__________ 1 __________

1Our New Care Pastor

2The Selection Process

Windsor Outreach

3On Reflection

4New NUC Members

6Dates to Diarise

7Ironmen

The Marthas

8Farewell to Nicole…

9… and to Jojo.

NUC’s Noisiest Employee

10Gingerbread Houses

12His Son Our Greatest Gift

13Blessing Boxes

The Persecuted Church

14Focus on Missionaries

15KZN Short-term Outreach

16Ice Cream: Good for

the Soul

Regular news from Northcliff Union Church

DECEMBER 2019

The Highlight

In This Issue

We are pleased to announce that has accepted

the NUC call to be our Care Pastorfrom January next year. This followsendorsement by a Special GeneralMeeting of members on 24th Novemberof the recommendation from the CallCommittee, who had worked prayerfullythrough a field of 20 applicants for therole.

Gerhard joins us from BryanstonMethodist Church, where he has servedas Care Pastor for the past 12 years. Heis qualified with a BTh from the BaptistTheological College and a Certificate inChristian Service from the RosebankBible College.

His working background spans fouryears in the SA Police, anapprenticeship with SASOL andrunning his own handyman business forthree years, so he really understands thechallenges of the working world for themembers he ministers to. He has alsoserved in the mission field for four yearsin the Mobile Evangelical Trust as aTent Leader across South Africa.

During his past 12 years as a CarePastor, Gerhard has had oversight of aCare Ministry team of 17, facilitated thecrisis prayer group, led Bible studies,and ministered directly to the sick,terminally ill and bereaved, whileconducting funerals, home and hospital

visits. Gerhard is agifted counsellor ofpeople in need orfamily crisis, andhas conductedweekly services atForest Farm (forcerebral palsiedadults).

His experiencealso extends tomarriageenrichment andparentingprogrammes,GriefShare,

New Care Pastor

g

__________ 2 __________

Seniors’ ministry, cancer support, prayer workshops,training and retreats. The Care Ministry is his passion– Gerhard is known for his compassion, is down-to-earth and is endowed with a warm sense of humour.

The De Jager family includes wife Claire who is aqualified social worker who runs a practicespecialising in play therapy. They have two boys and

a girl, and live in Weltevreden Park. He brings giftsand a passion which will complement those in thepastoral team.

We welcome Gerhard to the Northcliff Union family,and pray that the Lord eases his transition into therole as he both leads and serves among the body forthe benefit of His kingdom.

New Care Pastor (continued)

NUC was pleased to host 28delegates from four different

churches and organisationsinvolved in ministry within the

Windsor area, for a prayer andshare morning on 24thNovember. Stanton co-ordinatedthe event, and reports that there

are truly exciting developmentshappening in our neighbouringsuburb.

Windsor Outreach

The NUC Constitutionrecognises that 400 members

cannot conduct a search process,and therefore provides for a CallCommittee to undertake this time-

consuming and confidentialprocess.

This started with a public advertwhich was posted on NUC noticeboards and our website, and thisadvert then disseminated widelyacross the country to otherchurches, seminaries, and peoplewho could point us to eligiblepeople.

The Call Committee prayerfullyshortlisted three candidates fromthe twenty applications wereceived, interviewing and takingreferences on this smaller group.

When the group got down to two,members of the Call Committeeas well as people from the CareMinistry re-interviewed the finaltwo candidates.

After further meetings withGerhard and Claire, as well as aone-on-one with the senior pastor,the Call Committee wasunanimous in recommendingGerhard for the role. This wasthen endorsed by the Elders andCouncil before serving before themembers on Sunday 24thNovember and receiving approvalby ballot.

The Selection Process

__________ 3 __________

These are very familiar words tothe majority of the Christianworld. We know that they comefrom what is commonly called‘The Lord’s Prayer’. We have,however, learned that it is farmore appropriate to call thisprayer in Matthew 6 ‘TheDisciples’ Prayer’. This is also ahelpful clue to our understandingof what this well-known request isall about.

We also need to remember thatwhen we speak about theKingdom of God we are restatinga declaration from the lips ofChrist. Jesus tells us to

(Matthew6:33). The Kingdom of God is nota place but rather the reality of HisKingly reign. Jesus declared and

demonstrated the reality of thereign of God during His earthlyministry and through the messageof the Gospel of the Kingdom.

