Dr Margaret's Treasure Chest

Why do I blog? I would like to pass on a few pearls of wisdom the Lord has allowed me to gather over the years. I have collected a whole treasure chest full and hope you will benefit from what you read. Some bloggers treat their blogs as diaries, others write professional articles or provide information on specific topics, and most people use the opportunity to monetise their blogs. My aim is different. No ads, and no monetising. Just food for thought. When I was young, I thought I was going to live forever and have all the time in the world, but now that the hourglass is running down, I realise how short my time on this earth actually is, and how important it is to make it count for God. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes was right when he penned the last 7 verses of his book - you might like to look them up :-) With years of experience as a Christian naturopath, counsellor, mentor and educator, I hope to pass on some of the lessons God has taught me along the way.  Trust in...

    Hi again, I love this poem. I have used it for so many purposes, inc. special wedding cards and posters, and even for my counselling clients to take home... I thought I might share it with you, too. It is worth striving for the most wonderful home possible!!!     The walls of a house may be built of wood, Its foundations of brick or of stone; But a genuine home is an exquisite thing, For it’s built of heart-throbs alone. The price of a house may be reckoned at once, And paid with a handful of gold; But the price of a home very few can compute, And that price they have never yet told. The rooms of a house may be stately and grand, Their adornment a triumph of art; But the beauty of a home is the final result Of the toil of an unselfish heart. A house may be burned, may be sold or exchanged, Nor the loss of one’s peace interfere; But the loss of a home - how it crushes the heart! - For our homes we all love and revere. Of h...

    Almost 20 years ago, I read an article about a boarder that I have never forgotten. I have not been able to source it, but the Lord knows the faithful woman who put together the original story. We shall give all credit to her. I hope that this edited version will touch you as much as the original one did me: Bill and Jane have a boarder in their home. He’s been with them for many years now. In fact, he joined their family soon after they were married. I could never understand why a young married couple would want to take a third party into their home, but Jane assured me that he was no trouble at all. It seemed to me that they quite enjoyed having him in their home. He was usually very quiet, speaking only when asked to do so, and yet full of the most interesting stories that you could imagine. It was easy to spend a whole evening listening to him. He was very imaginative and certainly knew how to keep his audience spellbound. As time passed, however, I couldn’t help won...

One of my bible study groups is currently walking the Romans' road. Last week, we focused on chapter 13, and Judi walked in with a brilliant smile on her face. "I have a health tip for you!" she announced. "Do you want to hear it right now or wait until we have read the chapter?" The consensus was that we read the chapter, but no one could find Juli's health tip! Can you?   Paul wrote, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves...Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake." (Romans 13:1-5)    There it was, our health tip. Of course! You have probably heard about the mind-body connection, i.e. how much our mind influences bodily activities (I might write a bit more on...

Most people love receiving gifts and are grateful for the giver's generosity. Gifts arrive on birthdays and other special occasions, and some come out of the blue, just because we are loved. Sometimes we can choose our gifts, and sometimes we hope for things without knowing whether we will ever get what we hoped for.   Recently, I came across the results of a survey showing that many people hope they will get to heaven by being a good person. Or they are doing enough good works to balance imaginary judgment scales in their favour. Others believe it is important to have some kind of faith, no matter which one that may be. The interesting thing here is that people focus on hope or faith, which prompts the question: How do we know that our faith is valid and absolutely reliable? How do we know it will achieve what we are hoping for?    I am sure that most of you have sat on many different chairs during your lifetime. Think about it for a moment… You sat on each one of t...

  Are you surprised that I might give you some pearls in the form of health tips? Then you probably haven't read my profile :-) In some parts of the world it will soon be summer, so I thought it might be helpful to focus on insect bites etc... When our son was just five years old and learning to ride his first mini-bike, my husband took him to a reserve with plenty of room and a nice little hill. Attempting to negotiate that rise, our son was supposed to open the throttle just a little to get a good run up, but his run up the hill turned into a jump across it - straight into a bull ant's nest. While superboy ended up with a couple of quickly forgotten bruises, his father suffered quite some time from a number of those nasty ant bites. Had I known then what I know now, those bites would have been little more than a momentary inconvenience. Some years later, an old bushie told me about his secret weapon: Coca Cola! We always keep a can in our first aid kit now, and as soon as an...

There are many sayings that connect learning to living. A Catholic 'priest' once said to my husband, "Give me a child until he is seven, and he will be mine forever." Many years ago, in my pre-Christian past, I worked with clinical hypnotherapy to help people with psychosomatic illnesses. It was then that I first realised how powerful the subconscious mind is, and how much it affects both physiological and psychological states and behaviours. Did you know, for example, that everything you see and hear in life gets stored? You might remember a night of unrest when your mind kept processing your late night's mental work in your dreams. Or you watched a very impressive movie before going to bed, and your mind kept dwelling on it in a jumbled up way. We may not be able to consciously recall every single detail of our past, but it is stored in our brain nonetheless. Some information may even turn into a heavy burden. During an emotionally tense moment, for instance, so...

