Kingswood Community Church

A short while ago a friend of ours told us a story about her 5 year old daughter Georgina. Our friend was pregnant with her third child and she took Georgina with her to the Ultrasound scan unit at the hospital. Afterwards she showed little Georgina the picture of the scan. Little Georgina looked very intently at the picture and after some time declared: "It's a crocodile!" Goodness knows what was going through her mind!

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her the amazing news about the special baby she was going to bear, I suspect that all kinds of thoughts went through her mind: "Why me?...What have I done to be chosen for this?...What is the baby going to be like?..." Despite all the questions there was never any doubt or disbelief of what the angel had said to her, unlike Zechariah the father of John The Baptist. Zechariah's response was disbelief and because of it could not speak until after the baby was born.

For Christians the world over through countless generations the story of Mary reminds us of her faith in believing the divine revelation. Also, the story does not end with the baby Jesus being born in a stable: the baby Jesus grew up and carried out his mission in total obedience to God the Father. This ultimately led to his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Many people dismiss the resurrection as an impossibility, for Christians the verdict is that it is true because of the evidence from eye witnesses to his death and resurrection. Many of the eye witnesses and indeed all of the apostles testified to this and were killed for their witness. In addition, we have the testimony of countless individuals who testify to the promised indwelling Spirit of God working in their lives.

This Christmas, if you have not done so already, take the trouble to examine the evidence for Jesus for yourself, it could be a life changing experience!

HELP! MY CHILD IS HAVING A TANTRUM!!!

What is a temper tantrum? A temper tantrum is ‘a fit of bad temper’ displayed with inappropriate behaviour such as; screaming, hitting, kicking, crying out or a child throwing themselves on the floor in a rage to gain your attention in the hope that the parent will ‘give in’. Tantrums are normal and part of every child’s development. They usually occur between the ages of two and five. These can last longer in some cases.

If your child has a temper tantrum it can be quite frightening. Sometimes, we loose control and do not know how to deal with it. Children have tantrums because they can’t always use language to explain how they are feeling and this frustrates them. You often hear toddlers say “I can do it myself” or “I want it, give it to me”. The frustration comes when they find they can’t do it without a little bit of help and this leads into a tantrum.

So, what can a parent do to help their child through this stage of having tantrums? First and foremost your child needs to know that you love them ‘You might not like the behaviour, but you love the child’. Jesus teaches us to ‘Love one another’, even when we find it difficult to do so. ‘Love is patient and kind. Love never gives up and it’s faith, hope and patience never fail’. 1 Corinthians 13: 4–7.

You need to:

· Be in control yourself. Try to stay calm.

· Hold the child or be near to make sure they don’t hurt themselves.

· Once they calm down a little bit, talk to them saying ‘I don’t like temper tantrums, so let me know when you are finished and I will talk to you’.

· Keep talking to reassure them.

· Don’t offer treats in the hope of stopping the tantrum (It won’t).

· Ask why they are angry and try to talk it through with them.

Sometimes, temper tantrums can be avoided by telling your child what is going to happen next. “ When I count to ten, we will be putting the toys away and then you will put on your coat and we will be going to the shops to by some food for dinner, then we will come back and have some fruit.” It is best to avoid shopping trips when your child is tired or hungry. The most important thing about tantrums is to be consistent. The child needs to know that you will not give in and that they are not going to get their own way even if they embarrass you in the middle of the supermarket – remember the points above.

May God bless you and your child. If you feel you would like someone to talk to who understands, please contact me on 020 8265 6219 in the evening. I am a parent and an experienced Pre School Supervisor who is willing to listen. If the tantrums persist and you are finding them hard to cope with, please contact your health visitor.

By Anne Holland.

“WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM”

My wife has a sticker on the back windscreen of her car. It reads, “Wise men still seek Him.” But who were these wise men and what were they seeking?

First of all, despite the way they are portrayed in nativity plays, they weren’t kings. They were astrologers and they came from South West Arabia – probably from Babylon (now in Iraq). Their religion was Zoroastrianism in which the plotting of the stars was highly important. So when they saw the bright new star in the night sky they saw it as most significant – so significant that they were prepared to leave their own country to follow it. But what of the gifts they presented to Jesus – what is their significance? Well they were all to be used if they died in a foreign land in their burial ritual. The gold was to pay for the ceremony; the frankincense and myrrh were used to anoint the body.

To give up these things to Jesus was to say that they were no longer going to follow their own way and were prepared to surrender their most precious possessions in order to receive something far better – a new life with Him. You see, they no longer needed the trappings of their old religion because they had found fulfilment in Jesus. This Christmas Jesus offers you the opportunity to do the same – to lay your burdens at his feet – the feet that were ultimately nailed on a cross where He gave up His life for you.

By Roger Barber

Have you been watching the television series about

‘The Greatest Briton’? Who would be your choice? –

Last modified: 04/15/06