One Day At A Time

Hope Misplaced

2011-12-24T09:49:00.004-05:00

I look out my window and see a beautiful winter day. Blue sky, no wind, fresh snow sparkling in the sun. It's a trick sometimes to slow down and just savor these sights, especially this time of year when we are so tyrannized by all the "urgent" items on our to-do lists. Today I made myself pause, however, and not just savor the moment, but think about how I can easily miss a multitude of blessings if I lose my focus.

Have you ever had a plan, and pinned all of your hopes on it coming about, and then realized that it may not after all? That happened to me this week. I realized I had been storing all my proverbial eggs in the same basket. Sadly, that basket did not include much thought about what God's plan might be. It only carried my own. The realization that it might not pan out as I had hoped left me teetering, and eventually, seeing my own folly. I had to seek the Lord to help bring me back to a right perspective, one that focuses on Him, and His will, alone. Not that it is wrong to have a plan, but in everything we need to bring it to Him for approval, and be ready to relinquish it if that approval does not come.

This morning as I contemplated these things, I came upon a blog post. I was just randomly checking out a blog from a list that a fellow blogger follows. She had a list a mile long, but for some reason I clicked on this certain one. She had posted a reflection from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest" back in June. When I read it, I knew God had led me there. He is so good and kind to us. He didn't get angry with me for putting my plan on a pedestal, He simply reminded me of some wonderful truths. Anyhow, here is that reflection, which I am borrowing....

"I'm determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone." Reflection based on Phil. 1:20

Lord so often it seems I come to this crisis of faith. Choosing between your will and my own, seeing barely the first step in yours and the full schematic design in mine. Reason would say to choose me. But reason is at times a liar and so I go with the Holy Spirit that whispers "Surrender. My child I know what's best, lay it down. Light a fire to it and offer it up to me. Fear not for I am with you. I alone am your heart's desire, I alone can quench your thirst. These dreams are all counterfeit if I didn't write them. Lose yourself in me and find me in you."

Thank you Father.

GOD WITH US

2011-12-21T15:24:00.003-05:00

Of all the images that surface this time of year, my favourite is the nativity. I love nativity scenes, and the Christmas Story. I love thinking about that time, when Mary gave birth to Jesus; she knew He was special and not just any baby. The angel had come to her and explained what His role would be: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:31-32) Mary’s husband Joseph also had an angelic visitation, in a dream. The angel spoke to reassure him that he should proceed with his marriage to Mary: “She will bear a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 2: 21) The prophet Isaiah spoke also of Jesus, foretelling His birth: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us)” Isaiah 7:14

Imagine, God coming to us in the form of a tiny baby! But the story does not end at that stable in Bethlehem. We love to gaze on that scene, on baby Jesus, so sweet and helpless. But that babe grew up; a man, yet fully God. He walked with humankind, and experienced life as they did. He was Almighty God, yet left the glory of that position to show us what God is like. Not only that, but He gave His own life in payment for the sins of the world.

We love the warm fuzzies we get when we decorate, hang pretty lights, and listen to Christmas Carols. But there is so much more to the Christmas Story than the babe and the shepherds and the wise men. That baby became a man, died for us, and is now alive in Heaven. He was born, not to give us a reason for a Christmas season, but to make a way for us to be reconciled to God. So when you see him there in the manger, fast forward to our ultimate cause for celebration, God’s great love gift to us: He came to die, so that we might have life.

WE'LL KNOW YOU THEN

2011-12-14T19:58:00.003-05:00

We’ll know You when we see You, Lord
When freed from this life’s hold,
And carried to our final home
To walk on streets of gold.

While in this earthly body now
Our eyes but dimly see.
The beauty that is fully Yours
We’ll view eternally.

For now as in a glass so dim
With feeble sight, in part.
But then full known You’ll be to us,
As us to You now art.

We’ll need no one to introduce us.
Standing at Your throne,
You’ll look at us with that same love
That let us be Your own.

We’ll know You by the wounds You bear.
Though given long ago.
These marks You will forever wear
That all may look and know

The price You paid to set us free,
When led so meek and mild,
You took our place at Calvary
So each would be Your child.

With faith we look to what will be
When we will be transformed.
Completely from all sin set free
Pure worship we’ll perform.

This truth to us an anchor sure
We wait in hope, enduring;
So zealous to have hearts made pure
To show at Your appearing.

All praise and thanks to You we give
For only by Your grace
We have eternal life to live
And strength to run this race.

The here and now is but a taste
Of what You have in store
When not a second will we waste;
We’ll praise forevermore.

So till that time when faith is sight
O Lord be pleased to give
Your grace to make our hearts more right;
Our lives to you we’ll live.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but
then face to face; now I know in part,
but then I will know fully just as I also
have been fully known. (1Cor 13:12)

A Strong City

2011-12-05T16:07:00.004-05:00

The mighty walls, made ready, the gates await the day
When righteousness may enter, and evil fade away.
We trust in Thee, our Saviour, we trust in Thee, our King
To smooth the path before us, that praises we may bring.

Thy Name is our great longing, our best and only rest.
Thy hand has been upon us, our head upon Thy breast.
In perfect peace You keep us, when thoughts we keep on Thee.
We know Thou wilt not leave us, thy faithfulness we see.

Almighty Lord, forever, Thy praises we will sing
In that eternal city, our worship we will bring.
Oh help us make our time here, a monument to Thee
Who brings the righteous homeward; forever Yours we'll be.

(Sung to tune of "Oh Sacred Head, Now Wounded")
Isaiah 26:1-8

Starting From Scratch

2011-10-17T07:13:00.006-04:00

My husband and I moved to our new home seven months ago. Since that time, we have completed several renovation projects, including the kitchen, bathroom, foyer, den and one bedroom. It has been a hectic time for sure, but the work has been worth it.

When we first saw our house, we realized it would need a lot of attention. It was built in the 1920's, and hadn't had a lot of updates since then. It had been on the market for several months without an offer, and we figure that most people wouldn't want to have to deal with such an extensive "face lift". The house, though humble, is in a beautiful location, and that is what really sold us on it. The "makeover" isn't finished yet, but we look forward to making it our own.

Since moving here, we have been watching a few of the home renovation reality programs that are on television. We are curious to see how others go about fixing those "old house" issues. It's interesting to see people's reactions when they are looking at houses to purchase, even newer ones. So often, they will turn their noses up at a potential home because, for instance, they don't like the color of the paint in a bedroom, or the type of counter top in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the house is beautiful, well built, and shows to perfection. We just shake our head, and laugh, saying "I wonder what they would have said about this place...likely 'tear it down', or 'total gut job'". We are amazed at how fussy people sometimes are, and how they can't see past even the smallest "imperfection" in the houses that they look at.

Recently we hosted a get together for my husband's family. One of them commented that it was a good thing that we could see past what the house was, and envision what it could be. Yes, it did take some imagination, but we knew it could be transformed. It just needed some new life injected into it.

I've been thinking how thankful I am that my Heavenly Father could see past my "imperfections", and envision what I could be in Christ. In my personal renovation, I needed a total "gut job", a whole new heart. And now, He continues to mold and shape me, tearing away my old "infrastructures" and making me more and more dependent on Him. He didn't just paint over the old wallpaper, He stripped it bare, and applied a coat of His own righteousness, with a lifetime guarantee, impermeable, and spotless. The new life He gave me is eternal; I won't ever need any "updates".

What a hope and a promise He gives us, when we come to Him, dilapidated, run down, already condemned. The results are fantastic, not even to be compared with any "reality renovations" that we could see here on this earth. Look to Him to bring you "up to code"; His code of perfect holiness. You can never do it on your own. He is the one and only Master Builder that can.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2Cor. 5:17)

The Best Is Yet To Come

2011-10-15T14:34:00.011-04:00

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. (Gen. 1:31a)

I'm sitting on the sofa in my living room, listening to the wind whistle around the house. It has been raining off and on all day, and the leaves are being pulled off the trees at a rapid rate, making their way across the landscape to settle at last, somewhere in the distance. Out for a walk earlier with my granddaughter, I admired the multicolored carpet that the leaves from a big maple tree on our property had made. My granddaughter said we were on a 'nature walk'. Clipboard in hand, she was documenting all the nature-type things that she saw: a bird, a bug, a hummingbird....she is only five years old, so the spelling was a bit off, and the huge letters covered almost the whole page. But I am glad that she is noticing nature, and learning to appreciate it.

Many times, especially since living the country, I am moved by the scenery and the weather that I encounter. The sights, sounds and smells can be entirely captivating. Indeed, I wish I could somehow keep them captive. The blue of the sky, the sight of cows happily munching in the field, their tails lazily swishing away the flies. The sound of crickets, the bright colors of the birds that visit our bird feeder, the smell of the air after a summer rain. So many things that bring a burst of joy and praise to my heart. I wonder why I am so entranced sometimes. I wish I could hug it all to myself, bottle it up, preserve it all somehow. There is so much beauty that just happens, seemingly without effort, that we take for granted. We drive by, sit in the midst of, or even complain about (when the weather is less than pleasant) so many incredible vistas.

I am just thinking out loud here. But I believe the thing I am trying to put my finger on is the notion that all of it is sacred. All of it is Gods signature, His calling card, His reminders to us that He is the Designer, Creator and Sustainer of it all. I don't mean to imply that He is literally in all of it, but everything that He has made is good. He said so Himself. Yet even as I wonder at the beauty of it all, I am aware in my heart of hearts that my appreciation and praise falls far short of what is deserved. And too, even the beauty itself has fallen, with the rest of mankind, because of Adam's sin. It, like us, has yet to be restored to its original glory. I so look forward to that time, when all is as it should be, and God's perfect plan of redemption has come to fulfillment.

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:19-21)

A Recipe for Success

2011-10-08T12:04:00.004-04:00

I love cookbooks, and recipes in general. When waiting for appointments, I often copy out recipes from magazines in the waiting room, hoping my name isn't called until I finish. Sometimes they make it to the kitchen, but more often they find their way to the garbage or recycle box the next time I clean out my purse. My collection of cookbooks is always evolving; when I find I have too many, I vow not to buy any more, then pull a few to give away. I have a few favourites: "Loony Spoons", "The Best of the Best of Bridge", and my absolute best favourite, "The Purity Cookbook". I bought that little gem the first time hubbie and I went grocery shopping together, just after we were married. It cost, I believe, $2.99 at the A&P store. Its' pages, now falling out, are batter spattered and stained with all kinds of spilled ingredients. Held together with duct tape, (the book, not me :o) I still refer to it for recipes that I made as a newly-wed, nearly 39 years ago. It definitely holds sentimental value, and I won't be giving it away, ever.

I enjoy trying new recipes, though. And if I am feeling confident enough, I will change the ingredients around, just to be creative, or try to improve on the original. Some people claim that they can't cook, but cooking isn't that hard. You can whip up some pretty good dishes, if you have some basic skills, and a good recipe. You just have to follow the directions.

Lately, I have been striving to lose some weight. Now, in addition to cookbooks, my bookshelves have seen a variety of "diet" books come and go. Some were foolish, and unbalanced. Others were sensible, and very do-able. If you just follow the instructions. And after thirty-plus years of "practicing" weight loss, you would think I would have it mastered. After all, the information that I need to be successful has been at my disposal. But it isn't that easy. It's one thing to have the knowledge, still another to put it into practice. That takes discipline, which usually equates to self-denial, in my experience. Oh how I wish that losing weight were as simple as cooking. That I could just follow the directions, and get the desired result.

I find my Christian walk somewhat like that. The Bible is full of instructions. Admonitions, commands, and principles are laid out in Scripture. It`s all there, and I just have to follow the directions to get the desired result. But I don`t always. Because, like dieting, it takes discipline, and self -denial. Not that I look to my performance to earn God`s love or approval. I know that I have that in Christ. But, like every child of God, I would love to see some progress, some victories along the way. My humanity is all too often a stumbling block to success. Like Paul, the thing I want to do, I don`t do, and the thing I don`t want to do, I keep doing. It could cause me to throw in the towel, if it weren`t for the fact that I know my God is working in me, and has promised to finish what He started there. And like Paul, I can say

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh, the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)

Sola Deo Gloria

2011-10-02T08:51:00.006-04:00

This is the most beautiful time of year, in my opinion, in my part of the world. The leaves are slowly transforming into a breathtaking array of color, and set against a piercing blue sky, it is a spectacle that can take your breath away. Even as they lose the last remaining leaves, I find the sight of bare trees against a dull, grey horizon hauntingly beautiful. More and more, as I consider God's handiwork in nature, I am compelled to marvel, and give Him thanks and praise for the glorious vistas that He presents to us every day.

This morning, over breakfast, I happened to glance at the cover of a magazine that my husband had been reading, and the words "Honor Nature" leapt out at me. The article talked about capturing the beauty and reality of nature in the artist's work. Nothing wrong with that. But the title is representative of an attitude in the world that falls so short of the truth. "Nature" as a whole, is nothing less than the outworking of an infinitely brilliant and benevolent Creator God. It is not, as some would indicate, a "Mother" or a force unto itself. No, it is designed, created, and controlled by the eternal sovereign of the universe. Of course, not everyone holds to this belief, but I stand on it, nonetheless. Hearing nature referred to as something that, in and of itself, deserves praise, respect, or fear, provokes a response of defense of the honor and glory of God in me. It is God, and Him alone, who provides the landscapes, the animal life, the sunrises and sunsets, that we enjoy each and every day. It is Him that has painted the beauty of nature on the canvas of the universe. He holds it all together, and is faithful to bring the seasons in their order, the rain on the just and the unjust. We would have no beautiful art, or music, if He did not inspire and equip those artists and musicians to try and capture the reality of His creation. To Him alone belongs the honor and the glory. There. Just had to say it.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
(Psalm 19:1-6)

Future Hope

2011-09-29T15:50:00.004-04:00

I'm reading a book about godly eating habits. The author suggests writing a list of 10 things that you are thankful for. In making my list, the thought came to me that I am thankful for my future. Now, I can't say that I have ever included "my future" any time in counting my blessings. Yes, I have been thankful for the glorious truth that I will eventually be in Heaven with Jesus. But today, when I thought of being thankful for my future, I was thinking more about my remaining days on earth.

Having struggled with depression off and on for many years, I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised that I was feeling hopeful about the future. More often, I think of it with a certain amount of anxiety and pessimism. But today was different. Today, as I was thinking about it, I saw the future as only good, because my Lord is in control of it. Even if "bad" stuff happens, I know it will have been ordained by Him. Because His thoughts and ways are so much higher and better than mine, I can trust that, no matter what, He is working on my behalf, in spite of what circumstances might look like.

I hope that you, also, have placed your future, and your hope, in Him. He is in control of all things, and if you are His child, no dark cloud, no plan or purpose of man, can thwart His plan and purpose for your life. He, the ruler of the universe, is for you.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Beauty For Ashes

2011-09-19T14:31:00.005-04:00

Fall. I love this season. It makes me feel more alive, somehow. Is there more oxygen in the air when it is cool, rather than hot and humid? I'm not sure, but when the temperature drops, and the sky takes on a more brilliant shade of blue, and I get the urge to knit, I know it must be fall. This is when I really miss having little kids around, to make cookies for that they can have after school. I am making them anyway; two kinds today. Molasses spice, and oatmeal with butterscotch chips. My neighbours and friends will have to pick up the slack; there's no way my hubbie and I need that many cookies around.

Still, it's hard to leave summer behind. Such a wonderful season, especially this year. Those hot, sunshine filled days and beautiful evenings are delightful, even though I could do without the really hot ones, and the muggy nights. We are blessed to have four distinct seasons in this country. I think if we were to always have fall, or spring, or summer, we wouldn't appreciate them, and start taking the weather for granted. As it is, each season brings its own positive aspects, as well as some negative ones. (That's why winter seems to take forever to leave!) So as each new one moves in, we rejoice anew at those aspects that we enjoy most. And again, as each in turn leaves, we look forward to the next with anticipation.

Recently, I visited with a dear friend who is going through a difficult time. Her marriage of many years is ending (through no choice of her own). I know that she is mourning this loss, and wishes that things could be different. But she has an amazing attitude. Though she is sad, and grieves the loss, she has accepted it. She has let go of that season of her life. "I'm just thankful for the years that I had," she said to me. And now, she looks forward to this next "season", trusting that God will lead her, and provide all that she needs. In her pain, she has drawn near to her Lord, and as a result, she is being strengthened in her innermost being, and finding a new level of intimacy and trust. Such faith, such dependence on God! At one point during our conversation, she was consoling me, reassuring me that she was, indeed, alright.

I admire her steadfastness, and her positive outlook. More than that, I rejoice and give thanks for the gift of faith that allows her to have these, in the midst of heartache, in the midst of uncertainty. It is truly a supernatural power that upholds us in the face of trials. God promises that He will never leave us, and that He will work all things together for good. His grace is sufficient, and His strength shines through in our weakest moments. All to His glory......

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)

A Face In The Crowd

2011-09-19T08:55:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I went to a ball game in Toronto. The Blue Jays beat out the Yankees. It was a good game, a good day, with great weather and wonderful fellowship.

Whenever I go to Toronto, I am amazed at the number of buildings, cars, and people. Yesterday was no exception. As we left the Rogers Centre, we were a sea of bodies and faces. The human traffic moved slowly up the stairs, across the lobby, and out the doors. As we inched toward the street, on our way to find the bus that we arrived on, one lone figure stood out. He was perched at the intersection, faced toward the oncoming crowd. In his hand he held a paper Tim Horton's coffee cup, empty of coffee, and containing one lone Loonie coin. Now, in Toronto, it is common to see people begging on the street. But where I live, I hardly ever encounter it. And as it usually does, yesterday it caused some conflicting thoughts.

In those moments before I reached the man, many thoughts raced through my mind. When I first realized what he was doing, I remembered my wallet, buried under my knitting and all the other paraphernalia I had tucked into my bag. The crowd had me captive, moving me along at a slow but steady pace, and my two companions were somewhere ahead of me. No time to dig for my wallet and extract some change for this poor fellow. I noticed that no one was dropping any coins into his cup. Then my eyes met his, and I couldn't look away. I couldn't have guessed his age. It might have been anywhere from 40 to 60. He had that weather beaten look of someone who had seen a lot of struggles. His posture and countenance spoke humility and desperation, and my heart melted. I held his gaze as I approached him, wanting to wordlessly convey a message of hope, and acceptance. As I got nearer, his eyes holding mine, he gave a little smile of resignation. "Tough crowd" he said. His demeanor seemed to say "yeah, I'm this desperate. I'm ashamed to be here, but I don't know what else to do." As I moved past him, still meeting his bloodshot eyes, I touched his arm, gave him my best smile, and said "God bless you."

Immediately, I thought to myself "how lame was that? 'God bless you?' Sounded so condescending!" I wished I had at least had a bible tract to give him. Most of all, I wished I had been like Peter and John, when they came across the lame beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful. I wish I had somehow given him what they had given that beggar; healing and deliverance. I wanted so badly to convey that love, that healing, that deliverance that only Christ can give. That love that has been shed abroad in our hearts, that love that is not for us to keep to ourselves, and smugly delight in, but is meant to share with a hurting world, with hurting people like that man.

I can't stop thinking of him. He has been popping into my thoughts since then. Was he not someone's little baby at one time, like the rest of us? Someone's son, perhaps brother, or husband, or father? In different circumstances, he could be my brother, or my son. Is he any less valuable than them? Than me, or any of my friends and loved ones? Of course not. We are all equally valuable to God, and all in need of His grace.

It troubles me that this man, and so many others like him, have come to a place in their lives that they are so alienated from whatever security or relationships that they may have had in the past that they now stand or sit or lie in the street, and beg for money. But the thought that troubles me even more is that they might have no one who cares enough to even pray for them. No one that knows them by name, who lifts them up to the Throne of Grace, begging that God would intervene in their lives, and awaken them to the hope that is in Christ. To me, this is an even greater tragedy than having no home or no money.

So I am going to pray for this man, as often as God brings him to my mind. I have named him "Richard". It seems a noble name to me. Like King Richard, the Lionhearted. But I want him to have a heart that holds the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Maybe you could pray for him too? I know he doesn't deserve it, but then neither did I, and neither did you, deserve all the prayers that might have been said, and are still said, for us. Pray that God will bring someone into his life that will be a Minister of Reconciliation, someone that will bring a message of hope, healing and deliverance. Pray that his heart will be opened to hear it. He is only one man, one soul, but if God saves him, oh, there will be such rejoicing in heaven!

Sharing His Holiness

2011-09-12T20:31:00.005-04:00

I love to hang laundry outside to dry. Today was a perfect day for it. The sun was shining and there was a strong breeze that flapped and flipped the clothes all day long. When I brought them in I noticed how soft they were, and wrinkle free, from all that battering. I thought to myself that I wished it were that easy for us to be "soft and wrinkle free", to have a soft heart and be free of sin and struggles. Just go through a wash and rinse cycle, then be hung out to dry on a windy day. But then again, we are in a process of sanctification, each and every day, whether we realize it or not. So it may seem as though we've been "hung out to dry" or spent some time in the dryer on high heat. Or perhaps you've had an experience that more resembles clothes being beaten on a rock. If you belong to God, then you've "been through the wringer" more times than you would like to remember, I've no doubt.

I've had some losses in my life. We have all suffered through them. It's a theme that has been very familiar to me lately. I'm discovering that loss comes in many varieties. With all loss comes grief and mourning, to some degree. We grieve for something that can never be recovered. Loss of life is at the top of the list. I lost my brother three months ago. Since then I have heard stories of other people's losses. There are many ways to lose people from your life. Sickness, suicide, miscarriage, accidents, divorce. We can grieve other losses as well, like the loss of a job, or a relationship, loss of health, opportunities, a beloved pet. We can grieve the loss of a dream that has died, that we know will never come to fruition. When these losses happen, we are sad, we question, we wonder why these things, some of them tragic, happen to us and to those that we know and love. We get angry, depressed, fearful. Hopefully, though, these emotions give way to more positive ones. We come to terms with the loss, we accept it, and best of all, we trust that God has ordained it, and approved it as necessary in our lives.

To come to a place of acceptance can be a struggle. When my brother passed away, I was shocked, hurt, and angry. Angry at him for not taking better care of himself. And I admit that I was also angry at God. I was angry that He had not intervened in my brother's life in the way that I had hoped He would. Thankfully He continues to extend His grace and longsuffering toward me. Of course I have no right to be angry at him, the very thought is ludicrous, and I was the one that needed forgiveness from Him. But in my weak human condition, it was not an unusual response.

Very recently I was reading through Hebrews, and came upon these verses:

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. (Hebrews 12:7-10)

For some reason, the last few words seemed to shout at me, telling me the ultimate purpose for the struggling and suffering that we endure as Believers. It is so that we might become like Him, to actually share in His holiness! It's not as though I didn't already know this. It is one of the main themes in Scripture, the truth that God works in us and around us to conform us more and more into the image of Christ. But coming on the heels of yet another loss, the renewed realization was precious.