We recently had an opportunityto learn more about the Kingdomof God (K o G) thanks to a visitto NUC by Dr Derek Morphew.He is a brilliant Bible scholar anda very humble, authentic man ofGod. He has spent most of hislife of scholarship researchingand writing about the K o G.

Let me attempt to recap some ofthe key features of Dr Morphew’steaching.

The K o G is the ultimate realityfor all of the cosmos.

The K o G is summarised as‘now’ and ‘not yet’.

The K o G is the mostcomprehensive way todescribe the message of thewhole of Scripture.

Pray with me that the Kingdom ofGod will come in increasingmeasure in our lives, His Churchand South Africa.

(I highly recommend Dr.Morphew’s book called

if you would liketo read more about the reality ofthe Kingdom of God and what itmeans for us as followers ofChrist.)

On Reflection

__________ 4 __________

Andrew Franks

Married to Nicole and hastwo children.Youth Pastor at NUC sinceMarch this year.Avid cricket fan and makeshis own beard oil.

Bianca Booysen

Accepted the Lordpersonally in 2017.Enjoys Park Runs,drawing and painting.“NUC feels like home,where I can truly grow inmy relationship with theLord, share incommunity and serve theLord.”

Desley Booysen

Mother to Bianca.Has been a Christian formany years.Wants to join NorthcliffUnion because “I finallyfeel at home”.

Russell Adams

Raised in Cape Townand worked in India.Introduced to theChurch as a child, butpersonally committed in2006.Worshipping at NUCfor this past year.

Our New Members!

Nicky Adams

Married to Russell.Committed her life toJesus at age 13.Likes the fact that NUCis involved in variousinitiatives (practising,not just preaching).

Viola Ebughe

Married with fourchildren.Accepted the Lord asSaviour in 1997.Been attendingNorthcliff Unionsince 2012 and isactive in the body.

Gavin Harrison

Became a Christian in1989 but had a realpersonal encounterduring a crisis in 2015.“I believe that the Lordwants me and myfamily to be planted atNUC.”

Candice Harrison

Married to Gavin withtwo children.Accepted Jesus in 2007,attending NUC from2015.“I love NUC and believeNorthcliff Union to beour spiritual and secondhome.”

__________ 5 __________

Mark Custers

Married to Christa, sharingtwo daughters.“I know that Jesus Christwalks by my side and that Ineed not fear death.”NUC: “The passion you allshare, and the valour youall show is infectious andsomething that inspiresme.”

Christa Custers

Married to Mark.Became a Christian as agirl, attending NUCfrom 2018.“Jesus is personal to meand I rejoice in Hisgrace and love. I findNUC a vibrant churchwhere the message ofthe Bible is brought to me in a clear way.”

Tyrone Lewis

Enjoys walking andcycling.Been attending NUCsince 2016.“My family and I need aplace to learn, debateand worship Jesus. Ipray that I will beargood enough witness tomy three children.”

Renee Lewis

Married to Tyronesince 2006.Came to know theLord in Grade 6.“It is now time tobe more active. Wealready feel part ofNUC and nowneed to formalisethe relationship.”

Rebecca Magongo

Accepted the Lord asSaviour in 2009.Returned toJohannesburg a fewyears ago and startedattending NUC in2016.

Alessandro Scalco

Married to Hannahand has a newbornson.Enjoys running butnow craves sleep!Has been attendingNUC since 2013 andwas baptised in 2015.

Loreley Yeowart

Has walked a long roadin the Church.Taking up membershipwith NUC to make hercommitment official: “Astep up from justshowing up.”

Our new members were welcomedinto Northcliff Union Church at the

Vision Reloaded eveningearlier this year.

May you all be richly blessed duringyour time at NUC!

__________ 6 __________

Advance NoticeThursday 27th February 2020:

Annual Vision Supper

The Church Office willclose at midday on20th December and

reopen on3rd January at 08h00.

Christmas 2019

Sunday 1st December: Carol Service at 18h00

Tuesday 3rd December: Seniors’ ChristmasLunch

4th December to 8th December: Youth Vacfest

Wednesday 25th December: Christmas DayServices at 07h00 and 09h00. In-service activitypack for children. (Sorry, no tea.)

