"Wish you were here"

A magazine advertisement shows a couple wading into the ocean just on sunset. The words “Come on over...take it easy in Samoa”, are splashed in big bold print across the page. You would not miss it. The photograph and accompanying text are supposedly targeted at winter weary New Zealanders, igniting images of warmth and tranquillity. It beckons people to escape winter. The Samoan tourism body hopes that those who eventually set foot in Samoa will when asked by family and friends down south how they were doing would respond with just four words: ...”wish you were here!”

“Wish you were here” - It’s associated with holidays, celebration of anniversaries and or birthdays. It’s an emotional experience that conjures up pleasant memories of the past that you have experienced. You automatically think of the people you love - that you would like to share it with. It’s also a time for reflection.
Stress, fear, insecurity, low self-esteem – it is part of our life. But how does one escape these “winter blues”?
At the end of the six days creation week, God set apart the seventh day (The Sabbath), from the rest of the week as a day of rest. The Sabbath is an island in time where we could escape the everyday demands on our lives. The Sabbath is a memorial in time that declares we came from the hands of an all-powerful, all-wise, eternal God. The Sabbath is a memorial of God’s deliverance and completed work of Redemption. For Jesus, the Sabbath was a time for healing. The Sabbath is a time for laying down burdens. Jesus knows our needs, burdens and that at times life does get weary. In a gentle and sweet style, Jesus invites everyone who are weary and burdened to “come to me...and I will give you rest” (see Matthew 11:28-30).

On Sabbath May 1 – you and your friends are invited to heed Jesus’ invitation. Your family at the PTEC Adventist Church are welcoming you home. Come and sing, pray, study the Bible, eat, and laugh with us. We are not perfect. We are just ordinary people – sinners –saved by Grace! BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU AND I SO MUCH - The PTEC Adventist Church encourages you to come with us to this island in time, to set the Sabbath apart and give God the space to come close to you one day every week. Welcome home! Wish you were here!                                                                                                     Joe Talemaitoga