Talking to a dear friend this evening, I was saying how I am trying to "think positively" about some recent events. Often, when there is a particularly painful and bewildering upset in our lives, we paint the whole picture black and bleak, with no redeeming features, no light at the end of the tunnel. We might feel that no good can come from the situation, because it is so devastating. Or we might feel that God is punishing us for some unknown reason. We rant, we rail, we question, and wonder if life will ever be the same again. But we do, hopefully sooner than later, remember that, oh yeah, God is in control! He knew this would happen! In fact, He ordained that it should happen, in order to fulfill His purposes in those whose lives were affected! So..........I can let it go, I can thank Him that He is working every detail together for their good, and His glory. I can rest, be still, and know that He is God, and will continue to be God.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

In Memory of My Brother

2011-06-21T23:28:00.004-04:00

Peter Anthony Mitchell
July 29 1956 - June 12 2011

There are many things we could say about Peter. He was a character, to be sure. He loved a good joke, was a whiz at Scrabble and Geography, and loved watching Hockey Night in Canada. He loved his kids, and he loved his brothers and sisters. He had many struggles, to be sure, throughout his life, and didn't make the best choices many times. We know that many people loved him, prayed for him, and tried to help him to overcome his battles. It's hard to believe we won't be hearing from him again, or seeing him.Those of us who knew and loved him will cherish his memory in our hearts. We thank God for the grace that He gave to Peter during his lifetime.

When a loved one dies, it is such a final thing. They are no longer living, breathing, and walking among us. We no longer hear their voice, or see them, or include them in our plans. It is a great sense of loss. It is natural to wonder where they are now. Some people might look at Peter's life and think that perhaps he didn't go to heaven. After all, he broke the law. He spent time in jail. He drank too much, and didn't live quite the morally upstanding life that many others have. Still, others might look at his life, his struggles, and conclude that surely God would take pity, and take him to Heaven. But the reality is that it doesn't work either of those ways. The Bible says that there is no one who is righteous, or good, and that we have all sinned. Every one of us. God is a holy God, and He hates sin. Not one of us can earn His favor, or Heaven, by our own merits. We need a Saviour, we need Jesus Christ. All of us. Not just the Peters of this world, the ones with deep rooted struggles, but even the socially acceptable, kind hearted, morally upright people. Apart from turning from our sins and turning to God, apart from trusting in Jesus Christ to save us, none of us has any hope, we all stand condemned.

God offers hope. Those of us who remain here have a hope. The life we live on earth is so short, so temporary, but there is an eternity that awaits each of us. God speaks hope to us in the Bible, and has some wonderful things to say:

"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'for we also are His children.' Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 18:24-31)

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

Peter, you were loved.

New Home, New Life

2011-04-28T09:17:00.002-04:00

Lots of changes since my last post. It's been a while, and I'm feeling rusty, but here goes.

On December 23 of last year I found out that I could have an early retirement package from work. In the first week of January, we bought a house in another town, 45 minutes away. Then about two weeks after that, we sold our house. On February 24th we moved to our new house. On March 31st I officially retired from my job of nearly 20 years. Whew! Just writing it all out leaves me feeling overwhelmed!

Too many changes? Yes, perhaps. But I am convinced that it was all in God's plan and timing. For quite a while, my hubbie and I have been dreaming of that place in the country. And I have been dreaming of being able to retire. Neither of these things seemed to be in the realm of the possible for a few years yet, but then God doesn't look at the possible, or statistics, or any other perameter that we tend to dwell on and make life decisions on. He just goes ahead and does things His way, whenever He wants to. Even as all these events were unfolding, I knew that all I had to do was trust Him and hold on for the ride. And now that most of the dust has settled, I am still trusting him for whatever comes next.

Yes it has been too many changes all at once, at least according to the "experts". And I did expect some low times to come after all the exitement had passed. And come they did. Leaving work was heart wrenching. I didn't expect it to be so difficult. I had to grieve for what I was leaving behind, even in the face of new found freedom and exiting new possibilities. You know the old saying, you don't know what you had until you've lost it. But still, I know this sad time will pass, and I will stop looking behind and start looking ahead. God knows what the future holds, for each one of us. Nothing is certain, no matter what plans we make. He holds every second, and His will for our lives is always perfect. So we keep looking to Him.

But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say "You are my God."
My times are in Your hand;
(Psalm 31:14-15a)

God With Us

2010-12-27T10:36:00.005-05:00

Of all the images that surface this time of year, my favourite is the nativity. I love nativity scenes, and the Christmas Story. I love thinking about that time, when Mary gave birth to Jesus; she knew He was special and not just any baby. The angel had come to her and explained what His role would be:“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:31-32)
Mary’s husband Joseph also had an angelic visitation, in a dream. The angel spoke to reassure him that he should proceed with his marriage to Mary:“She will bear a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 2: 21)
The prophet Isaiah spoke also of Jesus, foretelling His birth: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us)” Isaiah 7:14
Imagine, God coming to us in the form of a tiny baby! But the story does not end at that stable in Bethlehem. We love to gaze on that scene, on baby Jesus, so sweet and helpless. But that babe grew up; a man, yet fully God. He walked with humankind, and experienced life as they did. He was Almighty God, yet left the glory of that position to show us what God is like. Not only that, but He gave His own life in payment for the sins of the world.

Places of Worship

2010-12-21T07:17:00.008-05:00

For the past several years, my husband and I have been "browsing" the internet in search of a new home. We have been doing so in a semi-serious kind of way, kind of waiting for the "perfect" price, place, and timing. Hasn't happened yet.

Today while I was having a quick peek at the MLS site we frequent, I noticed that they have some new tools added to the mapping feature. You can highlight schools, stores, etc. that are in the area of each particular property. One of the tools stood out for me; it was labeled "Places of Worship".

I haven't been "attending a church" for over two and a half years, and during that time have done a huge shift in regards to my understanding of church, worship, and being a Christian. So this label just struck me as being somewhat strange.

Last night, hubbie and I watched an episode of a sitcom. In it, a couple attended church, a Catholic mass, somewhat reluctantly. They filed in with the rest of the congregants, and dutifully stood, sat, knelt, and prayed as instructed. I was reminded of my days in the Catholic church, and also the time I spent in Evangelical churches. I was reminded of the many times I was there reluctantly, only going because it was the right and acceptable thing to do. I thought of the millions of folks who attend church, maybe weekly, or monthly, or only at Christmas and Easter, and consider that because they spent time in the building, they have "worshipped" God.

It's crazy, isn't it, to think that we need buildings, and services, and clergy, and worship teams, to worship God? That He expects us to construct and support and pour time, money and energy into systems and programs and buildings in a frenzy of religious activity and bureaucracy? That we have to leave our homes, get dressed up and drive to a special building and listen to a special man speak in order to fulfill His command to "not forsake the assembling together" of ourselves? Didn't Jesus tell the Samaratin woman (John 4) that a time was coming when they would neither worship at a certain city or mountain, but that God wanted those who would worship "in Spirit and in truth"?

In Romans Chapter Twelve, verse one, Paul instructs: "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." He meant that our entire lives, all that we do, is to be done as a sacrifice of worship to God. That our "raison d'etre" is to live by and for God. Every motive and action is for His sake, acknowledging our dependence and need of Him for all things. For His glory. Twenty four/seven. Not for a couple of hours each week, standing or sitting mutely in a pew, following an order of service. That is not the worship that God desires.

I so wish that I could say that my heart is in an attitude of obedience and worship all the time. That won't happen until I get to heaven, because I am still a fallen sinner. But I thank God that He has set me free to worship Him wherever I am. That I am not still held captive by the lie that if I miss Mass on a Sunday, or Christmas Day, that it is a Mortal Sin and I will go to Hell if I don't confess it to a priest at Confession. That I don't have to be at every "service" that my church offers in an effort to prove to God, or others, how much I love Him. That I now meet with brothers and sisters in our homes to share our hearts, to edify one another, and to each give a personal testimony of praise to the One Who does not live in a building, but in each of our hearts.

A Moveable Mess, or, In the Meantime......

2010-12-04T09:28:00.002-05:00

Nine years ago my hubbie and I downsized to a tidy little two bedroom bungalow. The kids had grown and gone, so we thought it was time to find something smaller with less upkeep. It was a good idea, but we now find ourselves a bit cramped.

Our former house had a finished attic which hubbie used as his art studio. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor, then kitchen, living room, den, family room and bathroom on the main floor. The basement was unfinished, but great for hiding "stuff" and doing laundry. There was also a single car garage which we usually kept full of more "stuff".

Now we have kitchen, living room, dining room, two small bedrooms, bathroom and a family room addition which hubbie has marked as "his territory". (I get to sit in there sometimes; it is the best room in the house, lots of natural light). The basement is unfinished, and there is also a garage. One of the bedrooms has a bunk bed (double bed on the bottom, single on the top) which is great for when grandkids sleep over. The room is about ten by ten, which doesn't leave much space left over. It is the room that I keep trying to make "mine" where I can sew, write, read, make jewellry, and fill with all my own personal "stuff", like books and yarn and fabric etc. etc. Although the picture above isn't of my room, it does bear a striking resemblance.

I keep trying to find that space where I can roost, with all my stuff around me, and create, or just be. It hasn't happened. My home is dotted with piles of books, papers, fabric, yarn, cd's and tapes. Whenever I have company, the dining room table gets cleared off and my piles get relocated into the spare room. I call it my "moveable mess".

Today, I am having another go at the spare room. Hubbie is going to move the filing cabinet there from the basement, and once again, I will try to get myself organized. I might even set my sewing machine up on the little desk in there. I'll have to deal with a couple of bins full of papers etc. first. There is also a computer in there, and I hope to purchase a new printer to go along with it.

Hubbie has promised to make me a room in the basement. But I don't know when this might actually occur, so in the meantime, I'm doing the best I can with what I have. My new little room will be (God willing) bright and warm and cozy, and will have shelves and a work table and I will be able to leave things set up there. We have also tossed around the idea of finishing our little attic, and have spent many hours on the Internet MLS site, looking for our perfect house in the country. But all must be in God's timing.

It's like that for us believers, I think. As "aliens" here on earth, we have to "make do" with the fallen world we live in, and the fallen selves that we are. Our made alive spirits yearn for that perfect place, and that perfect, sin free self that is promised at our final glorification. In the meantime, we endure temptation, frustration, and a heavenly homesickness that cannot be described, only experienced. We so look forward to the day when we will finally be "home", forever with our Lord, and living that perfect, eternal life that we were created for.

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:22,23)

A Loaf of Bread, A Bottle of Wine.....

2010-12-02T21:26:00.005-05:00

Last night I went to my work Christmas Dinner. It was at a very nice restaurant, and the menu was excellent. I had potato leek soup, then the prime rib with Yorkshire pudding. Delicious. There were also some mouth watering home made rolls. Had a couple of those too. As is often the case when we women get together, there was much talk about what foods we enjoyed preparing and eating. The rolls got us to talking about how much we love bread. We came to the conclusion that a very satisfying repast would be simple: a loaf of delicious home made bread, some good cheese, and a bottle of wine. Not an original thought, I realize. But a tried and true idea, nonetheless.

Tonight I met with my home church group for a meal and fellowship. We had tacos, and a rice and bean salad. Simple fare, but much enjoyed. I have noticed that whenever we get together, and no matter what we eat, the whole experience is inevitably rich. It is a fellowship meal, and the simple act of sharing food somehow becomes elevated to a spiritual experience. Which is entirely Biblical.

Recently, I have been listening to a teaching series on "Communion" by Beresford Job. This morning I listened while busy in the kitchen. He talked about how the Lord's Supper is not merely about our relationship with God, but also our relationship with one another. We eat from the same loaf, and drink from the same cup, and are of one body, the Body of Christ. Our fellowship is in Him, and with one another. When our relationship with any of our brothers and sisters is blocked by sin or unforgiveness, then our relationship with God is also blocked. When our relationships are pure and unhindered by sin, then the fellowship and meal is sweet indeed. In my experience, it becomes sweeter all the time.

While Jesus was eating His last supper with the disciples, He said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until the day when He drank it with them in His Father's kingdom. Ah, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Now that will be a feast of all feasts. How sweet will be the fellowship then, and the meal beyond description. But if there will be only bread, and cheese, and wine......it will still be the best meal ever. And I can hardly wait. In the meantime, I thank God for the fellowship we can have around the Lamb of God, every time we get together.

A Person or a Building?

2010-11-29T06:57:00.007-05:00

Quite an impressive edifice, is it not? Likely to inspire reverential behaviour once one steps inside and views soaring ceilings, elaborate altars and sacred icons. Surely God must be in this place? Not necessarily.

I heard a piece on the radio (Christian station) this morning. It seems a family, including a teenage daughter and son, were attending a church service. Now this particular church had a "no technology" rule, where attendees were to turn off all electronic devices during the service. Apparently this family hadn't heard the rule, or were simply ignoring it. The son was engaged with texting messages on his cell phone throughout the service, while the daughter sat listening to her iPod. Neither one was paying the least bit of attention to the sermon; it was obvious that they did not want to even be there, and quite a number of people were aware of their being "plugged in", but not to what was going on around them. After the service, the family was told, gently and with respect, about the rule. Now the pastor and church are burdened because the family has not been back since.

After this story was told, the two radio announcers had a dialogue about it. Should they have been reminded about the rule? Should there even be a rule? Would it not be better for some kids, even if they have to be dragged there, to allow them their toys, because at least they would be in the building? Even if they don't hear the message (sermon), they might just somehow get something out of the setting, if only hearing bits and pieces of hymns, etc. Now I ask you, is that not a pathetic premise?

What have we, as Christ's body, evolved to, that we think we have to bring people into a "church" building to hear the gospel? Do we think that once through the doors, certain mystical forces will take over and they will somehow "absorb" truth, or God's love, or the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Do we need to drag people into a religious building, to the "experts" (pastors etc.) to learn about God? How sad.

I went to a church service yesterday, first one in two and a half years. I went with my home church group to support a granddaughter of one of the couples in the group. We stayed for the "worship" portion (it was the granddaughter's first time on the worship team) and announcements, then left to go and have our home meeting and fellowship meal. One of the announcements was about a movie night coming up at the church. It was an outreach event, apparently a "no pressure" thing, and all were welcome. There was to be no "bait and switch." It was simply an opportunity to bring people from the community to the building, a welcoming gesture. Another item was addressed to parents of the younger children. They were asked to accompany them to their class, where they would be instructed and encouraged in how to be teaching and discipling their children at home.

I am saddened to see that we have reduced being Christ's body on earth to needing buildings, and programs, and paid professionals to fulfill the mandate of being ambassadors of reconciliation and makers of disciples. That we have worship teams to "lead" us into singing hymns and choruses on a Sunday morning, and consider that our duty done in the worshipping of God department. That we judge one another according to which denomination we belong to, and consider those who don't attend many services, or become involved in church "ministry" to be as "spiritual" as others who do. That we can't train our children up in the fear of the Lord with only God's word and the Holy Spirit to help us. That we can't simply BE Jesus to those around us; our neighbours, family, friends and co-workers.

God no longer resides in a building. He has dwelt in a tent, a pillar of cloud and fire, a temple, and in His Son here on earth. Now He lives in His people!!!! In human beings!!! We carry Jesus with us wherever we go. We have His mind, His Spirit, and His power available to us. We are vessels of His mercy and grace, and our reasonable worship (service) is to present our entire bodies, our entire lives, to Him for His use. Yes, every one of us will agree to these truths, but we have tried to live them out through programs, and traditions, and legalism. In essence, we have made feeble substitutions for them when there is no need to. Blinded and numbed by centuries of tradition and religion, we have morphed into a worldly "institution" instead of a living, breathing body that is functioning by the power of the Holy Spirit, and joined (effectively) to its Head.

I don't intend to put people down in these comments. I was part of the Christian "system" too. For years I tried to do all the right things, and ended up in such a conflict of heart that I had to walk away from all things "institutional". But there is something terribly wrong with how we go about being Christ's church in this part of the world. When He said He would build it, He wasn't referring to a structure made with actual physical materials. He was referring to people, to souls, to an army of believers that He could live in and through. Let's give Him back His church, and let go of our "Christian" props and scripts. Let's be real, and let Christ be real in us.

Jesus, we are Your people, a people for Your own possession, to show forth Your glory here on earth. Lead us back to the place where You can live through us. Cut away every artificial aspect and man made tradition that quenches Your Spirit in us. We are sheep that need a Shepherd, a strong hand to guide. For your Name's sake. Amen.

Keep It Simple

2010-11-26T09:25:00.004-05:00

" O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. " Psalm 131:1-2

Do you sometimes find yourself overwhelmed? Not just with busyness, but by the world today. Television, for instance. It brings SO much information into your living room. About everything. More than you need to know. But then, how do you decided what you need or don't need to pay attention to? From the latest discoveries in the world of medicine, to the current natural disasters, to the realities of war in far off places. So much to consider.

A hundred years ago, people dealt with only a fraction of the details and decisions that we are faced with today. Even grocery shopping is a mundane chore made into a complicated mission to pick the right products from toothpaste (whitening, for sensetive teeth, cavity fighting, breath freshening) to yogurt (pro biotic, low fat, anti oxidant, sugar free), and trying to get the best price on top of it all. Nothing wearies me like shopping! Oh how I long for the simple life!

I used to struggle quite a bit with the "things of the Lord". That is, concerning doctrine. Which denomination was right? Which interpretation of scripture was the most precise? Should I be pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib? Dispensationalist, Covenant or New Covenant? Calvinist or Arminian? These things weighed me down, and I was desperate to be in the right "camp". And if I thought I was, I was desperate to convince anyone who disagreed. But not any more. I know what I believe about the "essentials" of the faith, and I trust God to bring other truth to me as He sees fit. Instead of focusing on "being right", I am more likely to simply focus on Jesus, and be content to learn whatever the Holy Spirit brings to my attention. It's a beautiful thing, this kind of rest.

I think the verse above says it all. What a priviledge we have to be in Christ, to have any enlightenment at all! Not that we shouldn't be always learning, but if we make knowing doctrine more important than a living, personal relationship with it's Author, we will be the poorer for it, no matter how "right" we think we are.

Thank you Father for teaching your children. Thank you that there are no exams to pass, or need to prove anything to anyone. Thank you that we can be confident that you will give us all the revelation that we need, when we need it. Help us to be patient with others, and with ourselves, as we grow in grace and knowledge of you.

Nest of Grace

2010-11-26T09:10:00.003-05:00

We can become so good at the game of hiding ourselves. From behind a wall of what we think we ought to be, we sit and observe. We weigh and measure each response, every lifted eyebrow, and adjust accordingly. Behind the scenes, we continually re-write our script, always searching for that one right way to be. Yet we are unable to calm our anxious hearts, for we know full well that we will never be truly “right”. We are made this way, and have grown this way, however bent and gnarled we may be.

But we are no surprise to You. You knew us from our mother's womb. Foreknown by you, we were saved. Even our struggles, our hearts' straining to know truth, You foreknew. “All things” can only mean all things. So even in our weakness, our groans, our stumbling, You work out Your purpose for Your glory. Even in our constant turnings, worries over what we've said and done, You stand guard over us.

We huddle within You, like newly hatched sparrows in their nest. We feebly lift our upturned faces to You, eyes still dim, our mouth opens, straining to be filled with understanding, with knowledge of You. For this is our food and drink, this knowing of You. We know that this Truth is the answer to all of our searching. We can take it and hold it up against every thought, every situation. It lines everything up in order. It casts away the dross, and makes more brightly shine the gold. It polishes and chips away, even at us.

Lord we are safe in You, in this nest of grace. Within it we can take new steps, even the wrong ones. Our searching after You is done with our whole heart, and You will guide our eventual end. You oversee every thought and action, and even in our wrongness, You gently lead us to Truth. Up ahead is so dark, like a gloomy forest at dusk. But Your light shines before us, one step at a time. God, if only You can see our hearts, if only You can know us through and through, it is enough, it is become even our great hope. For even though knowing us, You still love us with an everlasting love. This is our resting place.

"How priceless is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!" (Psalm 36:7)

Good To Me

2010-11-25T07:13:00.011-05:00

I called You "Daddy" yesterday

As so quickly I did pray

In thanks for all You do for me.

My heart was full! There had to be

Some kind of letting out

Of all that joy accumulated
Grace on grace,I calculated
From before I was yet born.
Blessings rich upon me poured
Beyond what I can count.

It just leapt out so naturally;
"Thank you Daddy!". Could it be
My heart is melting ever slowly
As You look on me, so lowly;
Yet precious in your sight!

Why are You so good to me?
I don't deserve it, can't you see?
I've gone for years with head bowed low;
For surely all the world must know
How far I am from right.

But You have lifted up my head!
And now I need no longer dread
The present, past or what's to come
I'm in You now, forever home
Content to simply be.

Thank you Father, from my heart
My life is Yours, in every part
Your goodness flows beyond all measure
Lord you are my dearest treasure;
You are so good to me!

Seasons

2010-11-22T18:35:00.005-05:00

I love the Fall. To me, it is the "middle age" of seasons. It comes after the newness of spring, when shoots of plants struggle upwards like a child standing up to take those first tentative steps. The sunshine and warm temperatures call those things that were dormant, or hibernating, or had migrated south, to reappear, ready to begin another cycle of life.

Summer arrives, and plants come into their fullness of bloom and fruition. From spring until September, we reap their harvest and drink in the beauty of vast varieties and shades of flowers. This is the "adult" of the seasons, when maturity comes to those furry and feathered babies born in the spring, and they are weaned from their mother's milk, or nudged out of their nests, to strike out on their own.

Then comes Autumn. The changing leaves seem to be shouting a last "hurrah" before letting go and dancing prettily to the ground. Scooped and bagged, now more of a nuisance than anything, they wait by the curb, or blown by the wind they gather in ditches, slowly making their way back to the soil that first brought them forth. Farmer's fields become barren landscapes of dried up corn stalks and shriveled plants, all their bounty now gone, depleted of the new life that once made heavy their vines and branches.

I feel I am in that "mid life" season. I look behind and see the Spring and Summer of my life, now gone past. I gaze with longing on the energy and promise they held, knowing I can't bring them back. Still, this is a good season. For it can bring contentment; a sense of not needing to peddle so fast as in younger days. The frantic pace of child rearing is behind, leaving grandchildren as its rich harvest.

I'm not ready for the rocking chair yet, however, and God willing, I've got a few last "hurrahs" left to shout. The best part is that I've got Him to show me how, where and when. And even as the Autumn of life fades into winter, where this life ends, the next is waiting, full of more promise and joy than this one could ever offer

Which season are you in? Are you content where you are? Have you considered what life’s next season might hold for you? Have you considered Him who made those seasons, and offers one of everlasting life?

“and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17)

Maureen Breakspear
Published in Millbrook Times 19/11/10

COME AND SEE

2010-11-18T22:20:00.002-05:00

Stranger.
Talks to me!
Asks me for a drink.

Eyes that see beyond plain sight.
Knows those things I’ve hid from light.
I’m exposed.

Thirsty.
Every day
Brings me to this place

Tells of water ever flowing,
Prophet, this, who is all knowing.
Kind to me.

Master.
Speaks of God
Just as if he knew Him

Is this the Messiah here?
Holds me with his gaze so near;
I must tell them!

Running.
Leave my pot;
Quick before he goes

Hurry fast it’s not that far
Have to find them; there they are
“Come and see!”