Church Services forDecember and January

Sunday 1st December: All three services (includingchildren’s programmes), with the 18h00 being Carols inthe Auditorium

Sunday 8th December: 09h00 combined morning serviceand the last 18h00 service for 2019

Sunday 15th December: 09h00 service only

Sunday 22nd December: 09h00 service only

Wednesday 25th December: 07h00 and 09h00 services

Sunday 29th December: 09h00 service only

Sunday 5th January: 09h00 service only

Sunday 12th January: All three services resume

__________ 7 __________

Men suffer in silence. Alone.But God created us for

fellowship, community andpurpose. That's why Ironmen wasstarted.

This regular men’s group is aimedat equipping men through biblicalteaching and shared lifeexperience in an environment thatfosters accountability. By comingtogether and tackling subjects fromsexual purity to fatherhood, we areseeking to help men make animpact on their families, theirworkplace and the communitiesthey occupy.

The group meets from 6.00 pm to7.30 pm on Sundays. The sessionstypically include a short generaldiscussion on content beforebreaking into smaller groups. Youare welcome to join at any point asthe group isn't based on a specificcourse. Guys who aren't yetChristians should feel at ease withthe content and lessons.

1)   All ages are welcome: fromunmarried to retired men.We find that the older guyshave the wisdom and experi-ence to encourage the youngergeneration.

2)   Great way to connect to guysin the church.

3)   The accountability discussionscall us to a higher purpose.There is lots of encourage-ment even amid very difficulttopics.

4)   It will help you to be a betterhusband, father and worker.We focus on having scripture-based discussions that areintentional and specific.

5)   Regular attendance will helpyou to identify where youcould serve with your uniquegifting.

From Strength to Strength – Ironmen

Martha’s Hands Make Light Work

Our wonderful team of practical ladies want toexpress their gratitude to the members ofNorthcliff Union for their generosity indonating wool this year. They have been ableto make a pile of jerseys for the poorercommunities, and even the odd ball here andthere gets turned into beanies for babies andkiddies, who battle with the cold in winter.

They would be very grateful to those who canclear out some of those balls of wool whichhave been lying around. In addition, there is alady teaching rural women how to make beadjewelry, and she is looking for any donationsof beads which would help provide thesewomen with the start-up kits to a side-line inbeadwork, which would give them the meansto earn a supplemental income from tourists.

All donations can be dropped off in our CommunityCare bin in the Hub, and will be gratefully put toservice!

__________ 8 __________

At the end of 2019, NUC saysa fond farewell to Jojo Xaba

who completes his three-yearinternship with Northcliff Union,having qualified with a BThdegree at the Baptist TheologicalCollege. Jojo will be headed into

teaching and we wish him well ashe puts into practice the theoryand skills he has acquired duringhis internship with us.

Nicole Niemann winds up heryear with us on the Year-of-your-

Life programme which sheundertook, having graduated in2018 from BTC, and committedto working at NUC this year. Weare pleased to have contributed toher development in 2019, andwish her Godspeed in 2020.

NUC Says Farewell

Two thousand and nineteenhas been a year of contrasts –

joy and sorrow, light and darkness,peace and turmoil, laughter andtears. But it has been a specialyear, most of all because of mytime at NUC.

The best part of working at NUCis the people. You’ve never metmore loving, supportive,compassionate, caring people.

Each one sharing joy in their ownway, from hugs to jokes to wordsof affirmation. Each one like adroplet of water causing me togrow and blossom.

The highlight of my year was theBlessing Boxes project. The NUCcongregation was incredible inchoosing a heart from theChristmas tree and filling a box fortheir chosen child! The tags weregone in two Sundays! The extentof this ministry is much greaterthan one might think; the joy givento a child for Christmas (a specialcelebration of the birth of ourSaviour, Jesus) is unfathomable.Their gratitude is immense.

Another wonderful experiencewas doing visitation to the Forget-Me-Nots. Forget-Me-Nots areelderly men and women who canno longer attend services at NUCfor various reasons. The CareTeam visits these men and womento keep them in the loop andprovide continued care andsupport. Each one I visited wasenthusiastic to chat and grateful

for the time taken to see them.Their humility and selflessnesswas an inspiration to me.

