Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Did you know that the Lord has created you to be a special person? There is not another person on earth who is just like you. The Lord makes everybody different, because He knows this is the way to make heaven.

Think what it would be like if everyone were the same. What would the world be like if everyone loved to do exactly the same things? Suppose the Lord created everyone so that they loved nothing more than to build brick walls. Now there are a lot of people who like to make brick walls, but imagine if everyone on earth had this one love. The world would be a very sad place. No one would get anything done. There would be no one to make the bricks, no one to make and drive the trucks that carry the bricks. And who would take care of children, make clothing, grow food, or teach school? The Lord knows that everyone has to be different. Everyone has to be given special talents and skills so that heaven can come upon the earth.

Everyone can look at their lives and see talents and skills the Lord has given them. You may have a special talent for playing a musical instrument, reading books, playing baseball, or drawing. Sometimes we have to look very hard to find our talents, because the Lord often hides them. But the Lord promises us that we all have special gifts, and the gifts are all different. Think of your talents. What special gifts has the Lord given you?

Have you ever seen someone being made fun of because he was not good at doing something? Maybe at school you know someone who can't read well, or someone who is not very good at sports. Sometimes the other students will laugh at that person because he makes mistakes. But when we think about it, we should never expect someone to be good at everything. The Lord gives us different talents. The student who cannot read well might have great talents in music. The student who cannot hit a baseball may have great talents in science. Sometimes a person may have hidden talents he won't find out about for years to come. The Lord makes us all different. This is beautiful in His sight.

Once the Lord told His disciples a parable about some talents. The Lord said that there was a master who called his servants together and gave them each a different amount of silver talents. The first two servants went out and used their talents wisely, and they doubled the amount of talents they had. But the third servant hid his talent in the earth. When the master returned from his long journey, he rewarded the two servants who had used their talents wisely, but he punished the servant who had merely hid his talent in the earth.

The most important thing we can do is to use our talents to serve others. How sad it would be if the Lord gave us special gifts and we just forgot about them! If we don't learn to use our God-given talents, we are like the servant who hid his talent in the earth. But if we discover our talents, and then use them to make others happy, we become like the wise and faithful servants in the story. We "enter into the joy of our Lord" and discover heavenly happiness.

Reprinted from New Church Vineyard

I came across this article recently on www.tomziglar.com. Tom is the son of Zig Ziglar one of the world's leading motivational/inspirational teachers. I found the connection between 'meek, brokenness and dominion' to be a totally new explanation.

Posted January 12, 2009 by Tom Ziglar
Categories: Faith, Purity, Right Choices, Uncategorized

I have always struggled with the word meek. What does it mean? Jesus stated in Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (KJV). I have always heard that being meek means being weak, or passive. Not exactly a quality that gets things done!

Today I learned a little bit about what it means to be meek in a passage from a book by Steven Fry www.stevenfryministries.com called True Freedom that is about leadership, authority, and submission. In the book he points out that meekness goes hand in hand with humility and brokenness. Meekness means mild, gentle, and humble in the New Testament. But what really got me thinking was the connection to brokenness.

Brokenness means "the person who strives to control nothing - and no one, but himself." So here is the AHA! moment for me. The meek person is humble and realizes that the only person he can control, and should control, is himself. So what is the opposite of meekness? Could it be arrogance? The arrogance to actually believe you can control other people?

So now the words of Christ have a whole new meaning to me. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Now when I read that I hear, "Tom, control yourself and don't worry about controlling others, and you will inherit the earth."

Are you in control of yourself? It starts with a choice, and you have the power to make that choice!

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5).
"Inheriting the earth" signifies not possession of the earth, but possession of heaven and blessedness there; the "meek" mean those who are in the good of charity.

In November 2008 Angela and Michelle Heldon with best friend Kate and Michelle's boyfriend Dylan embarked on a journey through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (Angela also squeezed in Thailand)

It was a truly amazing experience visiting these countries. Our eyes were opened to such a different way of life. We experienced colourful cultures and traditions, tasty and interesting food, breathtaking scenery and the faces of people smiling despite their hardships. We believe we have learnt so much through this experience and have come back fulfilled in many ways. So here are a few little memories we like to share with you.

In Vietnam we braved the busy Ho Chi Minh City. Were amazed by what can apparently be carried on motorbikes and bicycles - wardrobes, panes of glass, wall length mirrors, 3 or 4 pot plants. The whole family fitted on easily - Mum, Dad and the two children with baby nestled in the middle! The traffic was insane. Cars, motorbikes, taxis, bicycles and the occasional truck and bus swarmed the roads like ants and went wherever they wanted to go. We learnt the way cross the road was just to step out and walk slowly across. The traffic just goes around you! Michelle found the best way was to grip her friends' hands and close her eyes!

Walking through their cities is so different to walking through our cities. Food is cooked out on the street, people pushing or pulling carts selling anything and everything, families living in spaces the size of one of our bedrooms, beeps and honks fill the air, streets suddenly becoming marketplaces, groups of school children running up to you saying 'Hello, Hello'.

