove.com

Please share this with your friends, let’s together get the message of love out there this Easter!

Cross = Love On the streets of Newcastle
Cross = Love
On the streets of Newcastle

 

 

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Facing the Elephant in the Room

Your challenge could be your chance.
Your problem, your possibility.
Your trial, your testimony.

If that’s to be the case, you must decide how you are going to face life challenges.

The reason I believe many of us don’t see the chance, possibility or testimony in the midst of challenges is because we do not expect challenges to happen and when they do, we are rocked, surprised and even confused.

Instead, embrace the reality of challenge – it is part of life’s experience.

A kind person will encounter meanness.
A healthy body will need care.
A strong marriage will face struggles.

There will be bad in the good days and good in the bad days.

How can we face and overcome life challenges?

Firstly, don’t be in denial, avoiding the proverbial “elephant in the room,” acting as if a challenge does not exist.

Instead, actively move to face and deal with challenges, just like God did.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, Eve’s apple and Adam’s sin of silence, the world has been different to its initial intent.  I would say this represented a huge challenge. But, what do we see God doing?

In Genesis 3:9, the Bible says “But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?””

God immediately faced the problem.

God stepped into the situation, seeking out Adam and Eve, He dealt with the problem, and came up with a redemptive solution.

God did not wait for the problem to resolve itself.  In the same way, we need to be proactive about facing and solving challenges.

Secondly, this means that we bring truth to our challenges and we take ownership of them.

Shifting blame does not help solve problems. Mature people are not as concerned about who is at fault as they are about solving the problem. Even if they didn’t cause the mess, they will take ownership of the result and get busy to fix it.

God did not cause the fall of the earth. But, He put his arms around the problem and sent a Saviour.

A parent with a child who is not doing well at school will not just blame the teacher or the school. He or she will care about the problem and take ownership of it to help solve it.

Do you have a challenge today? The easy way around it is to pretend it doesn’t exist or blame someone else for it. But how I see it, there are two options: easy first, hard later, or hard first, easy later.

God’s way is to face the problem now, and thrive in the end.

I’m taking that option.

Phil

This is Malcolm, a former University Lecturer, Geologist and Volcanist, now battling MND. If you get a chance today, please join me in praying for him: strength, courage and peace.
This is Malcolm, a former University Lecturer, Geologist and Volcanist, now battling MND. If you get a chance today, please join me in praying for him.

 

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Just when I thought it was over

Once you fall in love with Africa, there is no turning back.

I am homeward bound after a whirlwind trip, Friday to Friday, 7 days which has left me changed, again.

This was to be my last visit to the Congo after travelling there for the past 7 years speaking to Churches, government sectors, business people and universities.
There is no denying that my heart has knit with the Congolese and with this diverse place.

With the possibility of not coming back here and maybe because of my heart connection with this place, I was uber-conscious of taking it all in, giving as much as I could and not leaving any opportunity unturned.

After arriving in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo, I was struck with how different things have become since my very first visit 7 years ago. Airport arrivals was relatively calm and there were no grabs for bribes. The road from the airport was no longer littered with old trucks and cars, in their place, an eight lane highway. And for the first time, I saw street sweepers late at night cleaning up rubbish from the roads.

This may not seem like much but these changes spoke volumes to me. You see, I believe that when we begin to take responsibility for the small things, it creates a culture of valuing all that matters in life.  Isn’t that why we start small by teaching our children to say thank you and please?

I was equally impressed by the schools that have been established. One was started 14 years ago by a Sunday school teacher and is now the most sought after primary school in the city. Other young women are being inspired by this lady’s innovative spirit to bring about real change.

There is a sign that hangs over Nelson Mandela Square (where I am writing this blog) and it says, “It always seems impossible until it’s done“.

The Congolese people are putting impossible to rest.

Another friend is opening a palliative care facility, touching me deeply by naming it “The Phil Camden Palliative Care Centre”. I don’t think he realises what an inspiration he is to me by the incredible fact he has succeeded in the face of real opposition.

People who live with passion, courage and vision to see a better future, despite their present reality, never cease to amaze me.

One such person I had the tremendous privilege to catch up with was Joost van der Westhuizen, South African champion Springbock Rugby player, now living with MND / ALS and working tirelessly for the benefit of other sufferers through the J9 Foundation.

South Africa has no assistance or association to care for MND patients. In fact the only drug available for MND patients is a drug called Rilutek (said to increase life by 3-6 mths) and it is 10 times more expensive in South Africa than in Australia.

The J9 foundation is very much at the pioneering end of making this a better world for MND patients and carers at considerable personal sacrifice.

By far, the hardest part of this trip was saying goodbye to friends I may not see for a while. I have loved investing into the people of the Congo and starting to see many of them step into all God has for them.