All-in-all I have been exposed tothe ‘underbelly’ of ministry –seeing the cogs and powerhousesthat drive the many visible lights ofserving others. I have renewedrespect for all who work at NUCand will miss being part of the cogsand powerhouses tremendously.I thank the Lord for theopportunity to have had a year ofpractically serving at a localchurch. It has been a breath offresh air indeed.J

Next year I have been given awonderful opportunity to work atHeronBridge College in theOutreach Department, with anorganisation called Lesedi. Wework with children from under-privileged backgrounds and aim tobridge the gap in their education.It is project-based learning, givingthe children skills to excel in theirschool environment. The Lordhas been so gracious in openingthis door for me!

My Year at NUC

We wish all Highlight readers a Christ-filled Christmasand a God-centred New Year.

__________ 9 __________

To try putting my time hereat NUC into words … I

can't fully express it, wordsdon't do justice to describingthe privilege of serving here.

The past four years were anepic time, not just in terms ofministry but also regarding thetime spent as a member. I amthankful for the experience Igained working here as anintern; it has been a valuableexperience, an experience Iwill forever be thankful for. Iwould not have chosen anyother place to grow in ministry.

The teenagers and kids I haveinteracted with will forever be in

my heart, and I will treasure in myheart the immense number ofthings they taught me. I’mthankful for the way the church

has been supportive of mystudies. I got to befriend manypeople who I didn't think Iwould be friends with, and someeven walked a journey with me.

One thing for sure, I am not thesame person that I was when Ifirst came here. I have grown somuch that it is unbelievable whatGod has done in my life andhow He has used me in theministries we have here at thechurch.

I am not certain where the Lordwants me to be in 2020, but I trustHe will lead me towardssomething that my time here hasprepared me for.

Moving On

Nuc’s Noisiest Employee

One of our church’s noisiest employees is a ‘silent’partner in keeping our operations functioning. Genihas been with us for a few years, but has never beenas busy as in 2019 where (as at 7th November)Northcliff Union has experienced 201 hours ofpower outages so far for the year.

The causes have ranged from planned load-sheddingto surprise outages, planned maintenance and adamaged external power cable which took us downfor 118 hours in just one month.

Although Geni is pretty small in size, she can powerthe Auditorium enough to run a full worship serviceon a Sunday, or maintain the Admin block/frontoffice/freezers/front gate right through the day, such

as the 10 hours we had on 7th November. Thisallows us to support ministry almost withoutinterruption, while making a joyful noise unto theLord.

A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebraclass, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

__________ 10 __________

Saturday 23rd November saw nearly sixty NUCmembers and some welcome guests bringing their

creative talents to bear in building GingerbreadHouses and Christmas wreaths in our hall. It waswonderful seeing teams made up of two or threegenerations doing their constructions, with somereally innovative designs. Family members who mightnot normally have come to church became a part ofthis wonderful morning.

Special thanks to Chantelle Sirchia for weeks ofpreparation in making this Creative Crafters morninga real success – a credit to our Women’s Ministryand their ability to draw in people for this fun event.

Gingerbread Houses and More!

__________ 11 __________

__________ 12 __________

During this time of giving andreceiving of gifts, it is time to

reflect again on the greatest of allgifts when God gave His Son to bethe Saviour of the world.

The incarnation of Jesus usheredin an act of love never knownbefore and never again to beequalled. It is an eternally uniqueexpression of love in its purestform. It is indeed a love ‘all lovesexcelling’. It is the love of a Fatherfor His Son and a Father’s love forthe world. Redemption’s story isabout a love that embraces theworst of sinners and calls them tofaith and repentance.

Consider these three verses: John3:16, 1 John 1:7 and Hebrews1:2.

“For God so loved the worldthat he gave his one and onlySon, that whoever believes inhim shall not perish but haveeternal life.”“But if we walk in the light, ashe is in the light, we havefellowship with one another,and the blood of Jesus, hisSon, purifies us from all sin.”“But in these last days he hasspoken to us by his Son,whom he appointed as heir ofall things, and through whomhe made the universe.”

Upon these two words, ‘His Son’,rest the whole of God’s plan forcreation and redemption.

If our Lord Jesus Christ is notcentral to our focus over thefestive season we have lost ourway. If we do not have ‘His Son’as our starting point and areabsolutely clear about who He isthen there is no gospel and thereis no hope.

Christianity is Christ. There is onlyone way of fellowship with Godand that is though ‘His Son’. It isHe alone who can enable us to bereconciled with God, for there is

“one mediator between God andmen, the man Christ Jesus” 1Timothy 2:5. Ephesians 1:7, “Heis so rich in kindness and gracethat he purchased our freedomwith the blood of his Son andforgave our sins”

.”