There are whole streets where every shop is selling the same thing. They have hat street, bathroom accessory street, book street, even lamp post street for all your lamp post needs!

In Hanoi we experienced courting couples around the lake in the centre of the city. The couples would sit by the edge of the water and then somewhere behind would be Grandma or Aunty reading the paper.

North Vietnam amazed us with its stunning Halong Bay and picturesque Sapa. Halong Bay consisted of 700 limestone islands coming out of the water. Here we stayed overnight on a boat, jumped into the water at night and went canoeing at sunset! Sapa was a town in the mountains with little tribes living in villages in the hills surrounding. Our local guide was Zi, an enthusiastic 18yr old girl. She took us trekking though the little villages balanced on the terraced hillsides. She showed us how their fabric was dyed indigo blue from plants and then hand embroidered with colourful threads. We saw a little hospital and school. Craftsmanship really shines in Sapa. Jewellery making, stonemasons and weavers were everywhere.

Then over into Laos we went! In Laos the atmosphere changed a little. Our first impression of the Laos people was that they were relaxed and gentle. Luang Prabang, a lovely little town by the Mekong River was a delight and a highlight for us all. There were beautiful Buddhist temples and Buddhist monks wandering through the streets. Little cafes, paper making and night markets! The owner of the backpackers we were staying at 'SpicyLaos' was Pong a gentle, cheery Laos man. One night he gave a group of us a beautiful talk on Buddhism followed by a delicious traditional Laos meal. Traditionally a Laos meal is shared and eaten with your hands. It is a very communal experience. In the Buddhism talk Pong explained Buddha's story and the main principles and lifestyle of Buddhists. Simply, their way of life involves becoming a better person through good deeds/behaviour; good words and pure thoughts. In this way they become united beings of loving kindness with an inner peace that emanates from them to spread goodness and truth to other people of this world. Angela woke at 5.30am and saw the monks walking and receiving offerings (alms) from the people. They only receive food by donation.

Also during our stay in Luang Probang we volunteered at the 'Big Brother Mouse'- a little centre set up to help young Laotian people learn English. Angela's student, an 18yr old boy shared with her the meaning the Laos flag. The red stripes at the top and bottom stand for the blood shed for the country, the blue strip in the middle stands for the rich resourcefulness of the land and the white circle in the centre stands for the gentleness of the people.

In Laos we also jumped off waterfalls into crystal clear pools and went floating down a river in inflatable tubes. We stayed on a little Island in the 4000 Islands called Don Det. Don Det currently doesn't have any power until the generators start at 6pm for just a few hours. We stayed in little bungalows teetering over the river owned by a small family that lived nearby. They consisted of a bed and mosquito net and that's about it! We showered from a bucket of cold water out the back of the family's house. 'Dam' and her family cooked us delicious meals with ingredients from their garden. It was a humbling peaceful couple of days on Don Det.

So into Cambodia we went, crossing the border by an interesting white water rafting experience!

Cambodia again was a country filled with beautiful people! The scars of war are still quite apparent as you travel though and it can be quite sad in areas. This is the case in Vietnam and Laos too but we seemed to feel it the most in Cambodia. After sightseeing the amazing temples of Angkor in Siem Reap we travelled down to Phnom Penh.

In Phnom Penh we went out to the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields and to the S21 Genocide Museum to acknowledge what this country has gone through. We knew it was an important thing to do while we were in Cambodia and were prepared for it to be very sad. It was. There are no words to describe it really. Very confronting and shocking but very humbling and we feel like we respect the people and understand the country more. We will remember that day forever. There were books left for people to comment in at the museum. People all over the world left comments of sympathy and peace. It was full with Prayers and Pleas for people to join together in peace to stop things like this happening around the world, as they still are today. It was beautiful to read.

We were touched to see that despite these countries being affected by war the people are striving forward and building up with whatever they have, contributing what they can each in their own way. In Cambodia we went and got a Seeing Hands Massage. A centre was set up to provide jobs for blind people as they struggle to support themselves. All the massage therapists are blind and it was an amazing experience. Also in Cambodia the amputees from the landmines have set up street bands and play and sell their CDs instead of begging. 'Friends' is a centre set up to help children - it consists of a school, art centre and restaurant. The children participate in all areas of the centre including running the restaurant.

It was sad for our adventures to come to a close but happy to come home and share all our memories! It has been quite life changing travelling though South East Asia. We all feel it was really important to experience such a different culture and way of life. We have seen some sad things, as you can expect with poverty but have been so surprised with the joy, smiles and laughter that shine out of the dreariest, shambled places. We saw much resourcefulness and appreciation of what they have! Care for their families, particularly their children and elderly, really stuck with us as a most central thing for them. We may pity them and feel sad to think about what they don't have but to see and experience what they DO have through their smiles is a wonderful thing. We feel we experienced the essence of God through these people and the precious moments that touched us.