Just when I thought it was all over, I don’t think I’m finished with Africa. The people, the place, the potential moves me beyond looking at my human frailties and physical restraints. Plus, I think J9 Foundation could do with a few more friends.

Wherever you are reading this today, I wonder if there is something you have never done before, something that seems impossible but you know you should do it? Take courage from my ponderings today, turn impossible around!

Phil

An inspiring team, Joost van der Westhuizen & the J9 Foundation, South Africa.
An inspiring team, Joost van der Westhuizen & the J9 Foundation, South Africa.
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Here’s to a new beginning!

Life is a journey of necessary endings that are often also the beginning of something fresh and new.

New beginnings and necessary endings go hand in hand: how you start and how you finish have as much to do with your future as the other. In fact, gracefully letting go of the past (old) will enable our head, hands, and heart to confidently take hold of the future (new).

You may say, “but endings hurt”!  Maybe so, but it’s about focusing on the changes that need to be made, not what is going to be the perceived or real loss. It’s recognising that a new beginning is not only an ending, but an opportunity for you to live and thrive. It boils down to this: to experience new beginnings in your life, you need to remove some things (as good as they are) to create space.

Did you know that some beautiful plants actually produce more buds than they can sustain and if some buds are not removed then the space the bud needs to open and blossom is not provided? It’s a vivid image. Without pruning, we don’t reach our potential.

Parents know this when their children get married; it’s a letting go that has some pain but also an acceptance of the new that brings joy and hope.

I remember when living in New Zealand, my eldest daughter moved back to Australia and I was heartbroken. However, it was there she met her husband and a new beginning that has brought our whole family joy

Some of the things that we need to let go of are good but they are taking up space that other opportunity may now need. Let go of old hope and grasp a hold of new hope. In fact, every time we say “no” to something, we are saying “yes” to something else (and visa versa).

As you read this blog, I will be on my way to the Democratic Republic of Congo for possibly the last time, after having travelled there each year for the past 7 years.

On this trip I will hand over and release some very dear friends into the leadership of what’s called, “Business, Integrity and Governance” (B.I.G) – an organisation to help raise up and encourage business, education and government sectors.

One thing I had to consider and battle with when I finished my leadership of B.I.G was not believing that “in finishing, I had somehow failed”.

Sometimes the finish as you know it is just the next step in its ultimate success and growth.

Life is full of goodbyes and hellos, of yes’s and no’s, of closing and opening, of quitting and starting. Think about your world. What needs pruning so the bud of your life’s potential can open wide to all its beauty?

Phil

Recommended reading: “Necessary endings” by Dr Henry Cloud.

Very early this morning...flying out to the Congo today.
Very early this morning…flying out to the Congo today.
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Help, I need somebody!

Lifou, New Caledonia. March, 2014.
Lifou, New Caledonia. March, 2014.

“Help, I need somebody, Help, not just anybody.”  They are great lyrics from the well-known Beatles song, Help.   They became a reality for me last week.

The picture above was taken after conquering a hike through thick rainforest to swim in a freshwater cave.  I was glad I had taken my walking stick, but even happier that my two son-in-laws and nephew were there to help me on this adventure.

I realised I would not have been able to traverse down or up the steep inclines without their help.  Without them I would have missed so much and never would have experienced swimming in an underground cave, taking a leap of faith and jumping into the black swimming hole.

With my legs and arms weakening from the effects of Motor Neurone Disease (read more via the “About MND/ALS” tab at www.fridayswithphil.com),  I have come to rely more and more upon the help of others.  This experience has highlighted that all of us need the help and togetherness of others to achieve things we could never achieve on our own.

As a leader of a Church, pre-MND days, I had no hesitation in asking for help and working together with others to achieve goals and vision that were for the benefit of others.  However, asking for help for myself was, and is, a different matter.  I have always found it easier to give than to receive.  How about you?

I have realised that not being able to receive help is not only a bad character trait but is also indicative of a very limiting and dangerous attitude: pride.  Living a life trying to cope all on your own, “She’ll be right mate”, or “I’m OK”, suggests that I don’t need your help or anyone’s help.  I have come to realise, I do and we all do.

None of us can achieve anything big, courageous or challenging without the help of others.  Confident and courageous people need help and need the togetherness of others to experience life to the max.

One thing I noticed, when those three strong young men took a slower trip down and a very slow trip back up from the cave, is that even though I was a physical burden to them, they found pleasure in helping me achieve what I could never have achieved on my own.  In other words, not only do people want to help you, but they are also encouraged by the process of helping.

All the way up the track, I had to pull myself up by holding onto a strap secured to a Shannon’s back while Kaiden pushed me up from behind (literally pushing on my behind).  This left Josh carrying two heavy bags up the incline.  All the while I had a cheer squad in Glenda, Rachel, Chloe, Belinda, Rebecca and Jessica encouraging me on.