The Prodigal Returns

2010-10-19T10:08:00.003-04:00

Chapter Fifteen of the Gospel of Luke begins with Jesus telling the parable of the Lost Sheep, then the parable of the Lost Coin, and finally the parable of the Prodigal Son. All three focus on the joy of finding that which was lost, and more specifically, the rejoicing in Heaven over each sinner who repents.

As I read the story of the Prodigal Son, I couldn’t help but compare it to my own journey toward my Heavenly Father. I suppose each and every child of God can do the same. Reading this Parable brought to mind the months before I placed my faith in Christ. Our stories are similar. Like the younger son in the story, I took for granted all that I had been given. Just as he left his home and family, thinking that with his share of the family fortune he could find happiness in a distant land, I walked away from my home and family, searching for that elusive “something” that would give me the peace and joy that I longed for.

The Prodigal thought that all he needed was money to make his dreams come true. Off he went, searching for those greener pastures that he believed would satisfy his heart’s desires. Aren’t we all the same? Doesn’t mankind come up with countless ways to try and fill that God shaped vacuum that we are all born with? God gives each of us life and breath, opportunities and countless blessings. Yet in our blind, spiritually dead condition, so many of us end up in the swine pen, having failed to arrive at that place of promise, being led there by selfish motives and ignorance of the truth.

In my own swine pen experience, I awoke one day to realize what I had thrown away. The reality of my loneliness was like a cold lump in my gut. I staggered under an overwhelming sense of shame and regret, realizing the foolishness of my decisions, and the conviction that I was a sinner without hope. I can relate to that wayward son, as he sat in the muck, impoverished of body and spirit. He had thrown away what was good, and spent all he had, only to end up with nothing, no one, and nowhere to go.

And like the Prodigal, I too had a change of heart, a turning away from the selfish, foolish path that I was on, toward the outstretched arms of my Heavenly Father. For both that wayward son and myself, there was a happy ending; a homecoming where we were welcomed into an embrace of mercy and forgiveness. But it didn’t have to turn out that way. For countless others, their swine pen experience is only another step on the road to perdition. Instead of realizing their folly, being humbled and seeking forgiveness, they become bitter, or desperate, or further deluded to the true nature of their situation. Their hearts, instead of softening toward God, become hardened. Their final destination is not an eternity in glory, but one of never ending separation from the grace they shunned.

Only the work of the Holy Spirit can bring us “to ourselves”; that is, to see our true state as lost sheep in need of a shepherd. Had God not intervened and awakened me from my death stupor, I would have carried on, blindly stumbling toward a lost eternity. Instead of a worldly sorrow, however, the Holy Spirit brought true conviction for my sin. His work in a heart brings one low, so low that you lose every shred of pride. Like the Prodigal, you are ready to confess all, admit that all is due to your own folly, and come begging for mercy, even to be as a hired hand in your own father’s house.

Repentance leaves no room for pride. It casts it out as the stumbling block to salvation that it is. When we, like that lost son, are brought to our senses, we know that our only hope is the mercy and grace of God in Jesus Christ. Like that boy, we bow the knee, admit our sin, and seek to be brought into the Father’s favor.

And like the father in the story, our Father is quick to embrace, quick to forgive, and quick to rejoice in our newly found, newly saved state. We were, after all, dead. Dead in our trespasses, without hope. But now we are made alive in Christ, and clothed with His robe of righteousness which covers all of our sin stains. That muck of sin and despair, like the muck that the Prodigal wallowed in, filled with grief and regret, is washed away by the blood of the Lamb.

Thank God for His marvelous grace! Thank Him for his kindness that leads us to repentance! If you are His, thank Him that He did not leave you to continue down a path of destruction, but like the Prodigal, He brought you to your senses, and welcomed you home with joy and celebration. Pray for those that you know who have yet to be brought to life, who continue blindly down that broad path to eternal death. Pray for God’s grace to stop them in their tracks, and send them into the safety of His welcoming embrace.

But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15: 22-24)

Giving Thanks

2010-10-12T13:57:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the day that Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving. Where I live, the the weather was beautiful. In fact, the whole weekend was the epitome of autumn perfection. My family came for dinner, and even though it was a lot of work for dear old gramma (that's me), it was well worth it.

I don't really mind the work of a big meal, if it means having my family gathered around the dining room table. Those are the moments I am most thankful for. Watching them all digging in, and listening to the varied conversations and laughter, I was content. Truly I am blessed. So many things to thank God for. The list is endless.

Yesterday I also received an email from a friend whose wife is seriously ill, and has been for a long time. I have been encouraged by this couple who, even in the midst of their sruggle, have taken the time to encourage others and pray for my family. I know they are thankful for their blessings also, though in their current situation, I know it must be difficult to focus on anything positive. There are things, though, that I know they will always be quick to give thanks for. Some of these are:

the grace of God in their lives, in the midst of trials
the shed blood of Jesus Christ for their souls
the promise of their heavenly inheritance, an eternity with Christ
the love and presence of God, though not always felt, that is always there and never failing
the mercy shown to them in God's gift of salvation.

I know they are, and always will be, thankful for these things, because they are the things that all of God's people are thankful for. They are the things that carry us, and override every other situation in our lives. As I was reminded of today, no matter what we go though in this life, good or bad, at the end of the day, there is only JESUS.

If you want to know more about this couple's struggle, click on this link:

http://bloodtippedears.blogspot.com/2010/09/help-and-prayer-for-my-mother-carol.html

(For Ike and Carol, with love)

The Church of the Firstborn

2010-09-16T07:54:00.002-04:00

You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Hebrews 3:13).

We talk about our motives, and we say, Our motive was right! We talk about our conscientiousness, we talk about our intentions; but you and I do not know what lies behind what we call our good motives. There is a deceitfulness about this human heart that defies our greatest attempt at tracking it down, and we shall never do it... Here is where the church has become such a confused thing, and such a tragedy; for the prevailing idea is that if you give yourself over to God He will take you up and use you: "Bring over your humanity and consecrate it to the Lord! Consecrate your old man to the Lord, and go out and serve the Lord, with a consecrated old man!" it is utterly contrary to the teaching of God’s Word. The result is that in the work of God all the world over you have people serving the Lord in the energy of the flesh, in the reasoning of the flesh, in the emotions of the flesh. Meet them, counter them, frustrate them, and you meet something evil; you meet with a fight, a division, a schism, a scattering, and wholesale resignations.

Do you see what a havoc the enemy can make in that which is called the church, because people with best intentions, purest motives have come to serve the Lord with all their own intelligence, their own strength, and their own emotion? They have not seen that God has closed the door to the old creation, and that God’s attitude is this: "The only thing that can satisfy Me, that can serve Me is My Son, and if you are going to come into My service, He has to be the energy of everything, the Life of everything, the Wisdom of everything!" He has to be the governing, ruling reality in everything. It is not to be a matter of your impulses, but of His urgings and leadings by the Holy Spirit; not your sitting down to reason out what it would be good to do for the Lord, what ought to be done, what needs to be done, but what He shows you, nothing more... You and I must not bring over our old creation and give it to God, expecting God to use it. God begins with birth. The church of the firstborn is something quite new, and it comes out of a death. That death is the death of an old creation, and the resurrection is of something that is not the resuscitation of an old creation, but the resurrection of something wholly of God.

T.Austin Sparks
From: The Church of the Firstborn - Chapter 1 _______________________

How Great Is Our God

2010-09-07T21:41:00.001-04:00

Family

2010-09-05T12:40:00.009-04:00

I went to a family reunion yesterday. (Above picture is not them, I borrowed it from "Photobucket") It was my dad's side of the family; folks I don't see very often. Every year they get together on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. This year it was held at my cousin Carl's house. My sister Bernie and I went, along with her granddaughter Celci, Celci's half brother Nate, and my son Jess.

Meeting with folks you don't know very well, and may only see every year or two, can feel a bit awkward. That is how I felt yesterday, at first. I suppose everyone feels that way. It's not that you don't want to be friendly, or get to know people. But somehow, you don't know where to start.

I thought we would stay only for an hour or two, but two hours stretched into six. As the day progressed, I think we all began to relax. Two babes in arms and three toddlers gave us all something to share; everyone loves babies. We fussed over the littler ones, four and six months, and were entertained by the toddlers.

I wish I had taken a picture as the youngest was held up close to Uncle Nick, who turned 90 this year. What a beautiful image it made; the family patriarch greeting this youngest family member.

My son Jess, who is a musician, had never met this side of our family. What a nice surprise to discover that cousin Carl played guitar! Jess had brought his along, so the two of them got together for a little jam session. Amy, married to cousin David's son Jonathan, joined in on the piano for a bit. We sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" and a few other oldies but goodies. Carl was kind to play "Crazy" by Patsy Cline for me, and I tried valiantly to croon out the vocals. Patsy is in no danger from me, that's for sure.

Our gracious hosts, Carl and Janis, laid out a beautiful meal for us. Hamburgers, hot dogs and salads were enjoyed, and I even managed to stay away from the butter tarts for a change, though I hear they were quite yummy.

By the end of the day I felt so relaxed and at home. I wish we got together more often. I wish cousin Tony, and others who couldn't make it, had been there. I wish I knew each one better than I do, and I wish I had the time to get to know them. My dad and his only sibling are gone, and these lovely people are part of him somehow for me. As Janis and I were saying, family is so important. The older you get, the more important they become. Other things in life mean less than they used to, and we look at our families with growing love and appreciation. Maybe it's seeing the generations come and go before our eyes that helps us to realize how precious life is, how precious people are. They are gifts, like the beautifully breezy day we had yesterday, the delightful antics of kids and Jake, the dog, the delicious food, great music, rich snippets of conversation, and safe travel to and from.

Thank you Lord for family. Thank you for how you fashioned each one of us, and how you continue giving life through each generation. Thank you for blessing with babies, husbands, wives, inlaws and pets. I pray you will give more opportunities for us to get to know each other better. Help us to realize your grace in our lives each day.

New Blog

2010-08-26T07:43:00.002-04:00

I want to introduce a new kid on the blogging block. Her name is Michele. I met her at a writer's conference in June, and she is a delightful lady. I know the Lord will bless many through her blog. Please visit her when you can. You will find her at http://atheartlevel.blogspot.com/

Cut The Strings

2010-08-25T21:39:00.006-04:00

Where Is God When Your Daughter Leaves Home?
I hoped I would never have to ask that question even though I already knew the answer. He’s right there with you. As a mother of three daughters, I prayed they would stay rooted in their Christian faith throughout their lives. When our youngest daughter chose to turn her back on her faith and walk away from God, my husband and I faced one of the most difficult and painful times of our lives.

Questions plagued us. What had we done wrong? How had we failed our daughter? Had we treated her differently as the youngest? What would become of her as she deliberately pursued a dangerous and addictive lifestyle? Would our prodigal daughter be able to hear God’s voice as she wandered far from the One who loves her with an everlasting love?

I’ve been a Christian for many years and have learned from experience that God is always with us no matter what circumstances we are going through. During these years when my heart was broken time and time again, His Word became my anchor in the raging storm. Spending time in His presence strengthened my faith and brought peace to my heart.

When I asked my questions He reminded me of His unfailing love for our daughter and assured me that He was at work in her life. Even when I pray and see nothing happening or things get worse? I asked. Yes, even then, He whispered.

Several years later, God impressed me to share our story as an encouragement to the many hurting parents who are sitting in our pews. When I mentioned it to my daughter, she told me she felt God urging her to do the same. Together we prayed that God would use this story for His glory. Our prayer is for parents and teens to read this story of forgiveness, grace and redemption together and be strengthened in their faith.

CUT THE STRINGS is the true story of a mother who experienced the agony of watching her daughter walk away from everything right and good, ending up in a life of degradation and shame while each of them lived in their own reality.

It is also the story of a daughter’s desperate search for a life of fulfillment and acceptance who found herself instead chained in a prison of emptiness, addictions and despair.

Best of all, it is a story about GOD, the one who relentlessly pursued a willful young woman, protected her life, and sustained a family through it all.

CUT THE STRINGS is now available at Chapters and at Emmaus Family Books.

Book signings:

Emmaus Family Books, Peterborough, Ontario

Saturday September 11th 1-3 pm

Chapters, Peterborough, Ontario

Saturday October 16th 1-3 pm

Sharon Cavers

Higher and Higher...............

2010-08-08T17:05:00.005-04:00

It's Sunday again! This morning with my church group we had a wonderful discussion around trees, plants, and other living things. We talked about how God gives life to even the tiniest seeds, and provides the soil, sun and rain that they require to grow up out of the ground, and bear fruit and flowers.

Bill and Ethel talked about how they had found a quaint motel on their weekend getaway last week. It was located on the water, and on that Sunday morning they had sat looking out over the water, at the horizon in the distance. In the forest that was there, they noticed one tree that stood out from the rest, due to its great height. Ethel remarked how it seemed to be reaching up to the sky, and how all plant life did the same. It's as though they reach up to heaven, knowing that is where their life comes from.

Bill mentioned how some seeds even remain dormant for many years, till just the right time when they spring to life. I then mentioned how I had just seen a portion of a film the day before that explained how in Death Valley, the hottest place on earth, there is still rainfall that causes new life to cover ground that was formerly parched and barren. And in that place, seeds that have been dead for 20 or 30 years will sprout with the rainfall, resulting in beautiful foliage.

We talked about how like dormant, dead seeds our hearts are, until the Holy Spirit comes and waters them, and brings them to life. They are dead in trespasses and sins, unable to grow in grace or holiness, or bear fruit for God. But once Holy Spirit regenerates us, we are just like those plants growing up from seeds, and those mighty oaks that devlop from tiny acorns. Just as they reach up to the sky, toward the sun and the rain, we reach out to our Saviour, our Father, and the Holy Spirit. We are fed and watered, and grow deep roots, being rooted and grounded in love and grace.

The Christian life is one of looking up. We fix our eyes on Jesus, set our minds on things above, and keep looking up for our redemption that is drawing near. Our hearts turn away from sin and self, and toward God, just as plants turn to face the sun, needing its warmth and bright rays to grow. Increasingly, we think less of our own selves, and more of Christ. He has become to us "wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30b) We have been blessed "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Eph. 1:3) Knowing that we are citizens of Heaven, and that we are strangers, aliens here on earth, we realize more and more that our lives here are but for an instant, compared to the eternity we will spend in Glory.

Nature displays God's amazing creativity, and we can draw many lessons from the wide variety of species with whom we co-exist. I never grow weary of meditating on God's providential care for all of His creation, and how He is made known through it to all of mankind. May He speak to you through His handiwork today!

God's Next Move (?)

2010-08-02T21:08:00.003-04:00

Today I spent a couple of hours at Value Village. It's like a "Goodwill" Store, and sells every kind of second hand clothing and household items that you could imagine. It's not hard to lose total track of time there, as you wander from aisle to aisle, seeking those bargain prices. My friend Deb calls it being "sucked into the Value Village Vortex." (She is a fellow VV Boutique Junkie.)

As I usually do when I am in there, I perused the used books for a while. One that I particularly noticed was titled "The Next Move of God." It seemed a fairly presumptuous title to me. Kind of sounded as if the author imagined that he had an inside scoop on what God might be up to next. To be fair, I should have at least leafed through it before making any judgements regarding its content. But we do often hear writers and preachers speak of God's "next" or "new" move. And today, after seeing that book title, I began to think about the idea that God was making certain "moves", new or otherwise.

Hasn't God always been "moving", from the beginning, from the time He created the heavens and the earth, and His Spirit "was moving over the surface of the waters?" (Genesis 1:2) He is continually working out His plans and purposes, dealing with mankind in judgement, or mercy, always according to His holy, all wise nature. Always moving, always sovereignly in charge, He never slumbers or sleeps.

Does He ever do a "new" thing? I suppose He does things that we haven't personally seen or experienced before. But I wonder, is it just our modern day thirst for something "new and improved" that makes us think that God is always planning some new, amazing "thing" that He has never done before? Preachers, writers, speakers are often predicting the next thing He might do, or explaining what He is currently doing. But is He really doing anything "new"? Does He need to? What He has been doing, all along, has been effective, more effective than we will know in this life. Maybe the difference is that, from time to time, people are simply responding to Him in a greater way.

We seem to love change. We love to label "movements", even within the Church: the Charismatic movement, the Shepherding movement, the House Church movement...the list goes on. Certainly God may be involved in these things, but isn't He simply acting according the continuum of the plans He has made from eternity? He calls, He saves, He leads, He enables. He stirs our hearts to love Him, and gives us a vision of His own heart. He is the Maestro, the Master Planner, our Great Teacher, wooing us along, bending our will to His own. Is He on the move? Always. Can we predict what He might do next? I think for the most part, He chooses to reveal just enough to us to allow us to take that one next step, leaving the results up to Him.

My hope and prayer is that I will stay close enough to hear His whispers, follow His leading, and stay in step with what He might be doing in the world around me. I'm so thankful that even when we are lagging behind, He will continue to work, to move in our hearts, completing that good work that He started.

Cut The Strings - Book Review

2010-07-27T18:38:00.006-04:00

God is faithful! This message comes through loud and clear as we watch Sharon Cavers, her husband and family, and daughter Amy Jackson navigate through the storms of teenage rebellion. Second to that, we see how Sharon and her husband Bill have their faith tested; and it comes through as pure gold. And third, we are caught up with them in their longing to see their youngest daughter wake up to the realization of the dangerous path she is on, and come running into the waiting arms of her Heavenly Father.

Sharon and Bill are parents to three daughters. Things go along fairly smoothly for them, as they raise the girls in the fear of the Lord, with the support of a loving church family. Until Amy, as a young teenager, begins to step outside of Christian boundaries of behaviour and lifestyle into a world that is scripturally forbidden for all, and certainly not allowed for anyone raised to know and obey God.

Sharon and Amy take turns in the writing, each speaking in the first person. Having both made journal entries over the period of time when the story takes place, they are able to give us a glimpse into each of their thoughts and hearts. Sharon faces each challenge brought by Amy's increasingly rebellious lifestyle with a mixture of emotions. As a worried parent anguishing over her daughter's life and soul, she experiences fear, doubt, and finally finds peace in remembering just Who her God is. He is her rock, her strength, her wisdom, and her hope. The journal entries are her emotions spilled onto the page; all of her heart is poured out to her God, with nothing held back.

As I read through the book (in two evenings), I was almost praying along with Sharon and her husband, praying that Amy would take that one step toward her Saviour, and be rescued from the darkness she was in. She endures a pain-filled journey over several years, sinking into the clutches of drugs and alcohol, trying to prove to the world that she can handle anything. But all the while, inside she is a frightened young girl, longing to be "home", but not sure where that is or how to get there.

I applaud both Sharon and Amy for their courage in telling their story. I know that they have both prayed that God will use it, and I know He will As I said in a previous post, real life stories are my favourite. Of course, knowing both the authors of this book made it even more "real" to me. However, I know that just about anyone who is a parent or a teen to grown up child will be able to relate.

You will find it hard to put this book down, and you will find your own faith strengthened as you read this beautiful story of faith and redemption.

Find out how to order a copy for yourself by visiting http://www.gardenpathinspirations.com/book.htm

Clean

2010-07-25T18:33:00.005-04:00

It was such a glorious day today! Not only was it Sunday, the day I meet with my home church, but it was also sunny and breezy and beautiful outside. I hung out two loads of laundry before I left this morning, and it was dry when I returned home in mid-afternoon. I washed two more loads and got them on the line; I knew they would dry quickly with the beautiful breeze and warm sunshine we were enjoying.

Days like today make me want to wash every sheet, blanket and curtain in the house. I love the smell of them when they come off the line. If I fold them soon enough, they will still be warm from the sun's rays. I did that today. Folding a big, fluffy white towel, I couldn't resist burying my face in it, and inhaling that wonderfully fresh, clean fragrance that only time spent on a clothesline in the breeze can create. Strangely enough, as I was doing so, a line from Psalm 19 came to my mind. I'll highlight it below:

"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgement of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether."
(Psalm 19:7-9)

I love this Psalm, and these verses are my favourite from it. I love these words:
perfect, sure, right, pure, clean. Don't ask me what the exact connection is between these verses and the scent of my towel today. Perhaps because just drinking in that delightful smell rejoices my heart in some way. Perhaps because, in such an ordinary, everyday thing as doing laundry, I find contentment, knowing that I am blessed to be able to do so, when so many others haven't the resources or ability to, if they live in a third world country or are homeless in this one. Perhaps because the smell seems so pure to me, as if it has taken on a part of nature, having hung in the sunshine and flapped in the breeze that a kind and loving God has created. Perhaps just enjoying that simple pleasure reminds my heart that it is just one of the countless blessings that I receive from Him, every day.

A Great Read

2010-07-20T07:40:00.006-04:00

Last night I attended a Book Launch. The book is written by Sharon Cavers and her daughter Amy Jackson. Sharon is a member of my writing group, and she and her daughter have written a story of struggle, hope and redemption. Most of all it is about the faithfulness of God. You can check it out here http://www.gardenpathinspirations.com/book.htm

I haven't started to read the book yet, because I know that when I do, I won't be able to put it down.Sharon has shared with our group as she and Amy worked on this project, so I know the story line, and have read excerpts. Real life stories are a magnet for me. Real life beats fiction any day, in my opinion. Maybe that's why there are so many "Reality" television shows today. We do have a fascination for having a glimpse into someone else's life. For some reader's of Sharon and Amy's book, it will be something like having a blanket of reassurance tucked in around them, as they see a family press on through situations that most of us wouldn't want the rest of the world to know about. Particularly the "Christian" world.

I know that God will use this book, and I praise Him for giving the authors the grace and courage to put their story out there. It will bring hope and healing to many families. Best of all, it will show yet another example of the faithfulness of our loving Father, and His presence in the midst of every situation. All to His glory.

A Fresh Wind

2010-07-18T14:30:00.004-04:00

This morning there was a sweet breeze coming through my kitchen window. Nothing stupendous in itself, but made a main event because of the hot, humid weather we have had lately. I so welcomed it! Every day seems to have threatened rain, and I would have been thankful it if it had rained for a day and a night, and lifted the oppression of the muggy weather. So to realize today that we had a repreive was a blessing.

As I stood by my kitchen sink, enjoying this little breath of fresh air, I thought how like the weather our lives can be. Oppression can creep up on us, whether caused by mood or circumstance. All of life's little details can drag us down and drain us of our energy. Like the humidity, feelings of being overwhelmed can bring us to a state of inertia, and we feel stifled and held captive by a sense of hopelessness and a fear of failure. All the negativity that we see and hear every day, from televison and newspapers and the next door neighbour can grind down our intentions to put our best foot forward and trust that God has a purpose in everthing.

Sometimes we wish that something, or Someone, bigger than ourselves would come along and whisk away all these things, and help us to make a fresh start. That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. Like the wind, He goes where He pleases. He can't be contained or controlled. We can't see Him, but we can see where He has been, because He always brings change. So we turn to Him, and seek His touch, His activity in our hearts and lives. He can bring refreshment, and a renewed sense of purpose for our day and our lives. He will speak to us in God's Word, or in circumstances, or in that still small voice, that Spirit to spirit witness that only He can produce. He is our Helper, just as Jesus promised. Breath of God, breathe on us!

Winding Down (?)

