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Archive for the ‘GOD’ Category

Morning Prayer

Posted in GOD, life, WONDER, tagged #blankslate, #mercies, #morningprayer, #morningrituals, #newadventures, #newbeginning on July 10, 2018| Leave a Comment »

There is something about the freshness of each new day that puts thanks and praise on the heart and coming from the lips (well, if you are a morning person).

I love the words of Anne of Green Gables (aka Lucy Maud Montgomery):

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And that is what the mornings are, reminders of the freshness of a new day, a blank slate, a new beginning … not an impediment in sight.

So, the freshness of a new day, thanks on our lips, and a prayer.

I love to find the perfect place in the house to start my day, with a warm cup and my WonderDog (sometimes hubby is part of the ritual too). The perfect place with just the right light, a view to the world outside, and a cozy chair.

In our new home, finding a seat uncluttered by boxes and their contents is still a bit of a struggle. I wonder where our morning space will eventually emerge as.

This new home is like the freshness of a new day. It is a blank slate, a new beginning. Like God’s mercies, that are new every morning, this space, this place is our place of grace, sanctuary from the world.

And, as we begin our new day under this roof, thanks and a prayer to start this new day:

Morning Prayer

God shield this house.
When the hail must fall upon the roof,
bid the ice be kind.
When the snow must come upon the shingles,
bid the cold be warmer than it wants to be.
When the floods rise against the walls,
make these bricks the exorcist that drives
the water demons from the foundation.
Bid the glazing of the windows
hold the blast of northern winds at bay.
For this home is a temple and
we-this poor band of lovers all-keep here an altar.
Here we love the great God
and find the adoration our Lord so full
abundance spills over to the loving of each other.
This is our sanctuary-our holy place
-our citadel of hope-
our shelter from despair.
(Calvin Miller: Celtic Devotions)

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Do It Again

Posted in Faith, GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #doitagain, #elevationworship, #greatisthyfaithfulness, #ibelieve, #praiseandlament, #wehavehope, lamentations on July 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

While driving one day last week the words of a song were heard by my heart.

Being on the cusp of change I needed to be reminded of that which does not, and there is nothing like the words in the middle of the Lamentations to re-set one’s … laments.

“Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:21-26

The book of Lamentations is one of mourning, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Jerusalem had been destroyed. The city of the people of God, God’s place of residence, was destroyed.

The book is written in poetic forms … ah, how poetry can make more sense when we are bowed to our knees.

The Lamentations are a cry for God to restore his people (aka, they blew it, and were begging on their knees to be forgiven). In this book, God never speaks … it is as though he let them, wanted them to cry out, so as to remind them of his mercifulness, even in the midst of their laments.

So, as I listened to the song, Do It Again, and heard the words that reminded me of the unfailing faithfulness of my creator, redeemer, sustainer God, I sighed with the confidence that “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”

The Lamentations reminds us, not only of the faithfulness of God (right in the middle of the laments), but that praise and lament/weeping can happen simultaneously. That God is faithful, in the good times, and in the times of sorrow, loss, confusion, sickness and heartbreak.

And if he has shown his compassion and faithfulness in the past, we can have confidence, hope that he will do it again.

Do It Again
-Elevation Worship

Walking around these walls
I thought by now they’d fall
But You have never failed me yet

Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle’s won
For You have never failed me yet

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet

I know the night won’t last
Your Word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again

Jesus, You’re still enough
Keep me within Your love
My heart will sing Your praise again

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You never failed me yet

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

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The Hands of Balance

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #aristotle, #blessingsandcurses, #handprints, #thehandsofbalance, #tooloftools, #whatdoineedtolearn, #writtenonthepalmofmyhands, Balance, hands on July 5, 2018| Leave a Comment »

hands Not long after moving into our home we decided to create extra parking to the side of our driveway. A kind-hearted, gentle man of great experience assisted hubby in preparing the space for the scheduled arrival of concrete. After the cement was poured and levelled, our favourite three, quite literally, left their mark on the space.

Hands are most interesting parts of our bodies. They can be tools of love as well as violence. They are unique in their lines and creases. They are gentle, yet strong. They can be used in the function of the strongest tools, and yet wipe a tear from a loved one with the greatest of tenderness. They are used every day, often without a pain or ache … until the fatigue and overuse of years takes place.

In the Bible, Isaiah says, of the holy city (both on Earth, and in the life to come):

“Jerusalem, I can never forget you!
I have written your name on the palms of my hands. ”
Isaiah 49:16

According to the University of Michigan:

“The hand is the most frequently symbolized part of the human body. It gives blessing, it is expressive. According to Aristotle, the hand is the “tool of tools.” … The right and left have different symbols related to each: right – the rational, conscious and logical, as well as aggressive and axious, left – opposite of the right, weakness, decay, death. However, the two can be juxtaposed to symbolize balance and the middle.”