I could have said, “Don’t bother with me, I will just wait here at the top until you return.”  However, I would never have the memory and all those who helped would never have had the joy of helping someone do something they could never have done on their own.

The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “By yourself you’re unprotected.  With a friend you can face the worst.  Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.”  Maybe today you could lend a helping hand, or maybe you could ask for one.

We all need somebody.

Phil

20

What would a complaint-free day look like?

Easy not to complain when here with my beautiful wife and family last week.
Easy not to complain when here with my beautiful wife and family last week.

What would a complaint-free day look like?

A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence.
After 10 years his superior called him and asked him, “do you have anything to say?”
The monk replied “food bad.”
After another 10 years the monk again had the opportunity to voice his thoughts.
He said, “bed hard.”
Another 10 years passed by and again he was called in before his superior.
When asked if he had anything to say, he said, “I quit.”
“It doesn’t surprise me a bit, you’ve done nothing but complain ever since you arrived.”

Would you be able to get through this day without complaining, either to yourself or to others?  What would a complaint free-day look like?

Complaining is an energy killer and it can be the catalyst for an unhappy day.  So, a complaint free-day would, at a minimum, be a happier day and a more energetic day.

Often the most difficult part of learning how to handle complaining is recognising it in yourself.  If someone recorded you for a week, what would it reveal about your speech?  How much time do you spend griping, grumbling, complaining, arguing, and saying “life stinks”?

Complaining is a habit.  Habits are only broken by replacement with something else. Take out the negative complaining and replace it with positive speaking.  Steve Penny, a good mate, says “happy people don’t have the best of everything, they make the best of everything”.  Happy people replace whinging altogether.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   You cannot always be thankfulfor the circumstances, but you can be thankful in them.  God has a good pattern and He fits even the bad things in our lives into that pattern for good.

There are some things in your marriage that you don’t like, things in your business, habits in yourself, your spouse, your children, or your boss. But I believe there are also some things in those situations and people that you could learn to be thankful for. Consider writing down one thing to be thankful for in your boss, spouse, children, teacher.

There are challenges we all face, but the way you look at your challenges determines your attitude.   Look for God’s fingerprint in your circumstances.  Because God is working all things out for good in your life, the good that you’re going to get out of whatever you’re going through will be much more long lasting than the problem.

For those of you who are going through real challenges today, I’m not saying ignore them.  What I’m saying is that in the midst of great challenge, living complaint-free can give you the necessary energy you need to make itthrough and strengthen your ability to fight.

Could today be your day to give complaint-free a go?

Phil

11

Defeating discouragement

What is it that causes you to worry?
‘Worry’ comes from an anglo-saxon word, “to strangle” or “to choke.”   As the origin of the word suggests, worry can get a strangle hold on us, and literally cut off the air supply that allows us to breathe emotionally.
Worry keeps us from living our lives to the full.  Fatigue is a major cause of discouragement.  Frustration and fear are others.  Where there is fatigue, frustration, and fear, discouragement is not far behind.
Dr. Walter Cavert conducted a study of the things we worry about.  The study showed we spend:
– 92% of our emotional energy over things that won’t happen or things we can’t change;
– 40% of the things we worry about never happen;
 ​- 30% of our worries concern the past;
​​- 12% of our worries are needless worries about our health; and
– ​​10% of our worries are insignificant (things that will not make much of a difference in our lives).
That alone is enough reason not to waste emotional energy on worrying.
Also, consider the effect your worry has on others.  People can become discouraged because you are discouraged.  You can become discouraged because other people are discouraged.
Its contagious!
What can we do about discouragement?
In order to overcome discouragement, we must remember God.   Isaiah 51:12-13 says, “He that is afraid of a man that shall die forgets the Lord his Maker.”
Remember first that God is there! 
We can be very discouraged when we think we are all alone in the situation, so know God is with you.  He is there whether you realise it or not, but it helps to realise it.
Matthew 6:34 says, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Notice this verse doesn’t say, you will never go through hard times, it says don’t worry in advance about what may or may not happen because God’s help will arrive.
Another way to deal with discouragement, knowing its contagious, is to spend time with people who encourage not discourage. 
The best people to hang around are those who leave you feeling a little more courageous, because they put courage in.
And finally, relinquish control. Worry can be an egotistical habit. Worry is the idea that if we were in control of everything, all would be well.
Philipians. 4:6  says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Having trust in the God is the polar opposite of worry.  Practice focusing on your ability to trust God. I know it’s easier said than done…that’s why I used the word “practice.”
Practice living free from discouragement today!
Phil
13

MND: Pray for a Cure

Walking with great mates to help raise awareness and funds for MND research.
Walking with great mates to help raise awareness and funds for MND research.