2010-07-13T07:49:00.001-04:00

Now that the G8/G20 and World Soccer Series are over, we are hearing more about the Gulf Oil Spill. Good timing, since yesterday they installed a new cap over the leak. Will it hold? That is the question of the hour. Taking nearly three days to install, it is certainly hoped that it will, finally, staunch the incredible flow of oil that has been surging into the water for almost three months.

It seems incredible to me that the leak has gone on this long. Hearing the statistics on how many gallons per day etc. have been leaking, it seems as though there is no end to it. But it must have an end somewhere. I can't help but compare it to a human body that is losing blood quickly, and every effort is being made to staunch the flow. It's as though the earth is "bleeding out", with this main "artery" having a ruptured "aneurysm".

I wonder how many are praying that this will be a success. I wonder how many "chiefs" from British Petroleum are resorting to begging God to let it work. Seems we always do all we can do in our own strength first, and leave Him as a last resort. Just another disaster that took us by surprise, reminding us that we aren't as big and powerful as we thought we were.

A Firm Foundation...To The Glory of God

2010-07-10T18:28:00.002-04:00

Encouragement For Troubled Times

2010-07-06T07:44:00.005-04:00

"Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." -- Proverbs 1:33

Divine love is rendered conspicuous when it shines in the midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of thethunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness ofsand; so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath.

When the Israelites provoked the Most High by their continued idolatry, he punished them by withholding both dew and rain, so that their land was visited by a sore famine; but while he did this, he took care that his own chosen ones should be secure.

If all other brooks are dry, yet shall there be one reserved for Elijah; and when that fails, God shall still preserve for him a place of sustenance; nay, not only so, the Lord had not simply one "Elijah," but he had a remnant according to the election of grace, who were hidden by fifties in a cave, and though the whole land was subject to famine, yet these fifties in the cave were fed, and fed from Ahab's table too by His faithful, God-fearing steward, Obadiah.

Let us from this draw the inference, that come what may, God's people are safe. Let convulsions shake the solid earth, let the skies themselves be rent in twain, yet amid the wreck of worlds the believer shall be as secure as in the calmest hour of rest. If God cannot save his people under heaven, he will save them in heaven. If the world becomes too hot to hold them, then heaven shall be the place of their reception and their safety.

Be ye then confident, when ye hear of wars, and rumours of wars. Let no agitation distress you, but be quiet from fear of evil. Whatsoever cometh upon the earth, you, beneath the broad wings of Jehovah, shall be secure. Stay yourself upon his promise; rest in his faithfulness, and bid defiance to the blackest future, for there is nothing in it direful for you. Your sole concern should be to show forth to the world the blessedness of hearkening to the voice of wisdom.

C.H. Spurgeon

Imitation = Limitation

2010-07-04T15:40:00.006-04:00

I went to a writer's conference two weeks ago. It was an amazing time. Two hundred and fifty followers of Jesus who write for Him, coming together to learn, encourage and be encouraged. I certainly was encouraged. Along the way I met some great people, including two fellow bloggers. Ann is one. You can find her blog here: http://www.aholyexperience.com/. Ann taught a workshop on how to have a successful blog. It was nothing like I expected. She is a lovely woman, and her heart for Jesus is on her sleeve. Instead of giving hints to create more traffic or comments, she talked about how she doesn't allow comments, and doesn't have a site meter on her blog. This is to keep her from getting caught up in how many people are following her posts. Her talk was all about releasing what the Lord was doing in her heart into daily posts, and letting Him take care of the results. It was truly inspiring and encouraging. Please check out her blog; it is beautiful, both visually and in spirit. Another lady I met was Belinda. You can find her blog here http://http//whateverhesays.blogspot.com/ . She is another sweet sister in the Lord, and it was a treasure to meet her and spend time chatting.

These two ladies so impressed me with their sincerity, humility and love for God that I came away thinking I should start a new blog. One that would be more like theirs. So I did. I started a blog on Wordpress.com, and put one post on it. Then I tried to think about what else I could write, that would be less like what I usually did, and more like what these ladies wrote. I was planning to just leave "One Day At A Time", and redirect people to my new, "improved" blog. But, as you can probably guess, I got stuck. I eventually realized how ridiculous it would be to try and imitate these two women in my writing. Transparency, sincerity and humility are not things that you can copy. (Oh, I guess you could try, but there is a name for that. Starts with "hy" and ends with "sy", with "pocri" in the middle.) So I deleted my new blog, and came back here. Then for almost a week, the Lord gave me something to post each day. (I took that to mean I had made the right move.)

Have you ever looked at other Christians, and wished you could be more like them? It's a common trap that we can all fall into. Constantly measuring ourselves against seemingly more spiritual people. We see the fruit in their lives, and decide that ours is lacking. We want to somehow have what they have, write like they write, speak like they speak. But that is wrong. God created us all as individuals, and He uses our personalities, everything about us, in His work of renovation.

In my Sunday meeting this morning, I read from Ephesians 2, about being God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works that He has prepared beforehand. In my mind, I see God taking us as we are, a lump of clay, or playdough that has bits of different colors all mixed in. Each messy batch He takes and molds according to His unique plan, working even those bits of color, that used to appear as mistakes, into the design, creating a masterpiece.

In writing, we are told that we need to find our own "voice." I think it is not so much a matter of finding it, as simply using it. If God has called you to write, or speak, or preach, or teach (and He calls us all to do these, in one way or another), then He will place those things on your heart that you will be burdened for. He will give you the courage to do or say or write of them, to proclaim them, to protect them. He doesn't want you to duplicate what He has given to someone else. He has good works that He has prepared for YOU and you alone.

When God created us, He didn't use a cookie cutter approach. Don't try to follow in another's path; use the brain and heart and gifts He has given to you. To try and be like another will bear no fruit. Abide in Him, and trust that He will live and speak through you.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Sing A New Song!

2010-06-25T21:50:00.008-04:00

Speaking of worship............isn't it something the power that music has? I remember the first time I heard Christmas Carols after I came to faith in Jesus. I wept. I couldn't believe the richness and beauty of the words. It was like hearing them for the first time. All those truths, set to such beautiful music. How had I missed it before?

Since then, I have gone through many "stages" of what kind of "Christian" music I enjoy. Gospel quartet, hymns, contemporary worship music, classical (such as Bach's St. Matthew's Passion), choruses, I like them all. But music doesn't have to be intentionally "Christian" to move my heart toward Him. A lot of classical music does that, simply in its beauty and complexity. Sitting at a concert by a very talented Spanish guitar player, I made up words (in my head) as I listened to the guitar; they were praise songs to God. The music was so beautiful, that I was inspired by it to do so.

Music is a wonderful element of praise and worship. How blessed we are to have it so available to us every day. I can listen to the radio, pop in a tape or cd, or bring along my MP3 player as I go for a walk, exercise, or do housework. It can lift my spirits when I am discouraged, and focus my heart and mind on the beauty of Christ. Truly it is a gift from Him!

But it's not only sounds made by man made instruments that can be praise to God. Something my granddaughter said once has stayed with me. As we walked along on a sunny morning, I remarked to her how happy the birds sounded. The air was filled with their song. "Maybe they are singing songs to God," she replied. "Yes", I said. "I'm sure they are." And in my heart, I am. They may not have the capacity to know God in the way that we can know Him, but I wonder if God has not somehow placed a "knowing" in them that means their songs can be a response to that instinctive knowledge. And what about the sound of the wind through the trees as you walk along a forest path? Or the sound of waves gently lapping against the rocks along a river's edge? Can't all of these things be understood as nature giving praise to God?

We were created to worship, to worship God. Sin entered, and ruptured our relationship with Him, and our natural desire to worship Him became warped. So we ever will worship other people and things, until that relationship is restored by the blood of the Lamb. And then He gives us a new song, a new desire, and new ways to worship.

"Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy." (Psalm 33:3)

There is so much in the world, and in our everyday lives, that can distract us from the realities of "things above." I love this verse; it can be a remedy to all the noise and chaos that we are often confronted with:

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:15)

I hope you are singing in your heart today, knowing the true Word, and letting Who He is inspire you to praise Him. Precious Jesus.

"Then" Is "Now" !!

2010-06-25T07:03:00.009-04:00

I've been doing it again. The old "if only" game. "If only" I didn't have to work. "If only" I had more time. THEN I would do all these great and marvelous things. Like write a book, sew up a storm, have a huge garden and make preserves, visit all my friends, spend more time with my grandchildren..............the list goes on.

So, after wallowing around in the "if only" puddle for a while, I move on to the "then" game. OK, so I can't retire just yet. Won't likely be moving to that little house in the country for a few years. But when I retire, "then" I will begin to do those wonderful things. "Then" I will be content. "Then" I will accomplish great things for God. Right now, I can't. Oh really? Right now, I just don't have the time or the energy. Is that so? I will just have to tough it out, grit my teeth and plough through. I will just have to "sacrifice" my time to my job, knowing that it's only when I retire that I can get anything of value accomplished. "Then" it will all happen. Right?

The next stage in the process is this: I start listening to my thoughts, and taking a gander at my attitude, and say to myself, hold it. Wait a minute. Who do you think you are? God has all your days arranged for you. You were placed here for His glory. Don't you think He can squeeze some good, some lasting results out of each day, even when you aren't "living the dream" up in Bancroft? This is the point where I chide myself for ingratitude, and for questioning God's plan for my life. Why do I think that all should go according to my plans? How could I imagine that God is not present in everything, each day, and is at work, even though I can't see it?

I want to have an attitude of gratitude. I want to wake up every day, expecting great things of God, exited about what He might have in store for me. I don't want to waste precious time longing for something that might not even come to pass. I don't know the future. Only He does. My place, and your place, is to wait on Him, and be faithful, in the moment. In the "now", because the "then" might not show up. All we have is now, and He is in it.

Dear Lord, teach me to wait on You, to learn contentment. You have the wisest plan, and I am like an impatient child. Help me to see Your hand in the stuff of everyday, and remember that to you, a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years. My times are in Your hand.

Worship Practice?

2010-06-24T19:04:00.005-04:00

I have been thinking about worship a lot these days. Having been "away" from "church" for two years, I don't often get the opportunity to be with a large group of people, singing hymns and worship choruses. This past weekend, however, I was at Write Canada, a national conference for Christian Writers. We did have a time of prayer and "worship" each of the two mornings that I was there. It was a beautiful experience, singing those songs of praise with a guitar or piano accompanying.

Have you ever heard this description of a worship cd: "You will be ushered into the presence of God"? I have heard it, and others that claim to be the "most powerful worship music you have ever heard." We call church buildings "houses of worship". If you ask someone how the church service was, they might say "the message was powerful, but the worship wasn't very good." Once or twice a week, many "worship" bands and leaders get together to "practice" worship. Hmmm. Are we missing the point here?

Of course, we will all agree that worship isn't just about singing on a Sunday morning in a building. And I realize that musicians have to get together to practice their musical gifts, and be prepared for when they have to play in public. And yes, some songs or hymns, by their words and music, do help us to focus more intently on God, and affect our emotions so that we seem to "feel" His presence more. But oh, that can't be all there is to worshipping God!

Brother Lawrence was a monk in the 1600's who wrote a book titled "Practice of the Presence of God." In it he gives instructions and examples of how to have a continual realization and experience of God's presence. He knew that we are always in God's presence, and God is present in His children. He is so right in that. We don't have to conjure God's presence up. If He chooses to manifest His presence to us, then we are doubly blessed. But we have the opportunity, every moment of every day, to be intentionally mindful of God's presence. He is a whisper, a thought, a word away. He knows our every thought, and communicating with Him can be so natural, so real, when we simply believe that He is listening.

We don't have to wait for a Sunday service, we don't have to get the latest and greatest worship cd. Just sit quietly with your Bible open to the Psalms, or any one of hundreds of scriptures that can cause your heart to fill with adoration for our awesome God and Savior. Or when you are laying in bed at night, consider the many ways He has blessed and protected you that day. How He has caused the earth to keep turning for yet another day, breathed life into countless new babies, human and animal, and supported the whole universe, while billions of people were unaware.

We cheat ourselves, and we cheat God, if we limit our times of worship to those regularly scheduled events. Take some time today to be mindful of His presence, and find new ways to offer up a sacrifice of praise to Him.

"My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth."
Psalm 108:1-5

The Scraps of Life

2010-06-23T20:17:00.005-04:00

I love to sew. I started when I was thirteen, and made all kinds of clothes. I made my wedding dress, and maternity clothes when I was expecting. When my kids were growing up, I sewed for them. Little rompers and jumpers, then shorts and Halloween costumes. I don't have much time to sew now, but just looking at this picture makes me want to get out my patterns and fabric.

Whenever I do have a sewing project, I keep the scraps that are left after cutting out the pattern. I always hate to throw them out. You never know when they will come in handy to make a little apron, or a rag doll, or that "someday" quilt I will make when I retire. I have heard of people making "memory quilts", where they use scraps from different items of clothing that they have worn or a loved one has owned. It's a lovely idea, isn't it?

For years I bought fabric at a store in my city called "The Uptown Silk Shop". It's gone now. I really miss it. Their third floor was filled with "remnants", those pieces of fabric that were too small to leave on a bolt. A couple of times a year they would mark them down to 75% off. Boy, did I have a good time then! I still have stacks of fabric from years ago. Of course I won't get rid of it. You never know when it will come in handy.

I love to knit as well. So naturally, I have bits and balls of leftover yarn. All colors, all weights. I would hate to throw something out that could be turned into a pair of mittens or a scarf. It would be such a waste.

There is just something about taking leftover scraps, even from the refrigerator, and creating something beautiful and useful. Bits and pieces that might otherwise end up in the garbage can become something to keep you warm, or dress you up, or fill your stomach. I guess I have a frugal streak in me, though I can waste other things, like money and time.

When it comes to our lives, we all have scraps, pieces that we cut out or off, bits that didn't turn out or seem needed at the time. Things that we would rather not keep around, but the memory of them remains. Sad things, shameful things, regrets and mistakes. Some things aren't bad, we just wish we had made a different decision, or gone in another direction. To us, these scraps are wasted. But in God's economy, they never are. I think of Him keeping a neat little "scrap pile" for each of us. He takes those odds and ends of our lives and turns them into things we would never have imagined. He sews and knits them together and back into our lives, creating that perfect tapestry that contains the designs of His purposes for us.

So next time you are tempted to despair and discouragement, to regret and remorse, take that bit of your life that looks like a useless scrap, and hand it over to Him. If it is dirty, He will cleanse it with His blood. And He will keep it until He can use it for good. You see, He never wastes a thing.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

What Would You Do?

2010-06-22T18:00:00.003-04:00

I went to the grocery store today. As I pulled into a parking spot, a young man approached my car and knocked on the driver's side window. As I rolled down the window, he began to assure me that he wasn't some nut, he was in some trouble and needed help. I listened as he told me his story. He was from out of town, and had come into the city for a dentist appointment. He showed me his prescription that he had just picked up for antibiotics. His manner was that of desperation. Explaining that he was a single dad with a young daughter, he then told me that his daughter would be at that time getting off the school bus, expecting him to pick her up. He had tried to reach a neighbour to see to his daughter, but was unable to.

His main problem was that he was going to take a cab home, as he had missed his ride, and the cab company insisted on having the fare upfront. He had money at home, but did not have enough on him at the time. As he continued to reassure me that it was all up front, I told him it was ok, I would help him.

His relief was obvious. I believed him. I didn't see any reason not to. He got in the car and we drove to a bank machine, where I took out the money that he needed. He promised to repay the money, and I gave him my name and address so he could mail a cheque. I gave him a card with my name, email and blog address. He was in obvious pain from the dentist visit, and explained that his tooth was infected and he would have to wait until the infection cleared, and then he could have it pulled. I asked if he had anything for pain, but he explained that he was a recovering drug addict and did not take any pain meds, even plain tylenol. As we waited for a red light, I asked him if I could pray for him. He agreed without hesitation.The right side of his face was quite swollen, and I gently placed my hand on it and asked Jesus to please heal him and take away his pain.

I dropped him off where he could catch his taxi, and he again thanked me profusely. Now, I know that many people would think I had taken a terrible risk, but I did not hesitate to help him. His plight was real, and my heart went out to him, a single dad trying to make it after escaping a life of drug addiction. Later I wished that I had driven him home myself.

So Adam, if you read this, please let me know how you made out. I hope your daughter was ok. Leave a comment, or send me an email. I will be praying for you, and it was a pleasure to meet you and give you a helping hand.

Being Joined to Christ

2010-06-21T09:42:00.003-04:00

(T.Austin Sparks)

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5).

I have not been the least of those who have striven, and agonised, and strained, and pressed and reached out for all that the Lord would have, all that is possible. It is possible to wear yourself right out, and kill yourself in a spiritual quest, and the Lord at last says to our hearts: "If you only know Me, things will happen; it will all come to pass without any of your strain, struggle and agony. I am going to bear this fruit. I will bear it through you by way of union and fellowship. Remember that the holy, blessed secret of fellowship is just resting in Me, abiding in Me."

If you saw all the branches of the vine every day groaning and agonising, and writhing in order to bear their fruit, you would see something which is altogether unnatural. As a matter of fact you will see nothing of the kind. You will see them abiding there and bearing fruit. It is what we often speak of as the rest of faith. What is behind the rest of faith? It is not bringing yourself to a passive state, when you inwardly sink down and say, I am just going to rest. It is knowing the Lord, God in Christ; for the way in which God has joined Himself to us is in Christ, not apart, and the way in which we have been joined to God is in Christ, not apart. The answer to every need is knowing Him in this way.
From: Knowing God in Christ - Chapter 1

Be Still..................

2010-06-12T09:21:00.004-04:00

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.
The holy dwelling places of the most High.
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.

'Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'

The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold."
(Psalm 46)

I love this Psalm. It paints such a powerful picture of God, explaining His works, and His sovereign activity in the earth. He has "wrought desolations", ended wars, and His voice melted the earth.

And this one statement that He makes, telling us to "cease striving" (or "be still" in other versions) is like a reassurance from Him. As though He is saying, "don't worry, I am God Almighty. Be assured of this, there is no other, there is none like Me. I do all these things and more, and every nation in the earth will come to acknowledge Me."

I have to say that the more I learn of Him, both in His word and in personal experience of Him, the more I am feeling like this little girl (my grand daughter) in the picture. She sleeps so sweetly, oblivious to all the activity around her. Not a worry or a care, she trusts me enough and knows me enough to settle on my lap and let sleep overtake her. She knows I am much bigger, older and stronger than she is. She depends on me for all kinds of things, and believes I will give her all the protection and care that she needs. This is not unlike my trust in God.

There is one difference, however. As she grows and matures, my grand daughter will come to realize that I have limitations. She will see me make mistakes, be afraid, and disappoint her. Not so with our Father. The longer we know Him, the more we will see His power and perfections. He is limitless in all His attritubtes, so far above our way of thinking and comprehension. We never have to worry that one day we will realize He has abandoned us, or lied to us, or forgotten a promise.

In my Bible (NASV), in the sidebar is written "let go, relax" as an alternate translation for "cease striving". Be still. Don't worry about anything, just know and trust that I am Who I say I am. I will do all that I have said I will do.

If we are His, we have the greatest refuge, the deepest comfort, the sweetest rest. Though all powerful and all sovereign, He cares for us with the attention of a loving father. I hope you will rest in Him today!

A Word of Caution

2010-06-09T17:58:00.007-04:00

I have had some interesting interactions here and on another blog regarding the need for solid "doctrine" from the scriptures. My conviction is that we do need it. It seems that for a lot of folks who have left the church system, the importance of the Bible and correct doctrine has slipped down the scale a few notches. In their "release" from the constraints of organized religion, they have embraced a freer, less "dogmatic" understanding of who God is, and how He relates to us. There is a move toward letting subjective experience be the guiding rule in what we believe about Him. Put another way, it is a trend toward letting personal experience and interpretation of that experience define our theology.

One thing that always sets off alarm bells for me is reading or hearing people gush over a certain book, stating that it changed their life, or gave them a brand new revelation of God. Whoa.....what's wrong with the "old" revelation of God? The one that Jesus Christ gave us, through the Scriptures? Yes, I know that "church" has done a number on some folks, in that it has emphasized particular doctrines over others, and in some cases given false information about God. But we are only going from the frying pan into the fire when we turn our back on solid biblical truths and listen instead to the personal opinions and interpretation of men instead. God left us the Bible for a reason. It was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was written by men who had direct contact with Jesus, and men that God chose to pen the revelation of Himself and His Son. The books that are being written now are not God breathed.

It disturbs me to see so many following after authors and teachers, seemingly preferring their "version" of God to what has already been revealed to us. I fear it has the potential to lead many into something that may lose all Scriptural validity.

Here are some examples of what can happen when men begin to veer away from essential truths of Scripture.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), or Pastor Russell, was a prominent early 20th century Christian Restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement,[1] from which Jehovah's Witnesses and numerous independent Bible Student groups emerged.
Beginning in July, 1879 he began publishing a monthly religious journal Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. The magazine is now published semi-monthly under the name, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom. In 1881, he co-founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society and in 1884 the corporation was officially registered, with Russell as president. Russell was a prolific writer, producing many articles, books, pamphlets and sermons, totalling 50,000 printed pages, with almost 20 million copies of his books printed and distributed around the world.[2] From 1886 to 1904, he published a six-part series entitled The Millennial Dawn, which later became known as Studies in the Scriptures. (A seventh volume was published in 1917 after Russell's death.)
Russell was a charismatic figure, but claimed no special revelation or vision for his teachings and no special authority on his own behalf.[3] He claimed that he had not sought to found a new denomination, but that he instead intended merely to gather together and teach his Bible Students.[4] He wrote that the "clear unfolding of truth" within his teachings was due to "the simple fact that God's due time has come; and if I did not speak, and no other agent could be found, the very stones would cry out."[5] He viewed himself—and all other Christians anointed with the Holy Spirit—as "God's mouthpiece" and an ambassador of Christ.[5] Later in his career he accepted without protest that many Bible Students viewed him as the "faithful and wise servant" of Matthew 24:45,[6] and was described by the Watch Tower after his death as having been made "ruler of all the Lord's goods".[6]
After Russell's death, a leadership crisis arose surrounding the new president of the Society, Joseph Rutherford, resulting in a schism. As many as three-quarters of the Bible Students who had been associating in 1917 had left by 1931,[7] resulting in the formation of several groups that retained variations on the name Bible Students. Those who maintained fellowship with the Watch Tower Society adopted the name Jehovah's witnesses in July, 1931. Several denominations later formed around, or adopted some style of, Russell's views, among them the Worldwide Church of God, the Concordant Publishing Concern and the Assemblies of Yahweh. Off-shoot groups of the Bible Student movement include the Pastoral Bible Institute, the Free Bible Students and the Layman's Home Missionary Movement.

