Saturday Twelve keen members worked on the main track up Karangahake and we were satisfied that the track is as clear of weeds as we can make it. We worked where the weeds are worst [on the Northern side where mining operations cleared the natural vegetation and allowed weeds to take over]. We were pulling or grubbing out gorse up to 300mm in height where formerly we may have cut gorse the thickness of an arm. Members of the public expressed gratitude for our work and we are in no doubt about the popularity of the track. The track has very attractive ferns forming glades and some lovely native trees are emerging too. There are fewer weeds on the tracks in the bush however we will cover those tracks next workday as the main track has had so much of our attention. Number of volunteer hours 72. Thank you Jill and Barbara for supporting us with wonderful meals. Thank you Barbara for the devotion on Family First principles from the Family First Conference. Sunday We walked the Southern end of Waihi Beach and we sat on the sand with members sharing thoughts and lessons on the Christian life gained from sand and references in the Bible. The leader was surrounded by a large wave when he was pronouncing profound truths but that didn’t detract from the flow of our thoughts on lessons for life. Following the devotions we climbed the headland for great views of the beach, the harbour and countryside including Karangahake and then we visited a notable defensive pa site.

Thoughts shared about Sand Genesis 22 Gods covenant to Abraham “I will bless you and I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore”. The apostle Paul teaches in his letters to the Romans and Galatians that God’s covenant is for all followers. Matt 7:26 The foolish man built upon the sand while the wise man built upon the rock. Sand is unstable or impermanent as it moves with water and wind. Most of the settlement of Waihi Beach is built on sand and the authorities learned to restricted subdivision where erosion may readily occur. The wise man built on the solid ground of faith in God. Sand is very impressionable and children love to play and do imaginary activities in it. We should learn not to be completely impressionable but strong and steadfast in our faith and service for God. Sand is however valuable in construction for the grains from granite are angular and usable as building material and millions of tonnes particularly of river sand are used for construction when mixed with cement to form very hard concrete. God can use the least and most common people as faithful witnesses for Him. Sand is valuable for glass making and tonnes are dredged from the sea for glass making and 70% of the weight of a glass bottle is sand. The sand is melted down at about 1700 degrees and it loses its crystalline structure and cools to an entirely different structure having some of the crystalline structure coupled with a molecular randomness of a liquid. Heating and cooling rapidly strengthen the glass. We can be strengthened by the lessons of life which may increase our faith. Sand containing iron is mined on the West Coast and smelted to produce iron and steel our most basic and commonly used material. Christians should be the basic material for our society. Sand is made up principally of silica from worn rock particularly granites. Silica SiO2 is used for its qualities and ready availability. Silica is extracted from sand and Silica chips and wafers are used in electronics such as computers, appliances and drones. God can use the common people to be special in His service. Sand is also used in the sandpaper that makes objects smooth for it has such durability that it can grind the rough. Our lives can be smoothed and polished to be more useful, loving and valuable. Sand is used in the filtration of water as it may capture impurities where water has been in soil. God’s word and prayer life can be a filter in our lives. Quicksand is a colloid of sand and water so that the sand loses strength and cannot support the weight of an object. It appears solid but in an earthquake the movement can dislodge it. Beware of falsehood or deception in our lives. “The sands of time” is an idiom relating to the passing of time and sand reminds us of time. The sand in a timer may be used to measure time in cooking etc. Time can slip away from life and we have limited time for bodily functions such as the heart beats on a body clock. It seems that upon conception when life begins the human heart starts to beat and it will run its course and then stop. It may restarted with resuscitation but eventually it will stop. CT Studd an English cricketer who played for England left fame and fortune for his family had wealth to become an Anglican Missionary initially in China and then in India and Africa. He began a movement which became the World-wide Evangelical Crusade. He said “if Jesus Christ is God and died for me then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”. “Only one life, t’will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last”.