Earlier this month, over 700 people walked the outskirts of Lake Macquarie to raise awareness of MND and help raise finances to find a cure.  The cure may be closer than we realise with the below article published Friday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

Your continued prayers that a cure be found sooner rather than later for the 1,800 people suffering with this disease in Australia, and many more around the world, would be much appreciated.

We do not give up hope.
Phil

Friday, February 21, 2014

Culprit protein in spread of motor neuron disease discovered

A breakthrough study has revealed how the fatal neurodegenerative disorder motor neurone disease (MND) is transmitted between nerve cells, and suggests the spread of the disease could be halted.

“The agent of spread has been discovered,” says Dr Bradley Turner, of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

Motor neurone disease is the name given to a group of diseases in which the nerve cells (neurones) controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow undergo degeneration and die.

Typically, MND starts in a finger or a toe and then spreads. Gradually, it is transmitted throughout the nervous system causing paralysis and death – usually within 27 months. MND affects around 300,000 people worldwide and two Australians die from the disease every day.

“By understanding how the disease spreads in the brain, we can develop new strategies to combat the progressive symptoms seen in MND,” Dr Turner says.

The research shows that a misfolded protein can spread throughout the nervous system. The culprit protein is known as SOD1. The misshapen SOD1 spreads inside a living cell, from one neurone to another, like an infection. Importantly, the study reveals that “wild-type” or normal SOD1 can misfold and transmit between cells, which has implications for the common sporadic form of MND.

Published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, the study also shows the spread can be neutralised using antibodies. Antibodies bind to regions of misshapen SOD1, and block its spread. If SOD1 misfolding is the common culprit in MND, as the study suggests, then the antibodies could arrest MND progression, the researchers say.

No human clinical trials have taken place but studies in mice have been successful in blocking the misfolded SOD1 using antibodies and slowing MND symptoms.

The research could also have implications for those studying other neurological disorders  including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases where spread of misfolded proteins is implicated. These diseases may resemble the most common human form of prion disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

This discovery is the culmination of several years of work by an international team involving Dr Turner at the Florey, Prof Andrew Hill at the Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Dr Justin Yerbury at the University of Wollongong and Prof. Neil Cashman at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver,

For media enquiries: Amanda Place at the Florey 0411 204 526

4

How to grow, not crumble, under the weight of criticism

What's your recovery time when it comes to criticism? This swing has copped its fair share of critics!
What’s your recovery time when it comes to criticism?
This swing has copped its fair share of critics!

A young boy complained to his father that most church hymns were boring and behind the times. His father put an end to his son’s complaints by saying, “if you think you can write better hymns, then why don’t you?”  Isaac Watts went to his room and wrote such hymns as, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

All of us have been criticised, or soon will be. Well, those of us doing anything anyway.  When someone starts with “don’t take this the wrong way” you can be on high alert that you are about to get criticised.

Criticism rightly faced becomes a means of personal growth, but wrongly faced causes us to become angry and defensive.  In fact, this can be true of all trials.

So how can we make criticism work for us and not against us?  How do we grow from it and not crumble under it?

We are going to have to remember who we are.  I find my identity in the fact that nothing can separate me from God’s love.  His love gives me intrinsic value and a sense of worth.  I know that through His strength, I can face anything.

We also need to respond with love.  Love is the greatest force on this earth and the best way to cope with criticism.   Love may not always change the situation but it can change you for the situation.  You may not always love the criticism but you can always love the critic. 

The best example of someone coping with criticism, with love, is Jesus.  To be nailed to the cross was the ultimate rejection and extreme criticism, yet his response was “God forgive them”.

On top of all that, we need to rate the criticism.  Ignoring it, or becoming upset by it, won’t ultimately help us.  If we can look beyond the critic, look beyond the emotion, and consider what is being said, we may actually learn something.  And that very something may just propel us forward in our destiny.

Whatever you do, don’t use one of my all-time favourite defences, “well, what would you know anyway?”  Trust me, it’s useless.  Imagine if Isaac Watts said that to his Dad.  Instead, hear the criticism and honestly weigh it up.

Finally, measure how long it takes from the point of reaction to the point of recovery.  Meaning, how long does it take you to recover from a challenge, upset or criticism?

The Winter Olympics is on right now and those athletes have trained against their personal best for years to make sure they were getting better and faster.  Time was their guage for success.

So if last year it took you days to get from being hurt to forgiving, from offending to saying sorry, from being blessed to giving thanks, but this year it only takes you hours, then you’ve probably grown against your personal best.  In this way, time can also be your guage for success.

Do “getting criticised” well.  You’ll be blessed by it.

Phil

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