I have been blessed to be involved with WhatChristiansWantToKnow.com for several years, almost from the beginning. We have enjoyed the writings of several guests as well as some regular staff writers. One such staff writer is David Peach. My friendship with David is really very virtual however God gave my husband and I the opportunity to actually meet David and his family as they were traveling through New Mexico some years ago. What a blessing it was to share a meal with this sweet family and talk about the Lord.
Throughout the years as I have enjoyed reading and editing David’s writings, I thought it might be fun to share some great things that I learned from David Peach. I hope this encourages you to read or re-read the things that David has contributed here at WCWTK.
Don’t Leave Home Without It
David has been involved in missions work for more than 20 years and some of the most helpful things that he has written have been those articles that teach others things about missions, missionary work and mission trips. I loved his article “10 Important Things To Remember To Pack For A Mission Trip”. The best thing I took away from that article is that you need to remember to pack a journal so you can write about your trip. I especially loved how he suggested “A few weeks after your trip is over you should read your journal and add information to the beginning of your writings that may have changed during the trip. You can also add your observations and what the Lord has taught you in the time since the trip.”
How Many Bibles Sold and Given Away
I regularly read and study my Bible and I was really surprised when David shared “There are more than 168,000 Bibles either sold or given away per day in the United States according to the Gideons, Wycliffe International and the International Bible Societies.” You can read more amazing Bible facts here: 10 Amazing Bible Facts [1]
Example of a Patient Man
While I have read about Simeon in the Bible many, many times, I never really stopped to think how very patient he must have been. David shares that even though “The Bible does not indicate how long Simeon waited for the birth of Christ, but the fact that it says he would not die until he saw the Saviour indicates that he waited some time.” Yes, David, this is very true. Thanks for opening my eyes to that fact.
Fasting Tips
A great article of tips and advice from David is called “10 Fasting Tips” A Christian Guide”. Personally I am not a faster, it really has to do with my own personal medical need, however if I were to fast I think the best tip David gave me in this article is about caffeine. He said “Several days before your fast begins, you should start weaning yourself off caffeine. Some people experience unbearable headaches 2 to 3 days after ceasing to drink caffeinated products. During your fast you will already be acutely aware of your stomach. There is no need to add a second discomfort if it can be avoided.” Simple advice that may help you avoid that headache.
Don’t Beat Around the Bush
More great tips and advice, I love what David shared in his article: How To Write a Support Letter for a Mission Trip [2]. Of particular note I like how he said “Be direct … After you introduce the trip and how excited you are about going, tell the recipient exactly why you are writing. Tell them how much money you need and that you are dependent on gifts from others to help you on your trip.” Excellent advice my friend!
Personal Weakness in Temptations
Face it, we are all tempted at some time in our life and sometimes we are tempted far more than we expect. David wrote an article entitled: 7 Tips to Avoid Temptation. He made a point in this article that I think bears repeating. It is really about how “personalized” temptation is, David said: “Not everyone is tempted in the same way. What is a struggle for one person may not be the least bit tempting to another person. For example one person may be tempted with smoking. For the next guy, smoking has never had a foothold on the person and therefore is not at all tempting. James 1:14 says that we are drawn away with our own lusts. This indicates that each person has their own weak areas to deal with. You need to understand your own weakness so that you will know how to combat and avoid it.”
I was reminded that we really need to consider this and strive to not be a stumbling block to others that may suffer from a temptation that does not affect us personally.
Was He Really That Young?
I was astounded to learn how young Charles H. Spurgeon was when he started preaching. David shared that Spurgeon “… accepted the Lord as his Savior at age 15 in a Methodist church. Within a year he was filling in as a preacher for a friend and by the end of the following year, at only 17 years of age, he was installed as the pastor of a Baptist church in Waterbeach (Cambridgeshire, England). Two years later, at the age of 19, he was called to be the pastor of the largest Baptist church in London.”
I thought I knew about this man and David reminded me that there is always room to learn more about such great men of faith. Thanks for sharing David!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Something that is void in our world today is that “R” word. Children and adults just seem to become more and more disrespectful as time goes on. I was raised to respect myself, my siblings, my parents and other elders. But what I was not really taught out right was the importance of praising my children when they did right. David reminded me that even though my children are grown now I should never ever forget to praise them for doing right. I love how he said “Let your children know when they have done something well. Let them know it makes you happy and proud as a parent. Some of the most difficult words I heard as a child were that I had disappointed my parents when I did wrong. That shaped my life more than the physical discipline I occasionally received. Because my parents regularly told me that I made them proud with my good actions, I wanted to continue to do them. Praise your children when they do right.”
Thank you brother for this gentle nudge. You can read his full article: Teaching Children Respect: 7 Helpful Tips. [3]
Final Thoughts
I could go on and on but I have a better idea. Read David’s stuff yourself. You can find all of his articles at this link: Articles by David Peach [4]. David can teach you, I know he taught me and I love re-reading what he wrote.