  Here is the easy and inexpensive recipe I promised to keep your gut flora healthy. Sorry it's taken so long. We had overseas visitors and an enjoyable break, but now life is returning to normal and here it is - my own fermented drink recipe made from good-quality organic wheat, rye, oats, millet or triticale (avoid old, cracked or rancid grain). I prepare a sterilised glass jar and fill ½ with grain that has been thoroughly rinsed in a strainer until free of dirt, dust and chaff. Then I add distilled water until the jar is nearly full and allow the grain to soak for 24 hours in a warm place. Thereafter I shake the jar, strain off the liquid, and let the ‘soak water’ ferment in a warm place, covered with a piece of cheesecloth. Depending on the temperature, this process will take approximately 36-72 hours. Afterward, I store the liquid in a refrigerator for up to one week. The discarded grain can be used in sourdough bread and soup etc. Drink ½ glass of the fermented liquid eac...

H ave you ever thought about the meaning of the word 'blessed'? Eph 1:3 (NKJV) reads: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." People use this word so easily. "Bless you," they say, or "Blessings," at the end of a letter. I assume they understand blessed in the sense of being made happy , being enriched , or having something good bestowed upon you. This interpretation may fit when God blesses people, or when people are blessed in the sense of being happy, b ut how does it apply to God? How can we bless Him? I have often wondered about passages where people bless God, but the answer is actually quite simple: the predominant meaning of bless is to speak well of someone, i.e. to praise. It is the same word we transliterate as eulogy. Hence, Eph 1:3 would better read, "Praise (laudation) be to t he God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, wh...

  I n Christ... Have you ever considered the real meaning of being in Christ ? The first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians encourages us to understand the riches we have been given if we belong to the Son of God. Read it and count the number of times you find the words in Christ and similar; you will be utterly amazed. My Bible is highlighted and marked on almost every page from years of study, but despite my other markings in this particular chapter, the red highlights of in Him etc. still stick out like a beacon of light. Some people think that writing in a Bible is akin to desecrating it, but I don't believe that. God wants us to know His Word, understand it, remember it, use it and work with it. And being a visual person, I can't do that unless I mark it and write notes in it of things that I found and want to remember (unfortunately, I don't have the memory of an elephant). No matter how you may treat your Bible, I would encourage you to take note of the...

It is amazing that Christianity stands alone with its message while all other religious ideas have something in common. They say, "You have to achieve...!" Whether that achievement is self-focus, self-denial, self-degradation, working on yourself to be good enough, making yourself achieve certain things so that you may be acceptable, learning enough about this or the other... the main philosophy behind these requirements is, "You can/must achieve" - the focus is on self. The Bible, and therefore Christianity, on the other hand says, "There is nothing you can do but accept what has already been done for you. Christ died for your sins because you are helpless. He loves you and is ready to give you this great gift of eternal life. You can receive it through believing Him." Faith is all it takes - not works. It is interesting that throughout history all of the great philosophies have opposed the teachings of Christianity: Greece said, "Be wise, know your...

  My three-year old granddaughter enjoys singing, "Jesus loves me, this I know," just like her mother and uncle used to do when they were her age. Can you imagine my surprise when I recently came across the same melody with different lyrics? They really spoke to me, so I will share them with you. If you haven't yet reached the age where you can identify, don't worry. Eventually you will get there (Lord willing)... Jesus loves me, this I know, though my hair is white as snow. Though my sight is growing dim, still He bids me trust in Him.  Yes, Jesus loves me... Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me... The Bible tells me so!  Though my steps are oh, so slow, with my hand in His I'll go. On through life, let come what may, He'll be there to lead the way. Though I am no longer young, I have much - which He's begun. Let me serve Christ with a smile, go with you the extra mile. When the nights are dark and long, in my heart ...

 Valleys or hill tops ... which would you prefer? Years ago, people used to love singing hymns. Their words were meaningful and sprang to mind during life’s ups and downs.  Remember these words, “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God… A place where sin cannot molest… A place of comfort sweet… A place of full release.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to continually rest in His presence? While we know in our minds that as those saved in Christ we are always close to God, our emotions can be a different matter altogether. Haven’t we all experienced times of feeling far away from God when immersed in the hustle and bustle of life? Sometimes we need a holiday from our ‘busy-ness’ to draw close again, and that holiday may come in unexpected ways. There was a time in the not too distant past, when I was doing a lot of good and necessary things. I was getting too busy to spend time with God. Slowly but surely I felt myself slipping further and furthe...

Just quickly today, here is a gospel tract, which you may freely download, print and use. My husband wrote it for a gospel meeting he took, and I did the design and layout. As you know (and might have seen on http://heartbeatpresentations.org ), creating anything associated with God’s work is my favourite hobby. But back to the tract… It’s a colourful trifold that you can print back-to-back and fold into 3 columns. We use 120 GMS paper, but normal photocopy paper will work as well. Our supplies usually vanish when we take them along to meetings. Click here for free download from Biblical Publications This tract is available in both A4 (AUS & EU) and Letter (US) formats.