Balance …

I could use some of that! How about you?

Though we may be either left or right handed, we function best when we use both. We function best when both strengths and weaknesses come together, to bring balance … for life is not meant to be lived always on the mountaintop, always in the sun, always in happiness.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow has said, “into each life some rain must fall”. This is what balance truly is … maybe not the balance we always desire, but balance nonetheless.

Our hands can be representative of that real balance. the blessings and the curses that are part of real life. They work (literally) hand-in-hand, bringing a complete life.

Those curses, those valleys, have purpose in our lives.

I have learned that when in the depths of despair, the question is not why did this happen? but what do I need to learn? And learn I do, and learn we all do.

May we learn to look for purpose in whatever falls into each of our lives, into each of our hands. For through both we receive balance.

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Glorious and Free

Posted in canada, GOD, life, WONDER, tagged #canadaday, #canadasbirthday, #glorious, #gloriousandfree, #godkeepourland, #ocanada, Freedom on July 1, 2018| 1 Comment »

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It’s a birthday for the nation of Canada and the nation will be singing it’s song all day long.

“God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.”

Glorious and free …

What exactly does that mean?

Glorious …

Well, glorious could be substituted with wonderful, magnificent. And Canada is! It’s beauty, from coast to coast (sea to shining sea), not just in it’s vast and varied landscape, but in it’s citizens from every nation. All have come here, to this vast nation, seeking what those of us who call this our native land … home … a place to live and work and play. A place to call our own.

Free …

To be free is to not be hindered, by anything or anyone. It can be physical, but it can also be emotional, social, spiritual … freedom from the inside out. So many Canadians have sought to live here in the True North, for the strength and freedom that is absent elsewhere, that is here in abundance. From my perspective, our freedom of speech has been, is and should always be our greatest freedom (even when what is said is disagreeable to us), for from it every other freedom evolves.

I am thankful for this nation that I call home.

I pray that God would keep our land glorious and free.

“Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion in thy loving care”

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Year One in the Books

Posted in Faith, GOD, life, WONDER, tagged #jobchange, #summervacation, #unexpectedblessings, #wheregodguidesheprovides, #worksisters, #yearoneinthebooks, Thankful on June 26, 2018| Leave a Comment »

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As the final student left the examination room yesterday, the doors to my summer opened wide, closing year one at my new job behind me.

A year ago I was sitting on the fence of change, wondering if I could survive without the familiarity and comforts of ‘home’. A year later I feel certain that I made the right decision, for I have been stretched and challenged in new ways that have forced me to grow.

Growth and challenge with purpose is essential for my undiagnosed ADD. For I easily become bored of monotony, and discouraged at busy work (for students as well as for myself).

I knew, in making the decision to accept this position, that I was doing it for the kick in the pants that I needed. I knew that I had become too confident of myself in my job, it had become second nature, and I knew that I needed to be pushed and stretched to be the best in my work.

And stretched I have been!

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Most days I got to spend my time assisting students with their math homework. It was pure joy for me, as I love the challenge that math problems present. It is not that I am an amazing or flawless mathematician, but that I recognize that math’s problems force us to work to find a solution, rather than the right answer. They are like a game where one needs to find a way to make the problem work. Personally, I think math prepares us best for life, for in our life we will have problems, and we need to learn to live with and through them.

Although I accepted a job for less income, I felt confident that God would take care of our financial needs, if I stepped out in faith, for a job that would challenge me and for one that provided more flexibility in terms of not having to attend professional development days that did not apply to my position or profession. What I never expected was that just weeks into my new position, a significant pay raise would more than meet our needs.

I was certain there couldn’t be a group of students who I could love more, yet, over forty students later (plus the ones who I have gotten to know who I didn’t actually work with directly) I adore this community of teens, who have accepted me, the new lady who loves math.

Then there was the community of co-workers. Though I still miss the community I had enjoyed for well over ten years, I have gained a new group of friends and colleagues. I have been adopted into a classroom which is a sisterhood of three, who I adore and respect, and into whose lives I have been welcomed with open arms. In our classroom (and via texts and emails) we have laughed, cried, prayed, celebrated and mourned … it has been a living, life-giving environment.

God has been faithful in providing for me through this year of change and transition. It hasn’t always been easy, and never perfect, yet he has guided and provided what I needed.