Angela and Michelle feel that we are truly blessed people and feel humbled to have had such an amazing adventure. It really filled us up!

Angela and Michelle Heldon

The theme of the camp was the Power of the Word. What were some of the presentations about this and how well did they come across?
It was all about getting back to the essence (what is important) and away from getting caught up in the form. I made it to the following presentations: David Millar did a "five step program" about this, finishing with a guided meditation, Julian Duckworth talked about "bringing the inside out". Brian O'Neill talked about the Bible being the "laptop of the past". (Other presentations were done by Chris Skinner, David Moffat and Martin Pennington.) The ministers complemented each other very well.

What was the final worship service on the last day about?
Everyone picked something to do, readings, song, music about what we'd learnt during the week. These were presented in groups.

Last year the choir led by Rev David Moffat was a feature? Was there a choir this year and what did they do?
Yes, there was a choir. The words were by William Blake, the divine image and David composed the music. There were around 15 people I think. The performance was on the last day.

Were there any special presentations/ sessions that happened in the evenings?
Grandpa's (Norman Heldon) poetry recital was on one evening. Other evenings had a trivia night and a games night

What was the weather like?
Weather was gorgeous, very hot one day.

What activities happened during the afternoon times?
Swimming, beach, high ropes, flying fox, giant swing, archery, canoeing, volleyball, basketball, beading (with Margaret Skinner and her daughter Suzanne) and Celtic knot work (Julian). Also there were optional afternoon talks, for example Cor Visser-Marchant gave a talk on Homeopathy and the Word, and Spencer Perdriau spoke about work he'd done for a conference, it was called "Mystic Wall of Reflection".

What were some of the most memorable acts on the talent night?
The Moffat's video clip of James Brown's song "I feel good" Alexander (Moffat) was the one who put it all together. Hilarious! Larissa's "lighthouse" - Joel and Michael did a skit where they ended up kissing Larissa on the cheeks and she went bright red. Helmut's songs (he'd written his own songs during the week and they were to do with the theme of the camp). Also Grandpa Heldon's "Dreaming Of Thee" poem and Klaire, Elise & Chantelle's dancing.

Would Cameron Robinson have won the table tennis final if it had been scheduled in the wee hours of the morning instead of 10 am?
It's possible but I think we need a rematch next camp! Congratulations to Jason Barritt.

Were there any particularly funny things that happened during the camp?
Pam Moffat's scream as she was on the giant swing, Jeffrey bottoming out on the flying fox, me getting stuck on the high ropes but I still finished it! Julian licking his dessert bowl and then writing "I licked my bowl" (photo of this!), blowing a ping pong ball around a table in the wee hours of the morning, playing "Ligretto" (a card game) & "Kubb" (a Swedish stick throwing game).

Did the travellers to the camp have any stories to tell when they arrived?
Ralph Horner's car burst a tyre about 200 metres after crossing into Victoria (too far to push it back to New South Wales and get a free NRMA service).

What were some of the places people travelled from to get to camp especially those who travelled the furthest?
John Cunningham - England, Quentin Brock - USA, Sarah Keal & Laisa Keyworth - New Zealand, people from Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Ballarat.

What do we know about next year's camp and will you be going?
Elanora Heights January 4th until 10th and yes, I will be going!!!

Anything else that happened that is not covered by the above questions?
The food was really good and the staff was great as well. Dylan Johnson (9 months) loved pushing around the blue chairs in the dining room. Also it was great to welcome new comers to camp, especially the Barritt family from Canberra.

Phillip & Larah Walsh have a little daughter, Ellen Renae. She was born on 16th January and weighs 5lb 14ozs. Cameron & Daniel are thrilled to bits with their little sister.

Can you save your stamps? Rhonda Hall is going to put a collection box in Baringa. The stamps will be forwarded on to Margaret Skinner of the Melbourne Society and raise money for charity.

We hope everyone had a safe and rejuvenating holiday time even if you didn't make it to the Summer Camp in Victoria. February will resume our normal schedule of classes and worship. The first class on Friday 6th February will continue our discussion of the Joseph stories prepared by Rev Julian Duckworth,

January
Happy Birthday to Margaret Heldon (9th), Rachel Heldon (15th), Kerry Lockhart (24th) and Kaye Macfarlane (30th)

February
John Hicks (9th), Mike Lockhart (11th) and Anne Lawrence (21st)

Note: All events are located at the church at 22 Dudley St, Penshurst 2222 (off Hillcrest Ave) unless otherwise stated. Contact the Hurstville New Church on (02) 9580 1589 for more information or email us at newchurch@optusnet.com.au All are welcome and refreshments are served after church each Sunday.
Sunday	1st February	NO CHURCH AT HURSTVILLE Service at Roseville
Friday	6th February	7 00 p.m. Tea and Class
Sunday	8th February	10. 00 a.m. Worship followed by Property Trust meeting
Sunday	15th February	10. 00 a.m. Worship
Sunday	22nd February	10. 00 a.m. Worship