Life in Christ and Black Forest Cake, what do they have in common? Both are rich and wonderful beyond measure :-) Yesterday, a big red book came to light from the depth of our 'old book box'. I almost threw it out because it looked like a ledger without a title. But on its pages I discovered a mixture of old German recipes (some of my totally forgotten favourites from childhood) and bible study notes from long ago. I was glad for both and will share one of each with you today. LIFE IN CHRIST - Colossians 2:6-15 Scripture: As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complet...

What do people see when they look at me? Who do I reflect? Do I draw people to myself, or do I draw them to God? Dr Harry Ironside used to tell a story about a man who lived in a small country town in England. One day, he went to London, where he would need to stay for several days. He was glad to be there on a Sunday because that gave him opportunity to hear some of the great preachers of that day. He wrote home to his wife, and he said: “Last Sunday morning I went to hear Dr Jones, and in the evening I went to the Metropolitan Tabernacle to hear Charles Spurgeon. I was greatly impressed by both of them. Dr Jones is certainly a great preacher, but Mr Spurgeon has a great Saviour.” That was an astute observation and led me to thinking… Who are people impressed with when they have been with me? Are they impressed with me, or are they impressed with my Jesus? How authentic is my life? How much impact for God does it have on the world around me? These are sobering questions b...

Judy is a dear Bible Study friend and a lady with many talents. One of them is poetry. I hope you'll like what she wrote for her 70th birthday (you'd never guess her age!). Her secret to keeping young? Rejoicing in the Lord always and living up to her name (it's Young - hee hee). Enjoy... It’s a wonderful view from the top of the hill Looking back at the valley below. And it’s been a long climb, over hurdles at times, But the blessings are all mine, I know. My children aren’t perfect and neither am I But our love will overcome all. I wouldn’d change them for a million quid For then I’d have nothing at all. They’ve all got partners to help them along And kids of their own to love, And now their kids have also got kids All gifts from our Father above. As I look back o’er the years that have gone And think of the things I have done I’m hoping that down by the other side of the hill There’s plenty more yet to come. So I, now...

Today's texts are Luke 7:47, Proverbs 10:12 and 1 Corinthians ch. 13. Sorry I've been away for so long. Busy, busy, busy, which isn't good. I keep thinking about Mary's sister Martha, who chose not to sit at the Lord's feet because of her many (though very necessary) chores. And so I've been thinking. My waiting room wall displays a pictorial chart of 1 Corinthians ch. 13. It shows Noah building his ark, followed by different animals acting out love's manifold character in various scenarios. A brilliant object lesson, and many people comment on it. But what about the motivators for this love and its connection to understanding? Consider the following statements and keep chewing the cud... Love without understanding is blind. Understanding without love is legalistic. The right kind of understanding generates the right kind of love. Jesus once said, "To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." (Luke 7:47) "Hate stirs up ...

When we are in a mess and there are things in our lives we find extremely distasteful, unjust, intolerable or painful, we experience suffering - and we tend to ask questions. “Why, Lord?” is a frequent response. And sometimes, when we are focused only on self, we even ask, “Why ME, Lord?” Here are some examples of life’s tragedies: Jenny moved to the city a year ago to attend university. She now has new friends and leads a busy social life, but most of her friends do not believe in Jesus. More and more she slips into their habits. She doesn’t talk about her faith any more because she knows they wouldn’t like it. She hardly finds time to meet with other Christians. She still talks to God, but their times together become shorter and less frequent. When she first arrived, things seemed to go well for her and she loved her new life. But gradually her mind became focused on worldly things, and she began to feel more and more dissatisfied. Now her grades are slipping, some of...

Here is another one of my favourite poems... They say the world is round, and yet I often think it's square; So many little hurts we get from corners here and there. There is one truth in life I've found while journeying east and west, The only folk we really wound are those we love the best. The choicest garb, the sweetest grace are oft to strangers shown; The careless word, the frowning face, are given to our own. We flatter those we scarcely know, we please the fleeting guest, And deal full many a thoughtless blow to those we love the best. By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Sometimes only hindsight can provide insight. Christina is returning home from a funeral and has no eyes for the beauty outside her window. The brilliant sunshine above and shimmering sea of clouds below are lost on her as she retraces the years that have passed. Susan firmly believed that people should have a reverent attitude when sitting in church. So when her daughter Christina kept whispering and laughing right through her own wedding ceremony, Susan was visibly shaken. She knew her daughter had a rebellious streak and didn’t care much about God, but this behaviour was outrageous. She decided that she would pray for the new pair to take God seriously. Two years later, Christina and her husband David decided to move to America, and Susan felt very upset by this decision. Not only for herself, but also for her daughter. Christina would lose the influence of her family and with it her last vestige of Christianity. Susan feared that America was even less godly than Englan...