Some of his teachings:

Following his analytical examination of the Bible, Russell and other Bible Students came to believe that Christian creeds and traditions were harmful errors, believing they had restored Christianity to the purity held in the first century. Such views and conclusions were viewed as heresy by many Church leaders and scholars in his day. Russell agreed with other Protestants on the primacy of the Bible, and justification by faith alone, but thought that errors had been introduced in interpretation. Russell agreed with many 19th century Protestants, including Millerites, in the concept of a Great Apostasy that began in the first century AD. He also agreed with many other contemporary Protestants in belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ, and Armageddon. Some of the areas in which his Scriptural interpretations differed from those of Catholics, and many Protestants, include the following:

The Chart of the Ages
Hell. He maintained that there was a heavenly resurrection of 144,000 righteous, as well as a "great multitude", but believed that the remainder of mankind slept in death, awaiting an earthly resurrection.
The Trinity. Russell believed in the divinity of Christ, but differed from orthodoxy by teaching Jesus had received that divinity as a gift from the Father, after dying on the cross. He also taught that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the manifestation of God's power.
Christ's Second Coming. Russell believe that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874, and that he had been ruling from the heavens since that date. He predicted that a period known as the "Gentile Times" would end in 1914, and that Christ would take power of Earth's affairs at that time. He interpreted the outbreak of World War I as the beginning of Armageddon, which he viewed to be both a gradual deterioration of civilized society, and a climactic multi-national attack on a restored Israel accompanied by worldwide anarchy.
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Taze_Russell#Theology_and_teachings

Mormonism

Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was the founder and prophet of the Latter Day Saint movement. In the late 1820s, Smith announced that an angel had given him a book of golden plates engraved with a religious chronicle of ancient American peoples in an unknown language. He also said he had received a pair of seer stones in which he could see the translation, which he published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. On the basis of this book and other revelations, he founded a church in western New York, claiming it to be a restoration of primitive Christianity.
Moving the church in 1831 to Kirtland, Ohio, Smith attracted hundreds of converts, who came to be called Latter Day Saints. Some of these he sent to establish a holy city of "Zion" in Jackson County, Missouri. In 1833, Missouri settlers expelled the Saints from Zion, and a paramilitary expedition Smith led to recover the land was unsuccessful. Fleeing an arrest warrant in the aftermath of a Kirtland financial crisis, Smith joined the remaining Saints in Far West, Missouri. However, tensions escalated into a violent conflict in 1838 with the old Missouri settlers. Believing the Saints to be in insurrection, the governor ordered their expulsion from Missouri, and Smith was imprisoned on capital charges.
After escaping state custody in 1839, Smith led the Saints to build the city of Nauvoo, Illinois on Mississippi River swampland, where he became mayor and commanded a large militia. In early 1844, he announced his candidacy for President of the United States. That summer, after the Nauvoo Expositor criticized his power and new doctrines, such as plural marriage, Smith and the Nauvoo city council ordered the destruction of the newspaper as a nuisance. In a futile attempt to check public outrage, Smith first declared martial law, then surrendered to the governor of Illinois. He was killed by a mob while awaiting trial in Carthage, Illinois.
Smith's followers believe he was a great prophet who saw God and angels, and they regard his revelations as scripture. His teachings include unique views on the nature of godhood, cosmology, family structures, political organization, and religious collectivism. His legacy includes several religious denominations, which collectively claim a growing membership of nearly 14 million worldwide.[1]
Some of His Teachings:

Smith taught that all existence was material,[310] including a world of "spirit matter" so fine that it was invisible to all but the purest mortal eyes.[311] Matter, in Smith's view, could neither be created nor destroyed;[312] the creation involved only the reorganization of existing matter.[313] Like matter, "intelligence" was co-eternal with God, and human spirits had been drawn from a pre-existent pool of eternal intelligences.[314] Nevertheless, spirits were incapable of experiencing a "fulness of joy" unless joined with corporeal bodies.[315] Embodiment, therefore, was the purpose of earth life.[231] The work and glory of God, the supreme intelligence,[316] was to create worlds across the cosmos where inferior intelligences could be embodied.[317]
Though Smith at first taught that God the Father was a spirit,[318] he eventually viewed God as an advanced and glorified man,[319] embodied within time and space[320] with a throne situated near a star or planet named Kolob, and measuring time at the rate of a thousand years per Kolob day.[321] Both God the Father and Jesus were distinct beings with physical bodies, but the Holy Spirit was a "personage of Spirit."[322] Through the gradual acquisition of knowledge,[323] those who were sealed to their exaltation could eventually become coequal with God.[324] The ability of humans to progress to godhood implied a vast hierarchy of gods.[325] Each of these gods, in turn, would rule a kingdom of inferior intelligences, and so forth in an eternal hierarchy.[326]
The opportunity to achieve godhood extended to all humanity; those who died with no opportunity to accept Latter Day Saint theology could achieve godhood by accepting its benefit in the afterlife through baptism for the dead.[327] Children who died in their innocence were guaranteed to rise at the resurrection and rule as gods without maturing to adulthood.[328] Apart from those who committed the eternal sin, Smith taught that even the wicked and disbelieving would achieve a degree of glory in the afterlife,[329] where they would serve those who had achieved godhood.[330]

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith,_Jr.#Distinctive_views_and_teachings

What is frightening is that each of these cults started out with one man and his own personal "revelation" of truth. Today their members number in the millions. We might sit back and wonder how so many could be duped. I can give the answer: they believed a lie from a man rather than truth from God. They preferred a different god than the one found in Scripture. How many today are following that same path?

Do We Need Sound Doctrine?

2010-05-22T15:52:00.002-04:00

My previous post has generated quite a discussion in the comments section. It seems too big, and too important, an issue to leave there. So I am posting this one. My conviction is that we DO need sound doctrine, and will find it in the written word of God, as revealed by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we might end up following people like the one above, or like this one

or any one of a plethora of false prophets/teachers that abound today. Not to mention the multitude of scriptures that tell us how necessary the written word is. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Word in the flesh, but He speaks to us through the Bible. If I don't know what He is saying there, I will believe anything my itchy ears want to hear. The proof of that is out there; it is happening just as He said it would:

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgement from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2Peter 2:1-2)

Contrary to post-modern belief, there IS such a thing as truth. And yes, it is black and white. Jesus prayed a beautiful prayer on our behalf in John 17. This is part of it:

"But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." vs. 13-17

Halting Between Two Opinions

2010-05-19T19:50:00.007-04:00

How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him. (1 Kings 18:21)

Ahab was King of Israel, and the Kingdom was in a most deplorable condition, perhaps a condition darker than any other in history. Ahab was the incarnation of evil, and his influence combined with that of Jezebel, had been blighting and spoiling everything of potential greatness for God’s people.

There were clouds of darkness all over the land. Images of Baal and Ashtaroth were everywhere. Temples of idolatry had been erected and the altars of God torn down. Just when evil seemed to be at its height a most remarkable man appeared on the pages of history. He was one of the most outspoken and fiery of all the prophets; Elijah the Tishbite. That is how he is introduced in the previous chapter, “Elijah the Tishbite.” That’s all we know of him.

So, this man from somewhere, no one knows where, somehow, for what reason we do not know, broke in upon the scene with a message that was fiery and forceful, a message from God, a message of judgment, a message for which he made no apology, and offered no conditions, and suggested no compromise.

The message was briefly this; As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word. And having delivered that message, Elijah vanished.

But the Word of the Lord, which is ever powerful, which never returns to God void, but is brought into actual fulfillment, that there should be no rain and no dew for three years, came to pass. And the people, who in their material prosperity had not only forgotten their God but had actually rebelled against Him, were now brought back face to face with God through this process of judgment which had been foretold by the prophet.

Our story is that of the hour in which Elijah faced Ahab. It is a wonderful story, dramatic and startling. Ahab at last stood face to face with the man whose predictions having been fulfilled, had brought such havoc on the nation.

Ahab asked him, Is it you, you troubler of Israel? And with quiet, calm dignity, he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed Baal.

We view this event in history through the lens of time and distance and feel pleased that we are not caught up in idolatry of any kind. We do not, in our generation, in our culture, worship idols of golden calves or pagan gods. We leave that to other times and other lands. But are we free from idolatry? Isn’t an idol something, anything, that takes the place of the One True God in our affections? Isn’t it anything that is more important to us than God Himself? Therefore is it not possible for self to become an idol, when, in this generation, we spend our days in search of finding and fulfilling only ourselves?

I wonder if individual freedom and human rights have become the idol of this generation when we set aside the pursuit of God and replace it with the pursuit of self. We want to be free to follow our passions and desires that flow from self wherever it may lead. And so we question the necessity to have values that are founded in anything else than ourselves, and so the people of our time, live as though the essence of morality and behavior is to be free from any values that do not fulfill their own desires.

Even in evangelical churches, at times, there seems to be a bias against the intellect and against theology, and a subservience to personal fulfillment. The reason that the people of Elijah’s day fell into idolatry was that they didn’t or wouldn’t differentiate between revealed truth and pagan belief and made decisions based on desire rather than truth as revealed from God. Our biblical faith is about truth. God has revealed Himself through the Scriptures and has spoken concerning our responsibilities to Him, and to disregard that is presumption and disrespect of the highest order.

Without this teaching in the church, there can be no church, because the teaching of the Scriptures defines the church. When we empty ourselves of an interest in the Scriptures we have emptied ourselves of any serious consideration of who we are. We have lost the vision of God as holy and are being consumed by a world that hates Him. When we have emptied ourselves of serious theology and serious worship then we have allowed popular sentiment to define truth. In our culture there are all kinds of groups and organizations involved in raising money for this and that cause, and good works are seldom offensive to anyone. It is belief in the truth that is troublesome.

Lord help us to be faithful to Your word and define truth according to Yourself. Even though our lives may be an enigma to others help us to be faithful and learn that self denial is the prerequisite for discipleship. We cannot serve ourselves and You as well. May we learn to deny ourselves daily, take up our cross and follow You.

May 2010
Arthur Franklin

This article was written by a member of my writing group ( see our blog here: http://www.writerscrucible.blogspot.com/ ) and he was gracious enough to give permission for me to post it here.

The Promise

2010-05-16T14:25:00.005-04:00

The farmer straightened up from his stooped position, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He squinted up into the sky to check the sun’s position. It was almost time for the midday meal. He hoped that his wife would bring it to the field; lately she was doing this less and less, and time was taken up by his walking back to the tent to eat.

Laying his hoe aside, he took a drink from the skin water bag that he had set nearby in the dirt. For so much work, the return seemed meagre. Again, for perhaps the thousandth time, he thought back to the days “before,” when everything had been so incredibly different. In those days, work had seemed a pleasure, and the fruit of his labour had been immediate and plentiful. Now, he scraped and dug the earth in an almost desperate manner; if the rain did not soon come, the harvest would be scant at best. Nothing was a sure thing anymore, least of all the weather.

He fought the old urge to blame his wife. If only she had done the right thing, and obeyed their instructions. He knew it was no less his own fault, as he had succumbed to the same temptation, only with a clearer understanding of what it meant. He knew that his was the greater responsibility. But he was finding it hard to bear her presence. She was changing from the gentle helper that she had been into a bitter and complaining woman. They both knew the reason for their present plight, and it remained a huge stumbling block between them. They often resorted to blaming one another with cruel accusations that left wounds for days. He seemed to have no control over the things he thought, and so often he would blurt them out, horrified that he could even think such things, let alone hurl them at her like stones.

Everything was different now. Before there had been peace, and a feeling of security, of being “right” that had completely evaporated. Their days were now spent trying to survive in this harsh wilderness. In the garden, there had been much contentment, and a sense of purpose. That had disappeared, and time was now spent in getting by and dealing with the many difficulties that arose each day, from the bad weather, to physical ailments, to the fights and squabbles that broke out almost daily amongst their family.

Most of all, he missed the relationship that they had enjoyed with the Master. There had been nothing between them but the sweetest companionship and trust. That was gone, totally obliterated now. And he knew that there wasn’t anything that he could do to restore it.

In his mind’s eye, he looked down the long years ahead, seeing what might have been, and what the reality was now. Everything had been spoiled, tainted, ruined. Even the air was less fresh, the sky less blue, and the trees not as lush and green. Before the sun had gently warmed; now it burned with a fierce, oppressive heat. The rain that had softly fallen to refresh and renew would now sometimes pelt down with a force that threatened to wash away any frugal start that his planting may have made.

The farmer forced himself to leave this train of thought. It only ended in a sense of utter futility that sometimes immobilized him, and he had to keep going for the sake of those who depended on his efforts.

“Ah, there she is,” he said to himself as he saw his wife approaching, a basket over her arm. He put a welcoming smile on his face as he took the basket from her.

“How is your day going?” he asked, peering into the basket. “It is hot, isn’t it?”
“Yes, too hot,” she grumbled. “I have spent the morning down by the stream, bathing the younger children and letting them frolic about. They don’t seem to mind the heat.”

“Will you join me for the meal, or do you have to go back now?” he asked.

“I guess I could stay,” she answered, almost reluctantly.

They sat down on a patch of grass nearby, under the small shade of a sycamore tree. He looked at his wife, noticing the new lines forming around her mouth and eyes, and the look of weariness that was now her constant demeanour. He felt shame and remorse for the cruel words he had spoken during their quarrel the night before. Now seeing her with pity, he wanted desperately to somehow cheer her.

“You seem so sad,” he commented in a soft voice. “Have you been to the burial place?”

Looking downward at her lap, she answered with a choke in her voice. “Yes, I was there just now. I know I shouldn’t go so often. It is so difficult, yet at the same time I find a small scrap of comfort there.”

He broke off a piece of the loaf and handed it to her. “I wish I could make it better, take away your pain.” He would have gladly borne it for her. “I am sorry,” he said. “I have wished so many times that things could be different.” He stopped speaking, and stared blankly into his bowl of stew. There seemed nothing more to say. They both ate in silence for several minutes. For the moment, at least, they refrained from the old dialogue of bitter blame that had become their usual discourse.

They had lost two children. One as an infant, from a fever, and the other as a young man. He had been murdered by his elder brother.

There had long existed a rivalry between the two boys, mostly on the part of the elder. He had a jealousy of his brother that had become apparent even as he was a toddler and the younger not yet crawling. The rivalry had increased as the years went by, and climaxed one day, when bitter envy and rage erupted into violence that left the younger man dead in a nearby field. The farmer himself had come upon the body. Confused, he had turned his son over, trying to rouse him, thinking at first he was only asleep. Then he saw the blood, and the great sunken wound on his head. The pain from that memory was as intense today as had been first realizing that his son was dead.

As well as losing their son to a violent death, they had lost the elder as well. He had run off, and they had not seen him again. Eight years had passed since then, and it seemed that their grief grew no less.

“I will be going back now,” said the woman, gathering up the remains of their lunch. “Don’t stay late today. The sun is too hot.” She touched his arm, and taking his hand, gently placed it on her abdomen.

He looked questioningly at her, and then realized what she was telling him. “Another?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said with a shy smile. “I have known for some time. I know it is soon after the last one, but I am glad. They bring me such pleasure; they are like an ointment to my broken heart.”

“Then I am glad as well,” he said, taking her in his arms. She returned his embrace, and trembling, began to weep.

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking up into his face. “I really am happy. I know the children are gifts from God. He continues to bless us, even after our disobedience. He is so kind to us.”

“I know what you mean,” replied her husband. “I am thankful, truly thankful. I only wish I could change everything back to the way it was before. I know that is what you want as well. I am so sorry that I cannot make it happen for you. Please forgive me for my cruel words. I forgive you; I do not blame you for what happened. I take the blame for myself. Please, let us not quarrel any longer. It is done, but we go on. God has not abandoned us. Remember His promise......’the Seed of the Woman’. I will walk you back. Here, I will take the basket.”

As he was speaking, his wife had slowly relaxed into his arms. Now she wasn’t holding back her tears. They came in torrents. “I do forgive you, and I have been waiting for so long for you to say that you forgive me,” she managed to say between sobs. “Every day has been full of pain and regret. But if you forgive me, and God can forgive me, then I can once more know some hope and joy.”

As her tears abated, she handed the basket to him, and they walked slowly back toward their tent, arm in arm. Peace, long absent between them, settled in their hearts, as each said a silent prayer of thanksgiving.

“Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:18-24 NASB)

Maureen Breakspear
2007

What Are You Waiting For?

2010-05-04T08:25:00.001-04:00

Do you find that you spend a lot of time waiting? Perhaps not consciously, as waiting for a kettle to boil, but unconsciously we are all waiting for one thing or another. For the weekend, for retirement, for graduation, for the birth of a child….the list is endless. We wait in lines to be checked out at the supermarket. We sit in doctors’ and dentists’ offices, waiting for appointments. We wait for the all-important phone call or cheque in the mail. We wait in hope, in fear, in excitement, in expectation of good or bad results.

I recently spent a whole year at home, waiting to be well. I waited for appointments, test results, answers, and new treatments. In hindsight, it feels as if I lost that year. But the reality is that life carried on, even though I was unable to live it the way I would have liked to. And if I did “lose” any time, it was because I lost it by focusing on that thing that was in the future, and not on the things that were taking place in the present.

I am back to work now, and grateful to be there. Yet I find myself falling into the old habit of counting the days till the weekend. I suppose we all do it. We might love our jobs, yet our lives outside of work are more important. That is only natural. But in the meantime, during those five days at work, there is much life to be lived. I don’t want to simply “put in time” at work; I have realized that during that 5 day period, I spend as many waking hours at work as I do at home. That is a big part of my week, and of my life. I want it to count too, not just be something that I endure until my “real” life can resume.

It’s easy to do that, to get caught up in what is yet to be, and to let it overshadow everything else. To allow that one hoped for yet unrealized thing rob you of living in the moment, stealing joy, opportunities, or sleep.

It’s good to have goals, and to save for retirement, plan families, education and careers. But in the meantime, there is so much life to live. Are you waiting for that one thing? Are you hoping that when you retire, graduate or meet that “special someone” that life will be so much more worth living? Don’t wait till then. Live all the life you can right now. Every moment is a gift from God. You see, life is what happens, while we wait.

“I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” (Psalm 146:2)

Spiritual Footprints

2010-04-05T16:23:00.005-04:00

“What kind of carbon footprint are you leaving?” If you haven’t been challenged with this statement, you don’t own a television or read a newspaper. It is today’s buzz phrase around the state of the environment. I don’t know if it is listed in Webster’s dictionary yet, but my interpretation would be that it refers to the result an individual’s personal use of our planet’s limited natural resources.

Though I am skeptical about the reality of “global warming” as it is presented in the media and elsewhere, the attention it is getting has caused me to consider my own use of those resources that God has provided to make life, in terms of energy, air, water and food, possible. In principle, I believe that waste of any kind is wrong. And if my wasting robs another of what they need to survive, then I ought to reconsider how I am doing things. In short, I ought to use only my fair share.

In all the hype and talk and warning of global disaster, however, there is missing a critical element; the inclusion of a sovereign, creator God into the equation. Environmentalists, so far as I have observed, leave Him out of the picture entirely. Their viewpoint focuses only on how we as humans can save our planet for generations to come. There is no consideration given to what scripture has to say regarding the God of Creation, a sovereign God Who already has put His own plans in motion regarding the fate of our world. There is no eternal perspective, of more life to be had than what we live out now on earth.

In scripture, we read of the eventual fate of this planet we live on. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (2Peter 3:10)”. And then, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells (vs. 13)”.

Now, I don’t mean to imply that it is pointless to wisely use our resources. Though I don’t believe that Christians are meant to be “tree huggers”, we do have a responsibility as stewards of God’s gifts to us. I recently watched a program where it was stated that if the rest of the world were to live as we live here in North America, we would need five more planet earths’ worth of resources. Staggering, isn’t it? We have so much. That alone tells me that I need to remind myself of what great blessings we have in this country, and to be mindful of how I use them. How we respond to the reality of our wealth and others’ lack is between each of us and our God.

But what about eternity? If I believe what the Bible says, my “carbon footprint” will eventually be redundant. This ‘ole planet will be destroyed and replaced with a brand spanking new one that has been restored to the state of perfection that God originally created it in. All of the things that consume us, and scare us, regarding climate change and disease and economic disaster will be forgotten. All those efforts to control and cure and correct, however well intentioned and successful, will not matter one bit. The slate will be wiped clean, and our sovereign, creator God will once again have the world He made in the beginning, to the praise of His glorious grace.

Before I became a Christian, I had a longing to do something that had an impact. Something that made a difference. Not just for here and now, but forever. I believe that this is because we are created as eternal beings. Whether we know God or not, He has placed in us a consciousness of something beyond the here and now, something that transcends what we see and hear and feel of this present life. It is a call to eternity. When I was born again, a door was opened to my understanding. I knew that I had an eternal purpose. I am only here for a short time. But as God’s child, as His instrument, and servant here on earth, I can have an impact that lasts forever. I can make spiritual footprints, as I walk through my life. I can influence others for eternity, as I share the life of Christ that is within me. I can give them hope, in the face of all the doom and gloom forecasting that we are subjected to every day. I can direct them to the One Who has made us all, and Who is the sovereign controller of every outcome. I can focus on things above, and be a witness to things eternal, the eternal life that we can have in Jesus Christ. I can make that difference that will last forever.

What about you? Have you let the nightly news and daily newspaper keep your thoughts and concerns chained to world events, the price of gas, and the latest prediction of global disaster? Or do you get up each day, asking God to show you what He would have you do? What can we do for Him, in spite of so much focus on man’s destiny as seen through the eyes of those who know not nor acknowledge the existence of the One you know to be above and beyond all of their forecasts and inflated sense of ability to heal our world? What attitude will you put on, what spiritual footprint will you leave for all eternity?

“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (2Peter 3:11).”

God grant us the faith and courage to live in light of His Kingdom, which is now and forever will be.

Wait a Minute!!!!

2010-03-31T19:36:00.005-04:00

Some days I feel my age more than others. I've noticed that I avoid having to bend over and pick things up off the floor. And I prefer the kind of shoes that you just slide your feet into, without having to pull them on. And lately, it seems I need my glasses for more and more things. And I don't like it. I don't like the fact that I am "middle aged". I want to shout "wait a minute! I'm too young to be old! I'm just starting to figure things out! If I'd realized I would get old this fast, I would have appreciated being young more!" It just doesn't seem fair, somehow. The first 40 years of my life seemed to go pretty slowly. But lately, time is just flying by.

Since I've turned 50 (a few years ago, now), I've noticed my physical appearance "changing" at an alarming rate. It's like my body has said, "ok, now it's time to show my age". I see people that I went to school with and think "boy, have they ever aged!" Then I realize they are likely thinking the same thing about me. Let me repeat, I don't like it.

But what I like even less is the fact that I am bothered by it. Because I hate how society has made us believe that getting older is less than desireable. Or should I say that LOOKING older is bad. It's ok to be 60, so long as you can pass for 49. Hollywood wants us to believe that the older we are, the less attractive we become. Wrinkles are to be avoided at all costs, and why on earth would you let your hair go gray? Don't you know you can take years off of your appearance with a bit of hair color now and then?

