To my dear brothers & Sisters,

I love you all and have missed you.

As you all know I have been on holidays for the last 8 days. Today I got home from a week of relaxation at a sea side resort approx 3 hours from where I live. It has been a good time of relaxing, fishing, sight seeing and basically sitting around and unwinding. It has been approx 12 months since my last holiday, in the mean time I work most days and with everything else, never get me time. So this last week was most appreciated and thankful to the one that provides for my needs, my beautiful Lord and saviour.

As you are aware, while I was on holidays I managed to get internet access and was able to check in what was happening at RITA. This last week has been a week of shock and a week of praise, but it all can be a week of praise.

To tell you the truth, I to was saddened by the leaving of much loved family members, and this has been on my heart this week. Each one of us is Gods loved child, and sometimes it is hard to figure out what another brother or sister may feel in their walk with Jesus. In the end we can only love and support them. They have not left but as I may say after this week, “on vacation”. Like a much loved member of the family, they have gone for a little while, but still we carry them each day in our heart where ever we go. And when the day comes that they come back or we meet in glory, well this is a great time of rejoicing. So at the end of the day, my loved members are gone, but are still with me every day. Simply because the bonds of love are not easily broken. This love is the enduring love that only comes from our Lord.

And the praise report is my beautiful sister Lynn. To read that my much loved sister is back home, and recovering is a praise report worthy of us all.

Over the last week many things have happened not only for the Rita family, but in the whole world in general. Yesterday a large quake in Chile; My heart goes to the beautiful creations of God that are suffering at this time. But for the Christian we see the birth pangs as for told. How are we to feel, are we to be excited or are we to feel compassion? Well my view is that we are to do what we have been told to do firstly, to love. For our love for these people and our love for our saviour will sustain. We all know the end game and what is unfolding, but till the end we are to pray and to love our fellow souls. Even if we cannot help physically, we can pray.

I do not know when our blessed hope will come, but I do know one thing. He is not late, and he keeps his promises, and above all things is that he loves us all. That is my guiding light and what I look for each day, his love.

At the present time the church may feel like they are in the wilderness with so much that is happening to many brother and sisters. But just like when God lead his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, remember this. He is leading us at the present, in the here and now. And he is doing this; we are seeing the signs, why? Because he loves us. We are on our way home.

Move over on the couch, your brother is back and loves you all.

In his beautiful love / Paul

P.S- This is where I have been-

Hi Paul -

What a beautiful place for a vacation - exactly where is this? Looks very inviting - pleasant and WARM, as opposed to here, where winter won't quit!

Thank you for posting the lovely pictures. God bless you.

What a beautiful spot to take a holiday and relax - so glad you enjoyed your time away from the routine! I pray it was a time of refreshing for your spirit and soul as well.

Thanks for sharing these great pictures - especially good for those of us in the cold part of the northern hemisphere who are on the tail end of winter.. and glad of it!

Email: kate5525@aol.com

Yes, Paul, it's good to have you back! I need your reminders of God's love in these hectic days we're in. You are my loving big brother that I look up to and am happy for your presence here!

Glad you had a time of refreshing.

Welcome back, brother Paul.

Glad you got some R & R in at such a beautiful place at the end of your summer.

Remember "rapture in the fall"...Well your fall(autumn) is only 20 days away or so.....

Happy to hear you had a good time on what we Americans call a vacation.... Good to have you here again.

YBIC
Rich

My dear brother Paul,

Even before I started up the computer this morning and saw your post, I was thinking about you and wondering how you were. I can see the Lord comforting you and giving you a peace about our beloved family members here at RITA who have left. God is so good, isn't He???

What a beautiful vacation spot!! I'm glad you had such a nice time, but I must confess that I'm glad you're back because I really missed you!!! Your compassion and the Lord's love flows out of your words that you write to us, and I, for one, really need that right now.

God bless you, my sweet brother!

Paul, its so good to have you back and here about the relaxing and pleasant time away. A break from the regular routine is so invigorating. Sounds like you really enjoy fishing and the great outdoors. Bless you dear Paul.

Dearest Paul - glad to see you made it back home from your holiday. Lots has gone on here at RITA while you were away - the bottom line is that the RITA family is still here and closer than ever. With a few of our dear brothers and sisters leaving us, we were able to look at ourselves and become even closer. We haven't even up on the ones on holiday - we still think that one day they will be back - if not here on earth, then we will be with them in heaven.

Love you Paul, glad you are back home! Your sister in Christ, Ms. Victor

Dear Paul . . glad you're back!! Wow, gorgeous pictures of your vacation retreat.

Makes me think of Heaven and our eternal retreat forever with Jesus.

Thanks, too, brother, for sharing with us each time, the value of Family unity and love in Jesus Christ.

I echo with all here . . s-o-o-o-o GLAD you're back, Paul!!!

Welcome Back Brother Paul!!!!

Welcome back Paul!

Those pictures are beautiful! It's hard to believe there are such heavenly places like that here on Earth...and to think that those places are just a taste of what's to come, boggles my mind!

Your kindness and genuine love for God truly makes this board all that much better!

Welcome back man!

Peace Lily, KT, Francesca, Rich E, Lisaleenie, T/Sue, Ms Victor, Donna, Cheryl Ann, Allen & Shirley,

Thank you brothers and sisters for your kind and warm welcome. Missed you all.

Peace Lily- The place where I stayed was approx 2.5 hours from where I live in Victoria. A place called Metung. It is a small sea side town along the coast which is an inlet or sea water lake. From where I live this lake system stretches many miles to the point of our state. This area is dotted with many towns etc. It is a beautiful region with a slightly warmer climate compared to where I live. If you look at the Australian map, it is the state of Victoria, down the very bottom facing the state (island) of Tasmania. We are blessed over here with a vast variety of beaches, woods, snow etc. A little bit of everything rolled into one country.

In his beautiful love / Paul