“The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.”
Isaiah 58:11

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A Dirty Little Secret

Posted in GOD, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #dirtylittlesecret, #footwashing, #onlyjesuscanwashusclean, #servantleadership, #sinhasnohold on June 24, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Screen Shot 2018-06-24 at 6.49.38 AM Our family has a dirty little secret …

We don’t often take about this in public, and it causes great eye-rolling and disgust among our family …

It is the foot-licking of Duke, our wonder dog.

It doesn’t matter if we have just come from the shower, or from a day of hot and sweaty work in the garden, he wants to clean our heals, soles and toes (and everything in between).

His eagerness, insistence and inappropriateness about cleaning our feet makes me think of the passage about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-17).

It all took place in the midst of the passover meal. Jesus was surrounded by all of his disciples. Though Judas was still with the group, the passage says that “the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus” (v.2).

So, right in the middle of the meal, Jesus gets up and prepares himself, the water and towel.

Now, foot washing was a normative thing as it was hot, dusty and everyone wore sandals. Washing feet was normally done by a servant, or one who was viewed as lower in society (women, children). It was completely normative for good hygiene and for refreshment.

But …

The normal time for foot washing to be done would have been when people first came in from outside, not in the middle of the meal. Why did Jesus insist on washing their feet, when the meal was already underway? Wouldn’t we presume that their feet were already clean?

The passage says he approached Simon Peter, who asked, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” (v. 6)

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (v. 7)

-a hint that this act has more meaning than just clean feet.

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” (v. 8)

-Peter understood that a teacher would never wash the feet of his followers. There was a certain way things ought to be done, and this was not it.

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

-now we are being made aware of why this act must be done.

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” (v. 9)

-he’s looking for a shower.

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean …” (v. 10)

-here is where Jesus indicates that the foot washing has nothing to do with a physical cleansing. Jesus is reminding Peter that what needs cleansing most is that which is most dirty. It is our sin, the condition of all humankind, which soils us most … it is sin which we all need cleansing from, and it is only the Master who can cleanse that sin … we cannot do it ourselves.

“… though not every one of you. For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.” (v. 10-11)

-this was about Judas, for he had already struck the deal … his heart was moving in another direction. Judas had made the decision to choose filth over cleanliness, and that choice would be what would keep him from experiencing the cleansing that Jesus came to offer.

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” (v. 12-14)

-Clearly asking the disciple if they understood what he did, in washing their feet, was a redundant question, as they were clueless …

aren’t we all clueless when we don’t really want to know that is going on? Jesus had been alluding to ‘when I am gone’ for quite some time, yet there seemed to ignore these statements. I wonder if their selective understanding was simply that common human practise of doing the ostrich … burying our head in the sand when we don’t want to hear what is being said.

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.“ (v. 15-17)

-the meat and potatoes of this story are now being served! His act of humility, of service, is a modelling of what he expects of them, for each other. As the human form of the new covenant, he exemplifies what it is to be, not just a master (for that is what he is), but a servant master … a far cry from the religious leaders of that day.

Sin is the dirty little secret we all share in common. Jesus is the only one who can make us clean from our sin, and, once washed, he requires us to follow his example of service to others.

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Stoned for Sin?

Posted in life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #allhavesinned, #asinglelie, #jesuspaiditall, #nooneisrighteous, #shamingthesinner, #sinnomore, #stonedforsin, #whohascondemnedyou, #womancaughtinadultery, Sin on June 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Screen Shot 2018-06-19 at 6.49.14 AM I was recently confronted with reminders of sins of the past. Sins that had hurt, sins that had ripple-like effects to far more than ever imagined at the time. That reminder took me back to a very dark time … a time when hope was shadowed by the blackness of sin.

There is a saying that has permeated my days since that reminder of sin:

A single lie discovered
is enough to create doubt in every truth expressed.

And so, in a moment I was thrust backward, from the present to the past, from freedom to slavery, from a life of truth back to deception. And heaviness was on my spirit.

And then I was reminded of stones.

Stones are a prop for numerous stories in the Bible. There is one such story when Jesus himself used stones as a mirror, a reflector.

The story is told in John (8:3-11):

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

-Jesus had people gathered around him in the temple courts … it was he who the people wanted to hear (not the teachers of the law of the Pharisees). He was leading the people in a way that was through truth, relationship … they were leading from a place of position, education and wealth.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

-I so wish that the Bible gave account of what he had written! Some say it was the names of the accusers who had also taken prostitutes, or perhaps something from the Law. Whatever it was, combined with his direction that if they were sinless, be the first to throw a stone at her, they fled.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

But Jesus didn’t stop at responding to the question about the Law, he also looked at the woman, left behind by her accusers, and asked a most redundant question … “where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

And so he gives her freedom (I don’t condemn you), and advice that is always pertinent after a sin has been discovered … leave your life of sin. Because “sorry is not enough, sometimes you actually have to change” (unknown).