We are so taken up with outward appearance, so fixated on staying "youthful" looking. We look upon aging as the worst possible "disease", and spend millions of dollars on trying to make these old bodies carry on just a little longer.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy and productive for as long as we can. But why do we have to be phobic about aging? It is a natural process, and one that we cannot avoid. For those of us who have received the gift of eternal life, the thought of getting old and dying shouldn't fill us with dread. Rather, we should look upon each passing day as one step closer to making the transition to our eternal home, where we will put on immortality. We can't have it here, in these bodies. But we will have it one day. And it will be a million times more wonderful than having smooth skin or a perfect figure.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

New Blog

2010-03-27T09:34:00.004-04:00

I have started a blog to share information about a Conference that is scheduled for this September. View it here

http://www.churchatpeterborough.blogspot.com/

Casting Ballots

2010-03-18T19:06:00.006-04:00

Society today is having a love affair with polls, popular opinion, and surveys. Reality television programs vote contestants off of islands, out of houses, even out of jobs. Amateur entertainers hold their breath as a panel of judges decides the fate of their dreams of stardom. Candidates in every level of government vie to top their opponents in pre-election polls, and then in the final count on Election Day.

From the least important (which do you prefer; the taste of the “new” so and so Cola or the old one?), to those which touch on controversial moral issues (are you for or against assisted suicide?) we are surveyed for our opinion. Often I have wondered what makes us think that our opinions should matter in the case of those issues that deal with life and death, like capital punishment and abortion. Surely these controversies are too important to be left to popular opinion to be decided, even though they can be impacted by the voting population.

I once read a newspaper article that mentioned an online poll by the United Church of Canada. The intention of the poll was to pit believers in God against non believers, in a vote to determine the general consensus regarding the existence of God. At the end of a week, the results were: “Yes there is God – 52%, No there isn’t God – 48%.” At first, this struck me as humorous. I thought to myself, How silly. You can’t change a truth by voting it out.

However, as I thought further about it I began to see it as more of an indicator of the level of rebellion that is within man’s heart. I realize that many people won’t agree with me, but as a person who believes absolutely in the existence of the God of the Bible, I see only total audacity and foolishness in the whole exercise. I certainly hope that those who are on the precipice of belief or non-belief do not take general consensus as their guiding rule in deciding on this most important question. Instead, they can open the book that He has authored, where He goes into great detail about Himself, and our relationship with Him. That book is a far more accurate indicator than popular opinion could ever be.

“The fool has said in his heart ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1, NASB)

Things Above

2010-01-17T17:15:00.005-05:00

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3)

These verses have caught my attention in the past couple of days. In the previous chapter, Paul discusses some wonderful truths, gives us directions to follow in light of those truths, and expresses his desire for us as believers.

Then we come to the third chapter, and that familiar word "therefore". So, having established all of these wonderfully encouraging facts, we are then told to "keep seeking the things above", and to set our minds on "the things above." It got me to thinking: what exactly are those "things above" that I ought to be seeking and thinking about? I'm quite sure Paul didn't mean that we are to daydream about angels floating around a big throne where Jesus is seated, as in the picture above. So what does he mean?

In Chapter 2, he seems to me to be comparing the "mindset" of the world to a heavenly one. He contrasts worldly thinking with the mind of Christ, and legalistic bondage to freedom in Christ. In fact, when I consider it, I can only conclude that "things above" must refer to Christ, and what He represents to us. Look at all that is said about Him in chapter two:

He is God's mystery, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (vs.2,3)
We are rooted and being built up in Him (vs.7)
He is our gauge of truth, against what we hear in the world (vs.8)
In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (vs.9)
We are made complete in Him (vs. 10)
He is the head over all rule and authority (vs. 10)
In Him and by Him we were circumcised, that is the removal of the body of the flesh (vs.11)
We were buried with Him in baptism (vs. 12)
We were raised up with Him through faith (vs. 12)
He made us alive with Him, when we were spiritually dead (vs. 13)
He forgave all our transgressions (vs. 13)
He cancelled the debt we owed because of our sin (vs. 14)
He has disarmed the rulers and authorities, so that now no one is to act as our judge in regard to food or drink or special days (vs. 15,16)
He has released us from legalistic, religious standards set by men (vs. 23)

Have you ever heard the phrase "too heavenly minded to be any earthly good"? Well, I think that if we are "heavenly minded" in the proper sense, we can only be more effective here on earth. That is, in terms of the eternal purposes of God. Eternity is something that comes to my mind at once when I think of "things above." The eternality of God and His plan for mankind seems to put every other earthly issue into a proper perspective. So too does that amazing verse in Romans chapter eight, that says He is working "all things" together for good. But above all these things there is Jesus Christ, who is more than enough to set our minds on, as He "became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption," (1Cor. 1:30). Surely there is enough there to occupy our minds for a good long time.

What about you? What comes to mind when you think of "things above?"

He Must Increase...

2010-01-09T08:39:00.003-05:00

He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30).

"What is spiritual growth? What is spiritual maturity? What is it to go on in the Lord? I fear we have got mixed ideas about this. Many think that spiritual maturity is a more comprehensive knowledge of Christian doctrine, a larger grasp of scriptural truth, a wider expanse of the knowledge of the things of God; and many such features are recorded as marks of growth, development, spiritual maturity. Beloved, it is nothing of the kind.

The hallmark of true spiritual development and maturity is this, that we have grown so much less and the Lord Jesus has grown so much more. The mature soul is one who is small in his or her own eyes, but in whose eyes the Lord Jesus is great. That is growth. We may know a very great deal, have a wonderful grasp of doctrine, of teaching, of truth, even of the Scriptures, and yet be spiritually very small, very immature, very childish. (There is all the difference between being childish and child-like.) Real spiritual growth is just this: I decrease, He increases. It is the Lord Jesus becoming more. You can test spiritual growth by that."

From: The Cross and the Way of Life - Chapter 4 by T. Austin Sparks

The above has got me to thinking....I agree with it, yet it leaves me wondering...Can we have spiritual growth without scriptural knowledge of Jesus Christ? No, I don't think we can. Yet in our seeking out the truth of who He is, we can make that intellectual understanding our pursuit instead of knowing the Person of Jesus. It may take only a little head knowledge of Christ to give great heart growth, while a mind filled with facts can sometimes block the way to the heart.

Remember when you were first saved? How much did you know "about" Him then? Not much, if you were like me. But that little that I did know made Him so huge in my heart. He was all that I thought about. My love for Him sprang up into a beautiful tree, from such a small seed of understanding. And then again, there were times in my walk that I have let chasing after understanding of truth eclipse that simple, child-like wonder and trust that I had in Him. Like all things, I guess it is something that has to be constantly checked, and kept in a balance. The bottom line for me is, I wouldn't trade what I know of Him experientially for all the intellectual understanding of Him in the world.

GOD WITH US

2009-12-24T08:49:00.005-05:00

Winter is upon us! Up until recently, it looked as though we would be having a green Christmas. Now a sudden blanket of snow suggests the opposite. No matter what the weather, however, the season and all that it entails, is always celebrated with the usual enthusiasm.

Of all the images that surface this time of year, my favourite is the nativity. I love nativity scenes, and the Christmas Story. I love thinking about that time, when Mary gave birth to Jesus; she knew He was special and not just any baby. The angel had come to her and explained what His role would be:
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:31-32)

Mary’s husband Joseph also had an angelic visitation, in a dream. The angel spoke to reassure him that he should proceed with his marriage to Mary:
“She will bear a Son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 2: 21)

The prophet Isaiah spoke also of Jesus, foretelling His birth: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us)” Isaiah 7:14

Imagine, God coming to us in the form of a tiny baby! But the story does not end at that stable in Bethlehem. We love to gaze on that scene, on baby Jesus, so sweet and helpless. But that babe grew up; a man, yet fully God. He walked with humankind, and experienced life as they did. He was Almighty God, yet left the glory of that position to show us what God is like. Not only that, but He gave His own life in payment for the sins of the world.

This is Protection??????

2009-11-28T22:14:00.010-05:00

I don't know about you, but all the hoopla around H1N1 has had me spinning. At the end of it all, I chose not to get the vaccine. My feeling is that the whole thing has been blown out of proportion, and it might be riskier to get the shot than to risk getting the virus. I just don't trust "the powers that be" or the media to present all the facts.

What about you? What are your thoughts? Take a moment to share them in the comments section. I would be really interested to hear them.

A Dream Comes True

2009-11-26T09:55:00.004-05:00

There was a miracle in my family recently. Thirty-four years ago, my then fifteen year old sister had a baby boy. She chose to place him for adoption. Since then, she has wondered about him, and that wondering evolved into a desperate desire to find him. Her situation was made more poignant by the fact that she was never able to have another child.

Over the years she has tried every avenue to find out where he was. Some weeks ago, she finally discovered his adoptive name. Greatly encouraged, she searched countless online resources, and placed ads everywhere that she could think of. But frustratingly, there were no results. Finally, at the end of her rope with desperation, she called out to God, tearfully pleading with Him to find this son that, though she had not seen him since birth, she loved. Two days later she received an email.

It turns out that this son, Jason, had been searching for her all along. His wife, on a sudden impulse, had simply “googled” his name, and there before her was an ad my sister had placed on Kijiji. She immediately emailed my sister, and you can imagine the rest of the story. Needless to say, our entire family is elated, and rejoicing with my sister.

God has blessed me with three children. Though she is a mom also, my sister cannot relate to me in so far as what it is like to raise a child. On the other hand, I cannot begin to enter into her experience of having finally found a child that she never knew, yet longed to have in her life. He was, in practical terms, “lost” to her. At times, she wondered if he were even still alive. The joy she has now is something that I can only look at from a distance, and I thank God for His mercy in her situation.

Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep. A man who had a hundred sheep lost one of them. He left the ninety-nine others and searched for the lost one until he found it. When he came home, he called his friends and neighbours to rejoice with him. Jesus compares that one lost sheep to someone who turns to Him for forgiveness:

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

Having witnessed my sister’s joy, I can begin to imagine the joy in God’s heart whenever someone trusts in Jesus Christ, and a soul is saved for all eternity.

What's Controlling You?

2009-11-18T22:59:00.005-05:00

I had a bit of an epiphany last night. While chatting with friends, the subject of a certain television series came up. One of the ladies present said that she had purchased the series, having heard that it was quite good. It chronicled the marriages of Henry VIII of England, and all the political intrigue that went along with them. This lady admitted that she hadn't watched television in about three years, for various reasons. She brought the dvds home and suggested to her husband that they watch an episode. Not long into the program, a rather explicit sex scene unfolded. She fast forwarded the dvd, hoping that there would be no more. Alas, along came another one. They stopped the dvd, and didn't watch any further.

My friend was shocked at the sexual content of this program. She returned to Walmart, and expressed this to the clerk, stating that it was nothing short of pornographic. She couldn't believe that this type of thing would be allowed on televisoin. At first I was tempted to think that she was exaggerating. Then I realized that she was right on.

The first time that I watched the same program, I was shocked by the sexual content. I decided that I wouldn't watch any further episodes. But as is too often the case, I found myself tuning in again. I justified this by telling myself that having no cable or satellite, I didn't have much of a choice in programming. Also, I reasoned that perhaps the next episode wouldn't have such blatant sexual scenes. I was wrong.

As I sat and listened to my friend express her shock, I was convicted of how lax I had become around what I was watching on televison. Not only television programs, but movies that I rented or borrowed from the Library. All too often, they were filled with cursing, violence and sex.

In the morning of the same day, I had listened to an interview on a Christian radio station. A woman author was talking about her book. In it, she encourages parents to do all that they can to guard their children from being polluted by the influence of a morally bankrupt worldview. She told of how parents were so shocked to find that their young sons were viewing pornography on the Internet. "What do they expect? Garbage in, garbage out," was her response. She was referring to the influence of televison and movies on children and teens today. Sexual content has become commonplace, and we are being de-sensetized to it.

Thinking about these things has brought me to a resolution to be stricter about what I allow myself to take in, when it comes to televison and movies. My flesh doesn't object to mindless consumption of garbage from the idiot box, but I know from past experience that whatever I watch is automatically saved in my memory bank.

There seems to be no limit to the crudeness and blatant sexual innuendo that is allowed on televison today. It's not only the children that need to have their minds protected; we adults have to make sure we choose wisely what we allow to enter through our eyes and ears. So much of what is on television and in movies today is nothing but sin in action; we accept as "normal" what God finds offensive and an abomination. I don't know about you, but I think I had better find other things to occupy myself with for "relaxation". There doesn't seem to be much on televsion that is edifying or glorifying to God these days.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Rom. 4:8

So Happy Together

2009-10-19T11:09:00.002-04:00

Recently I attended the New England House Church Conference in Putnam, Connecticut. It started on Friday evening and finished up on Saturday evening, and was well worth the 9 hour drive each way. New friends were made, questions answered, and there was fun had by all. I’m so glad that I went. Not only did I gain a clearer understanding of what God’s intentions are for His body here on earth, but as an incredible bonus, I took a huge leap in my apprehension of God as my Father.

My travelling companions and I have been friends for at least 8 years. God has kindly brought us together to encourage and support each other. They are friends that I can just be myself with, and that is a great blessing. Always when we are together, we laugh a lot. We tease and kid one another, tell really bad jokes, act like fools, and freely express our love for each other. These relationships are so precious to me.

During our drive home, we listened to a tape by Beresford Job, who spoke at the conference. He was describing God as our Father, and explaining that the primary thing that God desired from us, His church, was our love. He wants us to show Him that we love Him. Of course, this love we ought to have for Him involves obedience. But that is not the total definition of it. In Matthew 22, verse 37, Jesus explains the greatest commandment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

As I listened to Beresford quote scripture, and talk about God’s love toward us, His children, it was as though I had a new glimpse of the Father heart of God. Something in me relaxed. Something that had perhaps all my life been held at arm’s length, cowering, afraid to step forward. I dared to view God the Father as a REAL father, and not just as my Father in name only.

I have heard it said many times that we can impose aspects of our relationship with our earthly father onto that with our Heavenly Father. My dad was an alcoholic. Life at my house was interspersed either with outbursts of anger, or tense silences filled with anticipation of those outbursts. Perhaps it was growing up in that atmosphere that has stunted my understanding of actually being the child of a God Who loves unconditionally. Or maybe it was the strict, graceless religion of the teaching I received from the Catholic Church. God was represented for me by that shadowy figure of a priest behind a screen in the dark confession box. I crept in there with fear and trepidation, hoping I had remembered all of my sins, then slunk out to say my “penance”. Any peace of soul was shortlived, as I strove to appease the God of my understanding, who continually observed me from a distance, tracking my every misdemeanor on some great celestial clipboard that He held.

As a Christian, I know that I carried this performance-based attitude with me. Even though I understood the truth that I was saved by grace alone, I still struggled with trying to measure up as a Christian. Leaving the institutional church has alleviated a great deal of that pressure, but still, in my innermost being, I have found it difficult to realize experientially the acceptance that I have with my Father in Heaven in Christ. I choose to believe what Scripture says about Him, but don't often have a true heart realization of these truths. He is not a distant, demanding, critical Father whose love and acceptance comes and goes. He is the father that ran to meet the returning prodigal son. He is not that faceless priest who listens silently while I mumble out a list of sins, and then hands out my “sentence” in a matter of fact way. He is “Abba, Daddy” that I cry out to, and pour out my soul to. He loves me the same way that He loves His Son, since I am included in Christ, accepted in Him.

As we neared the end of our homeward journey from the conference, the night sky was dark, and dotted with brilliant pinpoints of shining stars. Praise music played on the radio, and any conversation was quiet. I laid my head back and gazed out the window, reflecting on the greatness of a God who had hung each star, and knew each by name. It occurred to me that as His children, we were like a bunch of kids who were coming home from a day at the beach, or the fair; all tuckered out, happy to just be together, content after a day of play, food and fun. I imagined Him gazing down at us, delighted in our joy at being together. I had a sense of His pleasure at our pleasure.

John Piper coined the phrase “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” That night I really caught the truth of that thought. Because we were satisfied in Him. All of our joy, fellowship and pleasure was because of Him; His Spirit in us, His love for us, our love for one another. And we knew it. It was an unspoken truth, but one that I know we would all agree on. He has knit us together in love, with each other, and with Him. Our fellowship is IN Him, through His Son. Joint heirs with Jesus, we are His children, loved with a perfect love.

Walking By Faith

2009-09-26T13:57:00.003-04:00

This is a devotional from "Streams in the Desert." I thought it was quite good, and one that I'm sure many can relate to.

"We walk by faith, not by appearance." (2 Cor. 5:7, R.V)

By faith, not appearance; God never wants us to look at our feelings. Self may want us to; and Satan may want us to. but God wants us to face facts, not feelings; the facts of Christ and of His finished and perfect work for us.

When we face these precious facts, and believe them because God says they are facts, God will take care of our feelings.

God never gives feeling to enable us to trust Him; God never gives feeling to encourage us to trust Him; God never gives feeling to show that we have already and utterly trusted Him.

God gives feeling only when He sees that we trust Him apart from all feeling, resting on His own Word, and on His own faithfulness to His promise.

Never until then can the feeling (which is from God) possibly come; and God will give the feeling in such a measure and at such a time as His love sees best for the individual case.

We must choose between facing toward our feelings and facing toward God's facts. Our feelings may be as uncertain as the sea or the shifting sands. God's facts are as certain as the Rock of Ages, even Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

(Author unknown)

For The Least of These..............

2009-09-14T16:30:00.004-04:00

I gave twenty dollars to a stranger today. He was standing at a busy intersection, holding a cardboard sign that said "broke and hungry." This is a common practice in my city. Sometimes it is a young woman, sometimes a young man, or maybe both. The fellow today looked fairly down and out. He wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a skull motif, and had many tatoos. A heavy backpack completed his outfit.

These folks make me uncomfortable when I come across them. My first impulse is usually to open my wallet to give them some money. If my husband is with me, I don't do this. He is convinced that they are all drug addicts or alcoholics looking for a fix. Or people with jobs who are making extra money. So, knowing this, I hesitate. Lots of times I just drive by. But today, even though I am going through some financial hardship myself, I decided to stop and talk to the guy. I knew I had the twenty dollar bill in my wallet, and some small change. I thought that even though things were tight for myself, at least I had a home and food in the fridge.

I asked him what was going on with him. He told me a story about being injured on the job, coming from Kingston, waiting for Worker's Compensation, thinking about going out west to find a job. Of course, I had no way of knowing if he was lying to me or not. So I handed him the twenty dollar bill and said "God bless you." He thanked me, said "God bless you too." Then he walked away.

As I waited for the light to turn green, I watched him walk over to a bicycle, hop on it and ride away. A little dog ran alongside him. For all I know, he could have been heading for the Beer Store, which was just across the street. I didn't bother to "tail" him, however. If that is where he went, I didn't want to know.

I wonder if it is our pride that makes us hesitate to give money to these people. We don't want to be taken advantage of, or be "taken in" by some kind of scam. Or perhaps we don't want to risk being an "enabler" to someone's addiction. I only know that there must be some truly desperate, needy people out there, among the "fakers". I only know that I have been so incredibly blessed in my life, and that it might have been me, or my son, or my daughter, out there on some street corner, trying to survive in desperate circumstances.

Of course, I always have to ask myself, "what does God want me to do?" I think He would want me to share what I have been blessed with, and leave the results up to Him. What about you? Do you have any similar experiences to share? Any thoughts?

Not Finished Yet.............

2009-09-10T10:01:00.006-04:00

I received some very disappointing news the other day. Not totally unexpected, but I really was hoping for a different outcome. It has threatened to plunge me into an abyss of hopelessness. But I keep clawing my way back up. I don't want to go there.

I read this verse from a daily devotional this morning:

"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." (Psalm 138:8)

The reading was about how God uses suffering to bring us into a place of peaceful submission to His will, after which He will do a great work in us. To quote:

"Oh, the blessedness of being absolutely conquered! of losing our own strength, and wisdom, and plans, and desires, and being where every atom of our nature is like placid Galilee under the omnipotent feet of our Jesus."

Sounds glorious, doesn't it? I can read those types of quotes on a good day and agree with them. But when I am in the midst of a struggle, I say to myself "just wake me up when it's over!" Do you ever feel that way?

Still, we are in His hands, no matter what the circumstance is. We are in process. Just like the young cardinal above, who has a long way to go before he is a glorious red color, we are growing in Christ-likeness. God is doing a work; not outwardly to make us a brilliant crimson against a blue sky, but to perfect in us a sweet smelling savor that will draw the lost, and an inward brightness to be lights in a dark world.

Thou Remainest (Heb. 1:11)

2009-09-07T09:46:00.004-04:00

I love getting together with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We meet on Sunday mornings, and it seems we are lingering later and later each week. No one really wants to leave. As I have heard said, being with each other to remember Christ and worship Him is the closest thing to heaven that we can experience here on earth.

Yesterday was no exception. We all shared; our struggles, our convictions, our joy in knowing that God's grace is there for each of us, every moment. We shared words of life and encouragement, and sat in awe of how God is working amongst us, giving us such a love for each other, and a desire to know Him more and more.

Every week I am challenged. Every week I am edified. Every week I come away with a renewed confidence in God's promises, with my heart stirred up afresh. Oh how I want to stay in that place of happy submission and dependence on Him! But the world, my flesh, and the devil so soon creep in, threatening to wash it all away, like a sand castle at the beach is slowly dissolved by the approaching tide.

Yesterday I read from my daily devotional, "Streams in the Desert". It spoke of the difference between "realizing" Christ's presence and "recognizing" it. I will quote some of it here:

"Realizing is blessed, but rare. It belongs to the mood, to the feelings. It is dependent on weather conditions and bodily conditions. The rain, the heavy fog outside, the poor sleep, the twinging pain, these make on's mood so much, they seem to blur out the realizing. But there is something a little higher up than relaizing. It is yet more blessed. It is independent of these outer conditions, it is something that abides. It is this: recognizing that presence unseen, so wondrous and quieting, so soothing and calming and warming. Recognize His presence, the Master's own. He is here, close by; His presence is real. Recognizing will help realizing too, but it never depends on it. - S.D. Gordon (Streams in the Desert, September 6th)

I was so encouraged by these words. I hope they encourage you today, to remember that no matter how we are feeling, or what circumstances we are in at the moment, He is there. Never to leave nor forsake. When our thoughts stray from Him, still His remain on us, and His care of us never wavers. Be certain of it today.

When Things are Right

2009-09-01T21:32:00.003-04:00

Can anything be more precious in life,
Than a heart that is right with the LORD?

Could money obtain, secure, or regain,
The rest only grace can afford?

An apple, so shiny, and bright red, with candy,
Can sparkle and catch the eye

But hidden within, are bruises, like sin,
That fester unseen, and defile.

O joy of knowing His forgiving embrace,
Of meeting His gaze without shame.

Much dearer and priceless, more lovely by far,
Than all idols your heart longed to claim.

O LORD grant us grace, these lessons to learn,
Us who are dull, fickle, and vain.

We long to be like you, our heart next to yours,
With nary a blemish or stain.

Teach us our weakness, our proneness to fail,
So daily we might look to You,

For strength and discernment, and grace, to prevail,
In striving to be, like You, true.

Reward here and now, in knowing You near,
So rich, undeserved, and so sweet;

To think that there waits, in heaven, for us,
Delights that we have yet to meet.

But may we look forward, in all of our hope,
Most often, most deeply, with love,

To the moment, and moments, forever to come,
Seeing You, face to face, at last Home.

To Each One is Given......

2009-08-30T15:53:00.007-04:00

I believe that one of the most tragic and disabling lies that has been swallowed by many Christians is that the so called "Sign" Gifts of the Holy Spirit were not meant to be used or manifested in this present day. I believe that Satan is behind this diabolical plot to render the church at once powerless, and laughable, in the eyes of the world.