As we study the scriptures we findthat our standing before God asrighteous in His presence meansnot only the forgiveness of oursins, but also that our sins havebeen dealt with and have beenremoved from us. We stand in thepresence of God as people whohave been cleansed from sin. Ourguilt is taken away and we are nolonger under condemnation. Wedo not have to fear punishment. Itis with profound gratitude that weare called upon to ponder anewthe efficacy of what ‘His Son’ didfor us on the cross. It was a perfectaccomplishment.

The hymn writer pens itdescriptively:

“Oh, perfect redemption, thepurchase of blood,To every believer the promise ofGod;The vilest offender who trulybelieves,That moment from Jesus a pardonreceives.”

Someone wrote:

“Come to Jesus, just as you are;Follow Jesus, unlike you were.”

1 John 5:12, “Whoever has theSon has life; whoever does nothave the Son of God does nothave life.”

Without Question, His Son is our Greatest Gift

The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table wasSir Cumference.

He acquired his size from too much pi.

__________ 13 __________

Blessing BoxesThere were 64 hearts on the Christmas tree in theHub, each bearing the name of a child and a list ofthat child’s needs. All 64 hearts were taken bymembers of the congregation over two Sundays, andwe have now received all 64 Blessing Boxes.

The children’s ages range from 11 months to 18years, with more or less 50% girls and 50% boys,and they come from these four children’s homes:

Marang HouseAbraham KrielHotel HopeTsholofelo

We hope to deliver the boxes to the homes over thenext two weeks, and most will keep the gifts to handthem out to the children on Christmas Day.

The homes are all very responsive and excited toreceive the boxes. It is the only Christmas gift thatmost of the children will receive.

And a final word from Nicole Niemann whoarranged all this: THANK YOU, NUC, for yoursincere generosity in showing love to a child in needthis Christmas.

Because the New Testament waswritten to persecuted believers, itis filled with examples of how topray for our brothers and sistersunder attack. Here are fiveexamples from Ephesians:

● Please pray persecutedbelievers would know thehope God gives (Ephesians1:18).

● Pray the Holy Spirit wouldstrengthen them (Ephesians3:16).

● Please pray persecutedbelievers would know howmuch God loves them(Ephesians 3:17).

● Pray they would know how toshare the gospel (Ephesians6:19).

● Please pray persecutedbelievers would fearlessly tell

others about Jesus (Ephesians6:20).

To create additional ways to prayfrom the Bible, take any bookfrom the New Testament (exceptthe gospels). Search for verses withthe word ‘pray’. Then use thoseverses to create prayer requests,just as in the five examples above.

Along with the example prayers inthe Bible, there are some practicalneeds persecuted believers wouldlove your prayers for:

● Please pray persecutedbelievers would each haveaccess to a Bible.

● Pray they have the courage toremain in their homeland.

● Please pray for believers whohave been rejected by family

and friends. Pray that Godwould surround them with anew Christian ‘family’ wholoves them and supports thememotionally and physically.

● Pray for God to be anadvocate for women who aresocially vulnerable or have lostthe custody of their childrenbecause of their faith.

● Please pray that God wouldprovide persecuted believerswith jobs and safe places tolive.

How to Pray for the Persecuted Church

__________ 14 __________

Focus on MissionariesRobert Moffat (1795-1883)

Moffat grew up in centralScotland, but in 1813 he

moved to England, where hebegan to work for James Smith, apious Scottish merchant inManchester. Smith’s daughterMary would later join Moffat inSouth Africa as his wife.

The London Missionary Society(LMS) accepted him formissionary service and sent him toSouth Africa in 1817. There,working on the northern frontier,he gained fame as a result of theconversion of a notorious bandit,Jager Afrikaner, and his followers.

In 1819 in Cape Town, Moffatmarried Mary. Working togetheras full partners, they began theirlong stay among the Tswana.

While Robert was away on hismany long treks, Mary not onlyran the home but also the mission.After some moves they settled atKuruman, which was to be theirhome until they left Africa. Herethey created a large oasis of highfertility in a semiarid area.

