Imitators of Those

“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Hebrews 6:11-12

Tag: Wisdom

  • What I Do Have I Give To You

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    Dónal
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    Living here in South Asia places a huge burden on the heart, that does not exist to the same extent in Ireland/the West. Poverty. Now of course, we have poor people in Ireland, and we try to help them as we can. Yes, there are those on the streets looking for money, sad scenes of…

  • Fools of a Unique Culture

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    Dónal
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    In a couple of weeks it will be one year since landing in our host country in South Asia. As I sit here enjoying Andrew Peterson’s new cover album of Rich Mullin’s legendary “A Liturgy, A Legacy and A Ragamuffin Band”, there is definitely much to give thanks for. A few weeks back a new…

  • The Son of Man Came Not To Be Served, But…

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    Dónal
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    Christians are a servant-hearted bunch. At least, we ought to be! And usually we are, to one degree or another. We love our King who humbled himself, took on the form of a servant and died a humiliating death on a cross for us. This event has gripped our hearts, and we want to likewise…

  • Trust Not In Fluent Lips

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    Dónal
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    “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” – Galatians 3:3 For new missionaries, the realm of language learning is a battlefield. Never mind the funny mistakes one makes (E.g. You try telling your students that you’re proud of them, and instead tell them that you’re pregnant…), on…

  • Leviticus and The Right Hand of Fellowship

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    Dónal
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    My alarm went off. I rolled out of bed, threw on some clothes and plodded into the kitchen. Switching the kettle on, while rubbing my bleary eyes, I gathered the necessary coffee-making implements and waited patiently for the water to boil. After preparing my locally-produced coffee, and waiting the perfect 3 minutes (no arguing!) for…

  • The Faithful Understand the Time

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    Dónal
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    If you were to drive a couple of hours North-West of Dublin, until you find the Middle-of-Nowhere, then take a left down a very bumpy, pot-hole filled road, cross a bridge, down another few roads with grass growing up them, you will come across a little village. It is a single street, with a couple…

  • The Pigeon and the Coo d’Etat

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    Dónal
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    The chilly air of a Scottish April morning warmed slightly as the sun rose slowly. Or at least, became present in unseen places. It doesn’t shine too intensely in Scotland on a regular basis. Nonetheless, as the dewy ground heated slightly it gave way to a gentle mist, the dawning light catching the edges thereof,…

  • 30 Years Old: What Lies Ahead?

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    Dónal
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    This week I turn 30. I’m not really one for birthdays. Dee and I have been together for 15 years (yes, I know, too young… moving on). The first year of our childhood romance we enthusiastically bought each other presents… and that was the last time. We are both terrible present buyers, poor celebrators in…

  • Chickens, Elephants, and the Illusion of Freedom

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    Dónal
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    Recently I was visiting a poor rickshaw driver’s family in their home. Our teammates have befriended this rickshaw driver, and treated him well, witnessing to him in word and deed. They live in a field behind a large mosque, with a handful of other small one-room dwellings. Their entire living space is about 7ft by…

  • The Problem With Aeroplanes

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    Dónal
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    I love aeroplanes. Ever since I was a child, picking out my first Revell model kit with my Grandpa (a Messerschmitt BF109G), reading Biggles books, watching war movies and watching the helicopters fly overhead, I loved them. My goal as a teenager was to join the Irish Air Corps, but when I encountered Christ at…

  • The Blessedness of Kind Mother-in-laws

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    Dónal
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    Mother-in-laws (MILs) can be the recipients of some bad stereotyping in the West. I’ll say it clearly at the start for the record: My Mother-in-law is great! And for a lot of people in the Western world, the stereotype doesn’t have as much bearing as perhaps it did at some point in time. Recently, we’ve…

  • The World as Best it Could Be

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    Dónal
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    Dealing With Doubt – Part 2 When John Bunyan, writer of The Pilgrim’s Progress was facing an intense mental struggle, a verse came to his mind that comforted him immensely. For over a year he tried to find this obscure little verse, until at last he realised that it was not in fact from the…