My "church" background is varied. Raised Roman Catholic, I attended a Pentecostal Church for 6 years, and then a Brethren chapel. I was involved in the extreme end of the "charismatic" movement for a time, and God showed me some of the deception involved there. Since we are people of extremes, I then swung to the other end of the pendulum, ending up in a Brethren environment. There, I was in huge conflict over the gifts of the Spirit. They were taught to be for a time only, in New Testament days, and that one should not be seeking them. Confusion reigned in me, since I knew that I was receiving much truth in other areas, such as the sovereignty and holiness of God. Could they be right about these things, and so wrong about others? I tried to convince myself that they were right, but I know now that the Holy Spirit was being quenched inside of me.

Currently I am part of a home church group. We have been meeting for less than a year, some joining only recently, and we are still in awe of how God is working in our midst. We are learning what it means to have freedom in Christ, unhindered by tradition and standards set by man. We are sharing our homes and hearts, learning and growing together into our Head, Jesus Christ. We praise God for what He is doing.

This morning we were commenting on what we each have brought to our group; the differences in personalities, knowledge of the Bible, and other areas. I can see that God has selected each one of us to be together, to be this local body for Him on earth. We are taking baby steps, and still shedding some of the wrong understanding of what being the church should look like.

Recent teaching I have heard has been on the Gifts of the Spirit. The teaching was low key, matter of fact, and for the first time, I heard this topic taught simply, as it appears on the pages of scripture. There were no hermeneutical hoops that were jumped through. No complicated intrepretation of verses. Some Greek words were explained. But essentially, the end result was that I finally understood what the gifts were, what their purpose is, and how we are to seek and use them. Not in the flashy, weird way that I have seen the so-called gifts used in the past. But in a Spirit directed, orderly fashion. For the edification of the church. As a way for God to reveal Himself to the unbelieving world. For the empowerment of God's people, so that they might do those works that He has prepared in advance for them to do. For the Glory of God.

In retrospect, I see what has happened as a result of these gifts being refused and misunderstood. The Pentecostal movement saw a return of them. Sadly, we see today a variety of "falsified" manifestations of the Spirit; either born of the flesh, or perpetrated by Satan, who can disguise himself as an angel of light. At the other end of the spectrum, we see large amounts of brothers and sisters being hoodwinked by the lie that I mention in the first paragraph. In that arena, we have traded them in for man made structures and systems, programs and policies, in an attempt to produce what only God's Spirit can. In both cases, the body of Christ is losing out. We are not appropriating what is there for us. All of Heaven is open to us! God is prepared, and longs to, reveal Himself through us. Instead, for the most part, we are powerless, worldy and ineffective in the world around us.

But I have hope. God is coming back for His spotless bride. He will tear down the structures we have built in our attempts to replace what we have cheated ourselves of. He will gather all of His sheep, and He will once again work powerfully through His people. One at a time. Praise His Name forever.

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Sprit for the common good." (1Cor. 12:4-7)

Here Comes the Bride

2009-08-29T09:49:00.003-04:00

The summer months are a popular time for weddings. So are September and October, when the brilliant colors of the changing leaves make a beautiful setting for wedding photos. My own wedding was in October. It seems a long time ago now, but I still remember the planning, and the anticipation leading up to that day.

Weddings are momentous occasions, and so much hinges on all things flowing together smoothly, to make that perfect day that every bride dreams of. She works and plans for months to prepare, not only for the ceremony and the reception, but to make herself ready. Picking out “the dress” is a particularly important piece of the preparations, as the bride tends to be the focus of the day. She is slowly led up the aisle to meet her waiting husband to be. All eyes are on her. She has longed and waited and prepared for this day, this moment. She has bathed and had hair, face and nails done. She wants to look her absolute best for the man she loves.

In the Bible, God’s church is compared to a Bride, and Jesus Christ is compared to a Bridegroom. Instructions are given for husbands: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” (Eph. 5:25)

In giving His life for His bride, Jesus Himself made it possible that she would be ready for the wedding day: “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Eph. 5:26, 27)

In the Book of Revelation, we read about the marriage of the Lamb (Christ) to His bride, and a reception: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come…..Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Rev. 19:7, 9)

When I attend a wedding, I love to sneak a look at the face of the groom as he watches his betrothed come up the aisle. Often, his face will show the emotions of the moment: tenderness, love, anticipation. Who can imagine the emotions that will be displayed on the Savior’s face, as He greets His Bride, at the wedding that has been anticipated since the beginning of time? I so long for that day, and so hope that I will see you there.

Squeaky Clean

2009-08-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

At my workplace we once had a week long promotion around infection control, with the importance of hand washing being highlighted. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to wash one’s hands. And it is the number one method of preventing the spread of germs.

In the last decade or so, the war against germs has intensified, both in public buildings and private homes. Antiseptic hand cleansers are everywhere. Cleaning products and personal hygiene products no longer simply clean; they also promise to kill 99% of household germs, or whatever little critters might be hiding out on your hands or between your teeth. Seems we just can’t get clean enough!

Yet in spite of this “germ warfare”, the widespread use of antibiotics, and an ever increasing variety of vaccines, we are still faced with more and more virulent forms of viruses and infections throughout the world today. We sterilize, immunize, and sanitize, yet seem to be losing ground in our efforts to combat an ever growing list of dangerous pathogens.

Another trend is to fast, or cleanse the body of unhealthy “build up” by using a variety of diets and products. We have air purifiers for our homes, buy bottled water by the gallon, look for food grown without pesticide use and organically fed animal products. We live in a world with poisoned air, water and soil, and are continually searching out ways to avoid polluting our bodies with the never ending list of contaminants that we are surrounded with.

When I consider all these things, I can’t help but think of what the Bible says about our “inward” selves; our hearts. Jesus criticized the “religious” leaders of His day. They were all about doing the right things, following rituals of washing and fasting, and looking respectable outwardly. Yet He saw that their hearts were the main problem, and had this to say to them, “…you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self indulgence…first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also” (Matthew 23:25-26 NASB.)

Jesus knew the importance of having a “clean” heart. Our bodies are temporary tents to eternal souls. He knows that no earthly “product” or method will ever be able to give us clean hearts; He is the only One Who can.

“Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:7,10)

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T14:14:00.001-04:00

Today is Mother's Day. One of those "Hallmark" days when cards and flowers are almost mandatory expressions of love from sons and daughters to their mothers. In my family, we don't have any hard and fast traditions that we adhere to in terms of celebratory get togethers. Schedules and locales don't always allow for everyone to be together at the "right" time, and so whatever day I can see any of my children or grandchildren is special to me. Having them all together is indeed rare, and so we arrange this whenever opportunities present themselves.

This year, I received a card and gift from one child out of three. Am I disappointed? No way. As I drove my son to the bus station today after a three day visit, he said "oh yeah, today is Mother's Day." I guess it wasn't a priority for him to remember the day, let alone buy me a card. He was apologetic about this, but I told him that having him for a visit was a gift in itself. And he knows I meant it.

When they were small, my kids all made the usual "treasures" and hand made cards in school for Mother's Day. I wish I had kept more of them. Those days seem so long ago, and I often wish I could go back and relive just a few of those precious times.

Being a mom is a gift in itself. Lots of women aren't able to have children who want them desperately. God blessed me with three. Every day is "Mother's Day", because every day is a day I know they are out there, grown up now, and making their way in the world.

Being a mother doesn't end when they grow up and leave home. They don't always make the choices that I would want them to, and this is sometimes hard to watch. Yet I have the wonderful privilege and blessing of lifting them up to my Father in Heaven, and asking Him to bless and keep them, and to bring them into His family. I can no longer watch over them and make sure they are safe, but He can. So I lift them up today, and trust that He will. I thank Him for them, and for the awesome privilege of being their mother, every day.

The Cost of Living

2009-04-06T11:39:00.002-04:00

Nowadays, the media is full of commentaries regarding the cost of living, including reports on the price of energy, food, housing, medical care, transportation, education, and of course, daily accounts of the fluctuating value of our Canadian dollar. To us, the term “cost of living” applies strictly to what we have to pay for our everyday “goods and services”, those things which we see as necessities of life, and what income bracket we will need to be in to enjoy our desired lifestyle.

In spiritual terms, however, the Bible has much to say about living that is in no way connected to material things. Scripture speaks repeatedly about the life of our soul. There is another life to be lived, an eternal one. It is available at, amazingly, no cost at all to us. But, as most of us have learned through experience, there is nothing in life that is truly “free.” Whenever we see that term used in an advertisement for some product, we immediately realize that there must be a cost somewhere for the deal that we are being offered.

God’s offer of eternal life is indeed free to each person who will receive it by faith in Jesus Christ, and what He did on our behalf, by taking the punishment we deserve for our sin. But He paid the price for this life, for the debt incurred by our sin, the cost for the “living” that will go on forever, and not end when our physical bodies reach the limit of their endurance. This price is one we could never pay; “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6.)

Life keeps us busy, and we all are focused on the here and now, with its many demands. At this time of year, tradition turns our attention once more to the universal symbol of Christianity, the Cross of Christ. As we go through each day, “making our living”, and attending to all the details of life, it reminds us of the ultimate price that was paid, for the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23.)

Originally published as an article in "The Millbrook Times"

Long Time No See

2009-03-25T08:54:00.005-04:00

Thought I should pop in and say hello. I haven't been visiting the Blogosphere much lately. I have been focusing in other directions; some of necessity, others by choice. Plus I am finding it difficult these days to put my thoughts down. But will give it a try here.

There is one theme, though, that I have been dwelling on. I have been away from work for over 4 months now. It doesn't seem possible. In some ways I am disappointed that I have had so much free time, and accomplished so little. But when I really think about it, this time has been a gift, straight from the Father of Lights.

Did you ever want to start over? If your life has been lived on a treadmill, the way mine has for years, I'm sure the thought must have occurred to you. To pull the plug. Hit the emergency "STOP" button. To yell "somebody get me off this thing!" Anyhow, that is how I have felt for a long time. I was going through the days, the weeks, the months, the years, feeling pushed from behind and pulled from every direction. No time to think. No time to rest. No time to listen to what Holy Spirit might be saying to me. I heard many other voices; from friends, family, the media, colleagues, teachers and preachers and writers. I tried to keep up with them all; all the demands, advice, perceived (on my part) expectations. It was like trying to dance to 6 different songs at the same time. I'm not placing blame, only on myself. I'm the one that let my Father's voice be drowned out. I'm the one that jumped through all the hoops, and stopped running into His arms.

So now I am in a better place, I think. Even though I am not "well" by some standards. I am finding peace. I am finding contentment. I am living at a slower speed, and letting myself be gently led, instead of frantically trying to "keep up". It's a new way to be, and it has been a difficult adjustment. But I am grateful, oh so grateful, to have this opportunity. I pray that much will be accomplished on the inside of me, even as I sort through the tangible aspects of life, clearing away the clutter, and finding that sweet, simple, easy rest that is to be ours in Christ.

I pray too that if you are feeling the pressures of this world, that you will ask our Lord to show you how to shut out all voices save His, so He can show you that easy yoke, and light burden, that He will share with you.

Grace and Peace from our Lord Jesus Christ to you all.

Praising Jesus

2009-02-15T09:41:00.002-05:00

I am cheating a lot these days. Can't seem to get my thoughts down very well. So here is something from C.H. Spurgeon; he always says it better than I ever could.

"To him be glory both now and forever."
-- 2 Peter 3:18

Heaven will be full of the ceaseless praises of Jesus. Eternity! thine
unnumbered years shall speed their everlasting course, but forever and
for ever, "to him be glory." Is he not a "Priest for ever after the
order of Melchizedek"? "To him be glory." Is he not king for ever?-King
of kings and Lord of lords, the everlasting Father? "To him be glory
for ever."

Never shall his praises cease. That which was bought with
blood deserves to last while immortality endures. The glory of the
cross must never be eclipsed; the lustre of the grave and of the
resurrection must never be dimmed. O Jesus! thou shalt be praised for
ever. Long as immortal spirits live-long as the Father's throne
endures-for ever, for ever, unto thee shall be glory.

Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying him now? The apostle's words are, "To him be glory both now and for ever." Will you not this day make it your prayer?

"Lord, help me to glorify thee; I am poor, help me to glorify thee by contentment; I am sick, help me to give thee honour by patience; I have talents, help me to extol thee by spending them for thee; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but thine, and glow with no flame but affection for thee; I have a head to think,Lord, help me to think of thee and for thee; thou hast put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into thy treasury; I am all thine; take me, and enable me to glorify thee now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have."

Wonderful reminders, are they not?

The Rest of Christ

2009-02-05T09:50:00.003-05:00

"Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden--and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

There is also a FUTURE rest beyond any that can be experienced here, though our best conceptions are most inadequate of the glory awaiting the people of God.

In Heaven, there shall be a perfect resting from all of our sins--for nothing shall ever enter there, which could either defile or disturb our peace. The Christian yearns to be done with sin forever--that there may never again be anything in his heart or life dishonoring unto the One who has redeemed him at such infinite cost. He pants for perfect conformity to the image of Christ, and for unbroken fellowship with Him.

What it will mean to be delivered from indwelling corruptions--no mortal tongue can tell. The plague of their hearts is a constant occasion of grief to the saints--as long as they are left in this wilderness of sin. It is a burden under which they groan, and from which they long to be delivered. The closer a believer's walk with the Lord, and the more intimate his communion with Him--the more bitterly he bewails that sin within him, which is ever fighting against his endeavors after holiness. Therefore it was, that the Apostle cried out, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death!" (Romans 7:24) But blessed be God, we shall not carry this burden beyond the grave--the hour of death will free us from all indwelling evil.

In Heaven, there will be perpetual rest from all our afflictions. Though afflictions are needful for us in this present scene, and when sanctified to us are also profitable; nevertheless they are grievous to bear. But a day is coming when such tribulations will no longer be necessary, for all the dross shall have been purged from the gold. The storms of life will all be behind, and an unbroken calm shall be the believer's portion forever and ever!

Where there shall be no more sin--there shall be no more sorrow! "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes! And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!" Revelation 21:4

"Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then I would fly away, and be at rest!" Psalm 55:6

(Arthur Pink)

"Your Heavenly Father"

2009-01-26T08:53:00.001-05:00

Matthew 6:26

God's people are doubly his children, they are his offspring by creation, and they are his sons by adoption in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call him, "Our Father which art in heaven."

Father! Oh, what precious word is that. Here is authority: "If I be a Father, where is mine honour?" If ye be sons, where is your obedience? Here is affection mingled with authority; an authority which does not provoke rebellion; an obedience demanded which is most cheerfully rendered-which would not be withheld even if it might.

The obedience which God's children yield to him must be loving obedience. Do not go about the service of God as slaves to their taskmaster's toil, but run in the way of his commands because it is your Father's way. Yield your bodies as instruments of righteousness, because righteousness is your Father's will, and his will should be the will of his child.

Father!-Here is a kingly attribute so sweetly veiled in love, that the King's crown is forgotten in the King's face, and his sceptre becomes, not a rod of iron, but a silver sceptre of mercy-the sceptre indeed seems to be forgotten in the tender hand of him who wields it.

Father!-Here is honour and love. How great is a Father's love to his children! That which friendship cannot do, and mere benevolence will not attempt, a father's heart and hand must do for his sons. They are his offspring, he must bless them; they are his children, he must show himself strong in their defence. If an earthly father watches over his children with unceasing love and care, how much more does our heavenly Father?

Abba, Father! He who can say this, hath uttered better music than cherubim or seraphim can reach. There is heaven in the depth of that word-Father! There is all I can ask; all my necessities can demand; all my wishes can desire. I have all in all to all eternity when I can say, "Father."

C.H. Spurgeon

FREEFALL

2009-01-21T10:23:00.002-05:00

When will the time come when I have every confidence in myself?
Never because I know something of me and there are too many things there to get in the way to sabotage prevent ruin or totally destroy a good result so the best thing to do is to look outside of me and trust Someone else for the outcome.

Consider the lilies of the field.
Just one minute aspect of creation.
There is so much more that cries out to us that there is indeed a Master Designer.
All of creation is waiting confident I am sure of final restoration.
Not like us who fear and tremble in our so small faith.
Sometimes I envy these plants and rocks and fish.
The don’t really have a mind to make up or a wrong wish to resist only following the pattern they are cut out from.

What about faces with no hope?
Eyes that have given up seeing?
They look but don’t expect to find so they miss the whole point of it all.
Can you imagine a sadder story than that of even one life wasted?
Created for glory but bound for destruction.
Oh the tragedy of hope never even dreamed of when it has existed forever!

So many blind eyes and frozen hearts.
What can melt them?
When will they see the beauty of the Truth?
It is a picture I can never paint.
A story I can never tell.
It has to be revealed.
It is too opposite foreign to anyone’s mind or understanding.

Think of something just because it is.
Like air,
breeze,
soft breath on a summer night.
Warm and calm and still like peace coming after a raging battle.
A fierce storm but the wrath of it passes and healing falls in gentle drops of rain that feed instead of crush,
and wind becomes welcome refreshment when it slows down to kiss your face.
It is cool though the air around you is warm.
It is from somewhere else.
It is meant just for you.
Sent just to you for this precise moment, this exact time.
And so you close your eyes to receive it and you know it is because of Love.
And you trust and don’t fear because in an instant you know you realize that you are of much more value than a sparrow,
and this kind of care is nothing like what anyone else could give you.
Why would you look further when you have found this Pearl of Great Price?

Pearls grow in oysters.
What a perfect place to become what they are meant to be.
How many were never yet found and how big will they grow?
As many as are meant to be found will be found.

How many details are there in one life in one moment of time?
Who can fathom it?
Think if it and be humbled.
Who are we to say anything to the Potter?

How many people can you fit into your life?
How many things books jobs projects trips prayers? (Need more of those.)

Can a soul be barren like a desert then spring up with new life?
Babies are fresh and new and they mean hope.
But it doesn’t always end well.
We all started out that way.
How many miss the only thing that matters.

What if all our thoughts were recorded instantly?
Wow that would be a big book.
How many of them have true meaning or value?
I remember when I just wanted to have mattered.
To make a difference.
Otherwise what is the point?
Like an old gravestone with words no longer legible.
That is how most lives are.
Come and gone all for nothing.
How many really made a difference for eternity.
That’s all there is to hope for surely.

It's All About Jesus

2009-01-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion."
-- Revelation 14:1

The apostle John was privileged to look within the gates of heaven, and in describing what he saw, he begins by saying, "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!" This teaches us that the chief object of contemplation in the heavenly state is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." Nothing else attracted the apostle's attention so much as the person of that Divine Being, who hath redeemed us by his blood. He is the theme of the songs of all glorified spirits and holy angels.

Christian, here is joy for thee; thou hast looked, and thou hast seen the Lamb. Through thy tears thine eyes have seen the Lamb of God taking away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little while, when thine eyes shall have been wiped from tears, thou wilt see the same Lamb exalted on his throne.

It is the joy of thy heart to hold daily fellowship with Jesus;thou shalt have the same joy to a higher degree in heaven; thou shalt enjoy the constant vision of his presence; thou shalt dwell with him for ever. "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!" Why, that Lamb is heaven itself;for as good Rutherford says, "Heaven and Christ are the same thing;" To be with Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with Christ. That prisoner of the Lord very sweetly writes in one of his glowing letters-
"O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want."

It is true, is it not, Christian? Does not thy soul say so?

"Not all the harps above

Can make a heavenly place,

If God his residence remove,

Or but conceal his face."

All thou needest to make thee blessed, supremely blessed, is "to be with Christ."

(C.H. Spurgeon)

Smile, God Loves You (??)

2009-01-08T11:53:00.007-05:00

There has been a very interesting conversation going on over at William’s (Suppressed Truth in Church and Faith) blog. Lots of great comments. His post is on whether or not there is real evidence of God’s love for us as we go through life, or is His “love” for us simply a means to an end, i.e. carrying out His plan of redemption for His own glory.

Following this dialogue has got me to thinking about the love of God. I am asking myself some questions:

If I can’t believe that God loves me, how will I ever convince an unsaved person that He loves them?

Is it even up to me to make them believe that He loves them? God’s “love” is not the same love that we have for our fellow humans. (For an excellent exposition of “Agape” vs “Phileo” love, see one of Adam’s comments on William’s post.)

How can I prove God's love to persons who are as yet unaware of their true standing before a holy and righteous God?

How can I argue against the reality of sin and suffering in trying to prove that God is loving, when He is able, in His sovereignty, to stop suffering in the world?

In my musing, I was reminded of a situation in my life several years ago. My brother had a son with a girl (I’ll call her Becky). She and my brother did not stay together, and she eventually moved to another city, and became engaged to another man. This little boy (let’s call him Toby) was diagnosed with Leukemia. He began treatments, and many complications ensued, keeping him in hospital for several months. Becky was with him night and day during that time.

I had lost contact with Becky, but started talking to her regularly after I found out about Toby’s illness. He was 5 years old. It was all very difficult and sad. I brought these needs to my church at prayer meetings, and we prayed diligently for him. Several times he was gravely ill, with hemorrhaging, strokes, pneumonia. But he pulled through. We thanked God for bringing him through these crisis. Becky was encouraged, and kept a Bible on Toby’s nightstand. She prayed along with everyone else, and believed God would heal her little boy. (I should add that Becky was not a believer).

Days after his 6th birthday, Toby became well enough that the doctor was allowing him to go home on a pass on the upcoming weekend. Needless to say, all involved were elated. He really was doing better. Becky took a picture of him sitting in a wheelchair and drawing that same day.

Late that night, as Becky was in the hospital room with him, Toby suddenly started to hemorrhage from his nose and mouth. Becky yelled for help, and medical staff worked frantically to save him. All in vain. He bled to death, in front of his mother, his eyes wide with fear as he stared and her, beseeching her to help. This is the last memory she has of him alive.

In the months following his death, Becky and her fiancé moved back to my city. I began visiting her regularly. It came to light that many errors had been made in Toby’s treatment. Becky became consumed with the details surrounding his death, and went through agonies of regret that she had not moved him to another hospital.

In all my visits to her, she confronted me with questions. I am sure you can guess what they were. How could a God of love take a little boy? Why did he bring him through all those times, only to let him die in the end? Why did he let the doctors make so many errors? And guess what? I didn’t know how to answer them.

Becky’s only consolation was that she believed she would see Toby in heaven some day. She asked me what heaven was like. Would Toby be happy there? Would he be missing her as much as she missed him? Her grief knew no bounds, as we can all imagine.

During these months, my church was doing an “outreach” program. It consisted of bringing unsaved people into the church to watch a video and have a discussion around Christianity (no it wasn’t the Alpha Course). The videos were very good in explaining the gospel, including the reality of our sin and need for forgiveness. I asked Becky if she would like to watch the videos, and she agreed. So for many weeks I borrowed the video from church, watched it with her at her apartment, then returned it the following Sunday.

Of course, in hindshight, I realize how ridiculous it was for me to do that. She was in the throes of mourning. She needed to be allowed to grieve. She was still in a state of emotional shock. Her pain was so great, it overwhelmed her mind and her emotions. She was in no position to give thoughtful attention to a series of videos on Christianity. They didn’t explain to her why her little boy was dead.