In 1829, Mzilikazi, chief of theNdebele (a Zulu offshoot),contacted Moffat, who then visitedthe chief and began a mostextraordinary friendship. Moffatvisited Mzilikazi a second time in1835 and then three more timesafter the Ndebele moved acrossthe Zambesi. The last visit, in1859, resulted in the establishmentof an LMS mission nearBulawayo.

Almost from the beginning Moffatplunged into the work of trans-lation. In 1840 he published thecomplete New Testament inTswana. His translations set a style

for Tswana, a language spokenacross the breadth of southernAfrica, from Namibia to the FreeState. In 1857 the whole Bible inTswana was published atKuruman. On a visit to Britain hepublished his Missionary Labours(1840), which went through foureditions in the next three yearsand made Moffat the best knownmissionary in Britain.

After 1860, Moffat took no morelong treks but worked on con-solidating the work at Kuruman.He preached there for the lasttime in March 1870; then he andMary set sail for Britain, whereMary died in 1871.

Moffat continued to work hardand did not give up addressingpublic meetings until 1878. Histranslation work was a greatachievement and his role as apropagandist has rarely beensurpassed. However, he nevergained a deep understanding ofAfrican culture nor any closenesswith individual Africans, even withthose like Mzilikazi who were fondof him.

The latest banner, made by Chantelle Sirchia and signed bymembers of NUC

__________ 15 __________

During the last school holidays, NorthcliffUnion Church sent five delegates to get

involved in a Youth conference hosted byCrusade for Christ (CfC). CfC (run by Georgeand Cecile Sander) has been a missionarypartner with NUC for the past few years, andso it was exciting to continue that involvementthis year. CfC had identified that their primarythrust would be Youth ministry among localrural churches, with a conference being thepreferred vehicle. The five delegates fromNUC were Jojo, Jenifer, Tanya, Rhonda andAndrew.

The conference addressed the key subject ofrelationship, teasing out the implications in theareas of God, self and community. Jeniferhelped the local delegates to begin the journeyof understanding their identity. This subject isdear to her heart, and so she was able to sparkuseful conversation around some primerpersonality tests. Jojo covered the issue ofrelationships in community and offered someuseful challenges about how we can respondpractically to this subject. Andrew focussed onhow we understand God’s plan for people,particularly as it pertains to the prosperityGospel. Tanya and Rhonda rolled up theirsleeves and helped out serving food to theattendees, and assisting in any area required.

One of the extra benefits of going on amission trip is the bonding times between thepeople from NUC. This short-term outreachwas no different. From times spent late atnight laughing at inane jokes, or getting to thecore of some profound issues, this was ameaningful time for us. It was capped off withthe most amazing way to have breakfast –waffles at the beach! A great thanks toJonathan Fraser at CfC for all his work inorganising this conference, and being such agracious host to us when we came down.

For 2020, please pray that God would grantincreasing clarity to CfC as they plan for a newconference, and that NUC would find themost appropriate way to partner them in theirgoals for the Kingdom.

Short-term Outreach to Crusade for Christ

__________ 16 __________

Northcliff Union Church(Interdenominational)

Corner Pendoring Road & Dawn DriveNorthcliff View

Tel: 011-476-5643 Fax: 086-588-3373E-mail: office@nuchurch.org.za

Website: www.nuc.co.za

The Highlight MagazineEditor: Denise Tilbury

Tel: 011-768-2216E-mail: dtilbury@mweb.co.za

Views expressed in this magazine are notnecessarily the official viewpoints of Northcliff

Union Church.

Ice Cream Is Sometimes Good For The Soul

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As webowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great.Thank you for the food, and I would thank you evenmore if Mom gets us Ice Cream for dessert. Andliberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customersnearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what'swrong with this country. Kids today don't even knowhow to pray. Asking God for Ice Cream! Why, Inever!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me,"Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I heldhim and assured him that he had done a terrific joband God was certainly not mad at him, an elderlygentleman approached the table. He winked at myson and said, "I happen to know that God thoughtthat was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart." Then in theatrical whisper he added(indicating the woman whose remark had started thiswhole thing), "too bad she never asks God for Ice

Cream. A little Ice Cream is good for the soulsometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kid Ice Cream at the end ofthe meal. My son stared at his for a moment and thendid something I will remember the rest of my life. Hepicked up his Sundae and without a word walkedover and placed it in front of the woman. With a bigsmile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice Cream isgood for the soul sometimes and my soul is goodalready!"