Bill's Blog

Light Disperses Darkness

Out of the Heavenly Light you came into darkness, darkness of mind and soul. You came to disperse that darkness.
People who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
Upon those who lived in deep darkness, your light has shined.
Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, light disperses darkness.

Out of the Heavenly light you came into darkness, to disperse the darkness.
The angel and the host of angels, the glory of the Lord shone around them.
In the dim light of a stable they found you, the light of the world.
Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth.
Your light shone on others in a far away land in the form of a magnificent star.
They sought, they found, as you have said:"Those who seek,will find" the light that disperses darkness.

Your word reminds us that in Him and through Him was life
That life was the light of all people, and,
That light, you Jesus, shines in the darkness, no matter how dark it is,
The darkness cannot overcome it, for light disperses darkness.
John testified to the light, that the true light which enlightens everyone,
Was coming into the world, the light of the world is Jesus.

Lord you said:"I am the light of the world."
"Come walk with Me, and you will never walk in darkness,
You will walk in the light of life." for light always disperses darkness.
Light of The World, come enlighten my life, light up my path,
May I bath in your light, may I witness my shadows, my darkness flee from your presence, Oh, My light,My Truth, My Way!

Oh, Light of the world, you have passed on the torch to me,
You have said, now, "You are the light of the world." "A city on a hill cannot be hid."
I take up the torch, I refuse to hide it but, put it in a place where it gives light to all around,
That they might see you in me, oh light of the world, and give you all the glory.
So light disperses darkness, light always wins, as I focus on light, no matter how slight it may be, the light expands and the light disperses darkness. The light of the world is Jesus!

The Red Light on the Tree

MOVIE

Reflections early morning: Prayer adapted from "A Diary of Private Prayer" by John Baillie

Oh God, you who is love, I want to express my love to you, oh how I love you!
It was in love that you created me and it is in love that you sustain me.
Your love is so great, that you chose to send your son to suffer, die, and rise from the dead, that I might live with you.
You have instructed me, directed me and commanded me to to show my love for you, by loving my neighbour, my brother, my sister and yes even my enemy, for your sake and for your glory.
Help me, oh God, to be more consistent in my loving attitude and behaviour, to be more patient with my journey in love and not to give up the hope of being able to love others to the same extent as you love me.
Amen

Bio: William Dale Virgin
Bill was born in India. His parents served in medical ministry in northern India for 27 years. Bill spent most of his first 16 yeare in India.
In 1960 Bill and family came to Toronto.
In 1968 Bill and Barbara were married and moved to Ignace in north western Ontario. They were involved in establishing Ignace Gospel Church.
After Theological education they moved to Emo and Barwick for 6 years.
They spent 8 years in Hamilton at Westmount Baptist and 15 years in Brampton at Central Park Baptist Church.
In 2002 they were involved in establishing The South Asian Welcome Centre Inc. in Brampton. Bill is currently semi retired as the CEO of SAWC. Bill has been counselling for the last 20 years both in Peel region. Lately, he has been teaching in India once a year for 4 to 6 weeks.
Barbara and Bill have 4 children, 9 grandchildren and one more grandchild due any day soon.

Musings from early life in India>
1. Self esteem issues.
As a youngster, I ddn't have great confidence in who I was as a person.
In those days you were either an academic or a sportsman if you wanted to be see as successful or popular.
I can't say that I was very successful in either of those areas.
Teaching in those days was carrried out in such a way that it honored the very brilliant but the rest of us were left to struggle our way through.
I was left handed, God forbid, up till recently they had forced left handers to write with their right hands. My penmanship gave up on me and said with exasperation:"I don't know how to teach you to write with your left hand, you will have to learn yourself. Well I did but I was always low on the list when it came to marks for penmanship.

Teachers had the habit of centering the less successful students out by making them go to the board to answer questions or write them on the board. My writing wasn't easy to decipher, snickers were often heard in the background, no wonder when the teacher asked for answers I would slink down in my desk praying she wouldn't ask me to go to the board or give a verbal response.

Spelling bees, another dreaded exercise. The two best spellers would be picked to choose two teams to compete. I was usually the last picked and the first to sit down. No team wanted me on their team, I was a detrement to their chances of winning. I don't think my spelling improved because of spelling bees.

Recess time or lunch time I found myself often by myself playing marbles or gulu danda. These you could play on your own. sometimes someone else would see me playing by myself and come and join me. I suppose we were a fraternity of loosers but not for long.

Sports was big in those days; basketball(I was short), baseball(I was left handed), soccer, well I wasn't very fast. Finally I found my nitch, track and field, again something you could excell in on your own. I ran the Mile and Cross country but not till I was in grades 7 and 8.
In Gym class the gym teacher would again pick the two best atheletes to pick two teams for dodgeball or whatever. I was the last chosen and sometimes the leader who had to choose me would offer me to other team leader. I will give you Bill he would say, with a twinkle in his eye. Of course the other leader would turn down the offer.

Not till grade eight did we have a male teacher. Mr Lott was quite a dresser, fancy jackets etc. He was definitly different. He was instrumental in liberating me to be me. He taught me that I could be male and enjoy the arts, poetry and writing. He even taught us how to go about publishing our poetry. To be male, I didn't have to be a sports jock.
A little earlier, Mr George told me he had a place in his junior chior for me. I hadn't even auditioned, he didn't even know if I could sing but he insisted I join him and the chior for practise. My piano teacher had previously told me I would never make a piano player; "Why don't you try a brass instrument!" she said sarcasticly. I did, I took up three brass instruments.

I was now beginning to discover myself, he wasn't all that bad afterall, looser, I don't think so.

I sort of embarrassed the Jocks when it came to asking the girls out to movie night. The jocks were boasting about who they were going to ask out, the only one that did ask a girl out was little old me, the looser. Eventually I discovered a girl who had similar intrests in poetry and writing. We enjoyed a platonic relationship, writing and reading poetry together.

Thats all for today!