It's not that I didn't support her in other more practical ways, and just "be there" while she expressed the many painful emotions that she was experiencing. But I did feel a certain pressure to show to her, shomehow, what the love of God really means. I wanted her to see the reality of sin, its consequences, and God’s remedy in Christ. All well intentioned, but foolishly ill-timed.

OK, all this to say that when it comes to “proving” to unsaved persons that God loves them, we are always going to end up presenting a false “God” if we rely on anything but the Cross of Christ to be that proof. If we try to point out His “temporal” blessings, such as providing their needs, keeping them safe, healing their diseases, they will soon come up with ways to prove that in fact He musn’t love them, as so many tragic things are happening. If not to them, then to many, many people in the world. How could this God love people if He allows such suffering?

The title of this blog comes from a bumper sticker that I have seen around town. Whenever I see it, I am irritated; it proclaims a half truth. It needs to say “God loves you, but He is very angry with you because of your sin”, or “God loves you, because” and then a picture of the cross. (Not that I think bumper stickers are a particularly effective way of bringing the message of the gospel).

It seems to me that the best proof of the love of God to unsaved persons is in the Cross. Jesus, as He ministered to people, was kind and loving. Yet for those that came to faith in Him, it was the reality of their sin that brought them there. It was realizing that He was the Pearl of Great Price, worth more than anything this life had to offer, be it riches, comfort, good health or success. It was knowing that Jesus Christ could heal their sick soul, and that was the most urgent need of healing that they had.

Faith in Christ brings about a new perspective; one that is focused on eternity more than on this earthly life. It is only the made alive spiritual man that can understand these things. Otherwise, they are foolishness. Our natural tendency is to have a man-centered theology; a “Me-ology”, putting ourselves in the place of greatest importance; our comfort, our needs, our “happiness” in this life. But scripture gives much credence to the ultimate importance of eternal things. It also re-directs our attention to God as the Supreme Being, and ourselves as His much-less-than-perfect creation.

I see much nowadays in the realm of “Spirituality” that offers a false “God”. It is a god who lives to meet our needs, who loves us like a kind old grandfather, or magical Santa Claus. And when bad things happen? Well, I guess this god just couldn’t quite prevent them, so he likely feels real sorry for us, and so should we, for ourselves. It is a weak, powerless, less than holy god, whose time is spent in trying to prove his “love” to spoiled, self-centred creatures. He does not demand repentance, or obedience, or sacrifice, but lives to bring “happiness” and self-fulfillment. Truly a god of our imagination.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t exhibit the love of Christ to others. There is a patient, compassionate, condescension in the way our Creator views us. Along with the wrath that hangs over our heads, there is a desire on His part that none should perish (2Peter 3:9). Scripture does say that it is His kindness that leads us to repentence:

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

I struggle with this issue a lot. I want to tell people that God loves them. But when they ask me to “prove it”, I know I am in for a debate, unless the Holy Spirit has made ready their heart to hear the good news of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Any thoughts out there??

One of My Favourite Things.............

2009-01-02T12:43:00.004-05:00

This pic should really go with a post on my other blog (Our Best Rest), but it just happened yesterday. Margaret fell asleep snuggling with me. I had to be very still, just sit there for an hour so's not to wake her. Couldn't resist taking a picture, as she fell asleep with her little hands under her chin.

There is nothing more soothing to me than to have a sleeping baby or child in my arms. It's as though their innocent trust and worry free slumber transfers peace to my soul as I cuddle their warm little bodies and feel their tiny chests rise and fall with each breath.

I think of how much I love my children and grandchildren, and I know that my love for them cannot hold a candle to the everlasting love my heavenly Father has for me, and for all His children.

This is how we should live each day. Resting like a sleeping child rests in their mother's/father's arms. A picture of total trust and peace. That is the reality of His love and care for us.

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

(Deut. 33:27a)

Hilarious!!

2008-12-19T08:52:00.001-05:00

Can you relate?????

Remember Summer?????

2008-12-18T17:28:00.000-05:00

This is Margaret, getting cleaned up after playing in a heap of sand. I meant to simply sluice her off with the water, but she jumped right in. What a photo op!!!!!

(Some cute, eh???)

A Christmas Wish

2008-12-17T11:17:00.002-05:00

I’ll spell out in a little rhyme
My wish for you this Christmas time.

This season, special though it be
Is not the only time, you see

To celebrate and praises give
For what God did so we might live.

We love to look with tender eyes
On Baby Jesus, where He lies

And wonder at Him, sweet and mild
This precious, tiny, Saviour Child.

But did you know that even now
He reigns above, and we should bow,

Give worship, honour, and adore;
He’s not a baby anymore!

He grew up like us, so He knew
All that we face; He faced it too!

He knows our greatest need is met
When He forgives our sins, and yet

We still resist, and He must move
To open hearts, and to us prove

That He is all we’ll ever need,
And in us place one tiny seed

Of faith that saves, and holds us fast
Until we see His face at last.

And so my wish, my prayer for you
Is that in grace, He would so do

If you have not Him yet received
Into your heart, then I would plead

That you might please consider then
Long past when Chrismas Season ends

This Jesus Christ, Who owns each day;
He is the Life, the Truth, the Way.

I Miss Christmas

2008-12-16T13:40:00.002-05:00

Christmas holds many memories for me. As a child, I experienced the anticipation and excitement that is common to most children. Lying in bed on Christmas eve, unable to sleep, listening for the sound of reindeer hooves on the roof, imagining what kinds of wonderful presents there might be in the morning. Coming downstairs while it was still dark, to find stockings hung over backs of chairs (we had no mantle to hang them from), usually my dad’s work socks, filled with candy and nuts with an orange in the toe. Seeing my parents’ bedroom door closed in the days leading up to Christmas, knowing my mom was in there wrapping presents in red and green and white tissue paper. My mom up long before us Christmas morning, busy in the kitchen with stuffing and pies. The table set with Christmas themed serviettes and mom’s best dishes, and always a Jell-O salad. The living room linoleum, having been coated with paste wax by mom, brought to a gleam with the electric floor polisher. Decorations hung all around, and of course, the lovely aroma of the Christmas tree filling the air.

There are also memories that aren’t so pleasant. Realizing how hard my mom worked, and how tired she was throughout the whole day. She tried to make the best Christmas that she could for all of us. Memories of when my dad was laid off from his job, and my mom bringing home a bag of toys from the department store where she worked part time. Him telling her she had to take them back, as we couldn’t afford them.

At some point I began to feel guilty about my presents, as they represented her hard work and sacrifice, and I would have rather gone without than see her go through the anxiety and exhaustion every year. Memories, too, of that sad feeling when the day was over. You wanted it to last forever.

When I grew up and had my own family, I think I was more exited than my kids were. I was likely the last one to fall asleep, as I anticipated their joy and excitement in the morning. Hours spent shopping, and wrapping, and planning, and cooking and cleaning. I looked forward to Christmas, but also dreaded it. There was always the pressure to “make” a good Christmas, as though it was all up to me, and in many ways it was. Still, it was a good time with family, and always that indescribable Christmas spirit in the air.

After God saved me, Christmas became something else again. The first time I heard Christmas Carols as a believer, I wept. It was as though I was hearing them for the first time, the words so rich with meaning that I had never grasped before. Christmas became more about Jesus, and less about gifts, though I loved the giving, and the getting too. The best part was sending out cards with scripture, hoping that God would use them to draw friends and family to Himself. I carried on with all the traditions the same as before, only with a new joy in my heart.

Then about 6 years ago, I looked into the origins of Christmas. I discovered that it was originally a pagan feast day. As I investigated one after the other of the roots of most of the Christmas traditions that we observe, I became increasingly upset, and convinced that I should have no part in this pagan holiday. I even wrote a letter to the elders at my church, and an essay on the whole subject.

It was most upsetting to me to come to service one Sunday around that time to see a Christmas tree displayed in the baptismal tank, with curtains pulled back, making it the focal point at the front of the church, almost as an object of worship. Adding insult to injury was the fact that tiny gold crosses were used for ornaments on the tree. I came very close to turning around and leaving, and considered marching to the front and drawing the curtains across to hide the tree. I did stay for the service, but questioned one of the elders about it. I don’t think I was the only one that was upset; the tree was gone the next Sunday.

Those years ago I stopped having a tree, sending cards, or giving presents, save for my grandchildren, which I have been almost ashamed to admit to, given my strong opinions on the whole thing. I don’t put up lights, or any decorations. I have felt in many ways that I would love to take Christ out of Christmas, rather than put Him back in. What has He to do with all of these things? Trees, and presents, and eating and drinking to excess, office parties where His name is never mentioned unless it is a curse or used in a joke, where the women dress in the most revealing outfits they can get away with, and the booze is flowing. What has He to do with buying gifts that no one needs, and going into debt to do it? The churches are filled at Christmas, but these once a year “believers” aren’t there to worship Him, they don’t know Him. Church is just one more tradition that they use, part of the Christmas Spirit that has nothing to do with Jesus.

Every year we go through the same thing. We groan at the thought that Christmas is coming. We have to get ready for Christmas. In my mind I have a picture of Christmas: it is a huge tree with a Santa Head, dangling to do lists of shopping and cooking and cleaning and wrapping. It looms over us all, holding us hostage to its traditions and demands.

For me all of the joy went out of Christmas those years ago. Since then, I have dreaded it, knowing I would have to answer the age old question dozens of times “are you ready for Christmas?” I then explain that I don’t do much shopping, and that it is mostly about having my family around me and celebrating the birth of Christ.

But I miss it. I miss Christmas. The stirrings of Christmas spirit are trying to take over, it seems. I miss knitting and sewing and baking home made gifts. I miss buying and giving gifts to my family and friends. I am weakening, bit-by-bit, year-by-year. In the past two years, I sent out cards again, since it is one time of year that people will be more tolerant of the Christian message. I am now buying gifts for my husband, children and grandchildren. Christmas Carols have a certain power to soften my heart, and I have a growing desire to share Christ with people. Maybe because I see them rushing around in a frenzy of activity, and I know that the Christmas that they celebrate is not based on the “peace with God and good will toward men” that I now have in my own life.

I tend to be black and white in my thinking. I have been quick to throw out the baby with the bathwater in many areas of my life, and Christmas is a major one. So here I am, slowly making my way back to a balance of grace and truth. I don’t think I am giving in to pressure from without; I hope it is not a case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” I believe that it is simply my growing toward grace, and away from an attitude that has been unnecessarily and even detrimentally dogmatic.

I have been thinking about my attitude toward all things Christmas. I realize that it isn't so important what "I" think about it, as how I react to others at this time of year. Do I display the love and grace of Christ? That is what matters. Christmas seems to be here to stay, and I am coming to the conclusion, as I usually do with all struggles in my Christian walk, that it is not tradition, or situations, or other people, that God must change, but rather it is my own heart.

Still The Same?

2008-12-05T09:06:00.001-05:00

I was going through some old notebooks last night, and came across this entry in one of them. At the time, I had been a Christian for three months. Thought I would share with you. (Keep in mind that I worked full time when I wrote this)

August 30/95

AREAS TO WORK ON

Organization of Time/Tasks
· Housework not getting done – laundry, cleaning, cooking
· Not enough quality prayer time/study time
· Not enough exercise time
· Not enough sleep (sometimes)
· Not enough time for people
· Not enough time for “would like to’s”
= Always feeling behind
= Frustration
= Anxiety

Sharing the Gospel

Being a Good Witness

Selfishness, Vanity, Pride, Laziness, Complacency, Doubts, Shyness
= Knowing I have a long way to go

HOW TO FIX

Stop procrastination – do something! Make a list of things that I have to do.

Ongoing:

Housework: laundry
Vacuum/dust
Clean bathroom/floor
Dishes/kitchen
Cooking/lunches
Shopping
Ironing/mending
Bills etc.

Personal: Exercise
Reading
People – visit, phone, write
Sewing/knitting
Time with kids/Dan

God: Prayer
Bible Study
Church

One Time Only:

Basement
Sewing/knitting organized
Clothes organized
Closets/cupboards organized
Carpets cleaned
Walls etc cleaned
Decorating (?)

August 31/95
Today I really wanted to begin to be organized. If the 4 things on my “to do” list, I completed one, and half completed 2. I guess it is a step in the right direction just to make a list. I will try again tomorrow. Having the desk to read and write at really helps.

Work was unusually hectic………I wanted to be calm and efficient, but as usual I ended up feeling rushed and frazzled. No doubt the result of trying to do things on my own, as usual. Today I got into gossip again, and I should have stayed to help Donna with the faxing, but I wanted to get to the 4:45 class at the gym, which I didn’t enjoy a whole lot. But I need to exercise if I want to lose this extra weight.

I hope that this writing every day helps me. I just feel so rushed at work, that when I get home, I don’t even want to think. Tonight I didn’t do much. Katie is going camping, and I don’t want her to go, of course. But I have asked God to keep her safe. Worrying is a hard habit to break. I know I need to spend more time in prayer, and would like to do it in the morning, but can’t make myself get up. Something else to pray for.

Today, as usual, I tried too much on my own, and didn’t trust enough. Something else to pray for. Will try that idea of using index cards.

Dear God: how could any of us even begin to comprehend Your greatness. You know every thought of every person. You have our lives planned before we are born. You can do all things, made the universe, control everything. Yet you still love us so mercifully and patiently. There is nothing or no one to compare You to. You defy description. I am constantly amazed at what you have done for me. That you care so much, have so much patience, when I am continually failing. The harder I try, the more I fail. I am sorry for trying on my own so much, trying to understand and figure things out. Deep down I know you are in control and have a perfect plan. Why must I be so stubborn? My heart wants to bend, but my feeble human mind still clings to the ridiculous notion that all I have to do is try harder and I will have it conquered. Why can’t I just look back and see what you did, and realize that if You can do that for me, You will of course be faithful to follow through. I am so thankful. Thank you for showing me the way. Help me in all these areas. You know that they are. I want to know You more. I am so grateful to you, Jesus.

Reading this now, and typing it out, I could weep. Because of how pressured I felt back then to “perform”. Because I was my own worst enemy. Because, truth be told, I haven’t changed a whole lot. Because I could write all the same things today. In fact, I could add quite a few items to the list. I’m still not organized. I still beat myself up for it. I still am making lists that are impossibly long. I am still making new resolutions, on a regular basis, to “do better.” I am still aiming for a bar that I set myself. And it makes me sad (no wonder I’m depressed!)

No doubt you smiled at the picture of a new Christian trying to “get it all right.” I was quite naive back then. I don’t know what my excuse is now. Seems I am still trying to get it right. I am still apologizing to God, yet knowing that I should rest in His grace. Old habits die hard.

Together In Christ

2008-11-30T20:35:00.006-05:00

I met with some friends today. There were only 4 of us. This was only the second time I have "gathered" with them on a Sunday.

In the morning, I found I was feeling reluctant to go. I was tired. I felt some of the same pressure I used to feel on a Sunday morning; that I had to go and be "up", be focused, be "spiritual." I really wanted to just "hole up" for the day, and not face anybody.

Not too surpisingly, I had a wonderful time of fellowship. We did not sing, and the only prayer was grace before our lunch. But we had time to relax, to little by little, allow ourselves to come out of ourselves. To laugh. To cry. To admit to struggles. To praise God for His goodness. To marvel, again, at this new "venue" for assembling together. To share. The good and the bad. To admit we hardly know a thing. To realize just how precious real fellowship is.

We don't know how future "meetings" will go. We don't know who may or may not show up. But the pressure is off. As I said today, "if anyone else wants to come, just tell them not to expect anything." I think that's the secret. It's an amazing thing, to let go of having to meet some standard or other. To simply take God at His word, and trust Him to meet with us there. It all becomes so real. I don't think I have words to explain it. I only know I am so thankful, and looking forward to many more times like today. Hard to believe, but it really is just that simple.

Our Great High Priest

2008-11-27T09:56:00.002-05:00

"Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
and Your law is truth" (Psalm 119:142).

There are so many jewels of truth to consider concerning Jesus Christ. One of these is His role as our Great High Priest. I have been reading some chapters in Hebrews over and over again, because the truths there are so astonishing. One that I have come to understand is that Jesus is forever our Great High Priest. He will continue to intercede on our behalf throughout eternity. When I first realized that, I was stunned. To me, it makes an incredible statement about the great love He has for us, and about our need of His intercession and righteousness.

We know that we have no righteousness of our own, and that our only hope is to have His righteousness applied to us. Everything in this world gets old and wears out. Nothing lasts forever. We are continually replacing things: appliances, clothing, cars, buildings, etc. And try as we might, we simply cannot keep these earthly tents of ours around forever; they will most certainly grow old, or sick, and die one day. Yet God's righteousness will be around forever. And we have the righteousness of Christ. I cannot seem to dwell enough on these things. I want to think and ponder over them till they truly penetrate my heart.

What a merciful God we have!

"The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:23-25).

Homesick

2008-11-24T11:53:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been homesick? I’m sure most of us have. It is an awful feeling, especially for a child. Home represents so many things for children; security, comfort, love, acceptance. I can recall times of homesickness as a child. Even though my home life wasn’t ideal, it was still “home” to me, a place where I was safe, and warm, and loved.

I am in the “middle” age bracket now. It can be a time of looking back. Lately, I have been looking back a lot. I have been “homesick” for the early days of my marriage. When my children were little, and were rarely out of my sight. I look back on those days with nostalgia, and also some regrets. “If only I had known Christ then,” I have thought so often. I would do things so much differently now if I could only go back there. I look at the struggles my grown children have, and think that if only I had done a better job, they would make wiser choices as adults. It’s that “protective mother” thing happening, I know.

Perhaps I am romanticizing those days a bit; they did have their stressors. But life was a lot simpler when I was at home raising my kids. I have thought recently that I am homesick for my house. Running to work every day, and then dealing with all the other details of life leaves me exhausted. I want to be home more. To cook, and bake, and sew. To visit others, and invest time in relationships. All those things I used to do, and enjoy, but have no energy or motivation for now. Work seems to take everything I have.

There are plenty of days when I think of heaven. When everything just seems too much. I know I have a home waiting for me there, and I am homesick for it. I think we all have a built-in “homesickness.” We all long for that one place where everything will be “just right,” where we will experience total love and acceptance, and the happiness that seems to be always just out of reach, no matter how many ways we go after it.

Some verses in the Bible talk about our home in heaven. When I read them, I know exactly what the writer talks about. If you know Jesus, I bet you do too.

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven…we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5: 1,2,8)

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia...” (1 Peter 1:1)

We have a longing, a homing device set for heaven. It is bittersweet, to be in this earthly tent, with all the struggles that go along with our life here, and to know that we have “an inheritance, which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven” (1Peter1:4) for us. To be faced daily with the world, the flesh and the devil, all the while knowing that when we pass from this life to the next, we will be faced with Jesus, in all His beauty and glory. Bittersweet, yet the sweet overcomes the bitter, just as grace overcomes our sin.

Keep looking up.

From C.H. Spurgeon

2008-11-23T11:48:00.006-05:00

Sunday, November 23, 2008

MORNING: "Fellowship with Him."

-- 1 John 1:6

When we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought into such complete fellowship with him, that we were made one with him, and his interests and ours became mutual and identical. We have fellowship with Christ in his love. What he loves we love. He loves the saints-so do we. He loves sinners-so do we. He loves the poor perishing race of man, and pants to see earth's deserts transformed into the garden of the Lord-so do we.

We have fellowship with him in his desires. He desires the glory of God-we also labour for the same. He desires that the saints may be with him where he is-we desire to be with him there too. He desires to drive out sin-behold we fight under his banner. He desires that his Father's name may be loved and adored by all his creatures-we pray daily, "Let thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven."

We have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings. We are not nailed to the cross, nor do we die a cruel death, but when he is reproached, we are reproached; and a very sweet thing it is to be blamed for his sake, to be despised for following the Master, to have the world against us. The disciple should not be above his Lord. In our measure we commune with him in his labours, ministering to men by the word of truth and by deeds of love. Our meat and our drink, like his, is to do the will of him who hath sent us and to finish his work.

We have also fellowship with Christ in his joys. We are happy in his happiness, we rejoice in his exaltation. Have you ever tasted that joy, believer? There is no purer or more thrilling delight to be known this side heaven than that of having Christ's joy fulfilled in us, that our joy may be full. His glory awaits us to complete our fellowship, for his Church shall sit with him upon his throne, as his well-beloved bride and queen.

Blanket of Love

2008-11-20T12:09:00.006-05:00

It snowed here last night. Quite a bit. It's a beautiful, bright blanket for the barren landscape of November.

Whenever the seasons are changing, I am reminded of God's faithfulness. In a world where chaos seems to reign, and nothing is a sure thing, His steadfastness in bringing each new season is reassuring to me. It's as if He pays no attention to the constant rebellion amongst His creation, but carries on in his continual upholding of the universe.

In spite of the fact that little acknowledgement is given to Him as Creator and Sustainer of life, He continues to bless us all, with His tokens of kindness. I see them in the mural He has painted in blue sky, white clouds, and bare tree branches. I breathe in fresh, crisp air that wakes up my sleepy brain. I squint against the sun that warms my face on a cold day. All reminders of Him. His fingerprints are everywhere. His care and keeping says "I'm always here, I have all these things in hand." And I answer, "Thank you Father."

"Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD from the heavens;

Praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him, all His angels;

Praise Him, all His hosts!

Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all stars of light!

Praise Him, highest heavens,

And the waters that are above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

For He commanded and they were created.

He has also established them forever and ever;

He has made a decree which will not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

Sea monsters and all deeps;

Fire and hail, snow and clouds;

Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

Mountans and all hills;

Fruit trees and all cedars;

Beasts and all catttle;

Creeping things and winged fowl;

Kings of the earth and all peoples;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

Both young men and virgins;

Old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above earth and heaven.

And He has lifted up a horn for His people,

Praise for all His godly ones;

Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.

Praise the LORD!

New Blog

2008-11-19T14:42:00.002-05:00

Hey just a quick note to say I started a new blog today. It's pretty new, so not much there yet. Have to spruce it up a bit. Have a peek:

http://maureen-theupwardcall.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there!!

How Great is His Love

2008-11-17T20:37:00.002-05:00

Anxious Thoughts

2008-11-15T08:48:00.002-05:00

If the LORD had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.
If I should say, 'My foot has slipped,'
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul."

Wow, can I relate to these verses. Don't we all have times when those anxious, worrying thoughts seem to overtake us? They tend to chase me all day, until I stop and remember Who is holding me.

I love the Psalms especially when the world is coming at me from all angles. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't "branch out" more in reading the Bible. But for me, sometimes it is simply medicine for my soul, and as we have varying types of physical ailments, our spirits can suffer in different ways as well. We can be bound up in bitterness, or beset with sin that wants to overtake us, or bowed down with grief. In the Psalms, I find comfort every time, and I thank God that He inspired those writers in the ways He did. No earthly philosphy or self help books can compare to the words that are written there.

Father thank you for your Word and for your Spirit. Thank you for the reality of Your love for me, for all Your children. Thank you that you know every thought that we have, and that your arms are always open to us, to bring comfort and reassurance of Your everlasting love.