We can all be like the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, reminding people of their sin, shaming others who have done wrong. I certainly have sat in the seat of the judgement of others … and I have great callouses on my back end for sitting in such a seat of arrogance. I have callouses on my hands for holding the stones so tightly.

But, Paul reminds us in Romans (3:23)

“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

His words are like a thorn in our side … or they should be! He reminds us that we judge, not as Christ judges, for we judge the sins of others while bathing in our own.

Paul previously reminds us, earlier in that passage (Romans 3:10) that,

“there is no one righteous, not even one”

Sin is the burden of our human condition. It is indiscriminate of who it will afflict, for it afflicts us all.

There is no one who can erase their own sin, there is no person who can eliminate the sin of another … except Christ.

The Matthew Henry Commentary says of this passage, and of God’s view of sin:

“It is plain that he hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. And it would not agree with his justice to demand the debt, when the Surety has paid it, and he has accepted that payment in full satisfaction.”

And, in the words of the hymn, Jesus Paid it All, all to HIM I owe.

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Changes are Coming

Posted in community, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #changesarecoming, #graduation2018, #highschoolisdone, #ingodshands, #walkingforward, Change, Graduation on June 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Now what?

This graduation season is the first in a number of years that I do not have a child graduating from a high school or university.

Though there are no caps and gowns to be worn under my roof, I do get to annually experience high school graduation through the students I get to work alongside.

As the ceremonies approach there are often two types of graduates:

those who can’t wait to graduate
those who say graduation is coming too soon

The thing is that neither of those responses to graduation is any indicator of how successful they will be after they cross the stage to receive their diploma.

There is one thing for certain, graduation will indeed occur, and this season of life will now be in their past.

As a mom who has watched three of her kids go through the high school graduation process, each with their own approach to, each with their own unique next step, I can say one thing is certain …

change is inevitable, unpredictable
and
in God’s hands.

One can never guess what a year from commencement might bring in the life of a graduate.

After a dozen or so years, a young adult experiences change in every area of their lives, often all at once.

Like the grad cap that gets thrown up into the air as the graduation ceremony comes to an end, the routines, schedules and relationships of much of one’s life disappear. For those who will leave home for school, work or travel in a new community, the amount of change mounts even more.

For many a hard reality awaits as:

finances include not just purchasing the newest technology, but rent, a car payment and the awful reality called taxes.
education means actually having to be responsible for doing the work, and a due date is actually the date the assignment is due … no exceptions.
one’s bestie in high school might find a new bestie
those amazingly natural basketball skills one exhibited in high school are mediocre at the university level, and one will need to work harder than ever before to get off the bench.

For others a great and unexpected freedom reveals itself:

education is exciting now that one can choose courses that provide interest and stimulation
new friendships develop with people who accept each other as they are
the list of extracurricular activities grows, providing more opportunities to participate in an area of strength
entering the workforce means leaving homework in the past

Whatever route a graduate goes, whether it is work, school or a bit of both, it can seem daunting and exciting … all at once.

Last weekend, actress and comedian Mindy Kaling gave the commencement address at Dartmouth College. She said,

“Can I do this by myself?
The reality is, I’m not doing it by myself,”
“I’m surrounded by family and friends
who love and support me.””

As the transitions associated with graduation occur, our graduates need to be reminded that they are not all alone in their changes. That they have supporters all around them, cheering them on, at the ready for when they need advise, a few bucks, a meal, a hug.

They also need the reminder that their futures are in the hands of a God who has “created them in their mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13), “has loved them with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), “who will never leave them or forsake them” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

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Short-Lived

Posted in GOD, life, Nature/Creation, WONDER, tagged #eachordainedbreath, #giantmoth, #giantsilkmoth, #polyphemus, #purposelesslife, #shortlived, #sowilli, #wonderandbeauty on June 7, 2018| 2 Comments »

On Saturday morning I noticed … something on my front step that made me bend down to investigate.

What greeted my eye was something I can only describe as grossly beautiful.

The largest moth I had ever seen, or imagined, just inches from my nose.

I simply could not pull my eyes from it. It’s colours and texture soft and appealing. It’s body round and hair-covered, slightly reminiscent of a member of the creepy arachnida class (think spider … unless that gives you nightmares). It’s legs, also hair-covered, with distinctive leg parts (joints). It’s protruding antennae intricate and detailed.

Though a creepy vibe was definitely present, I couldn’t help by reach out and gently touch its furry body, it’s silky wings, it’s chubby legs.

It was then that it seemed (my perspective) to relax, and stretched out it’s wings. It was huge! Five to six inches from tip to tip of it’s delicate, yet powerful wings. I had felt the strength of the wings against my finger as it open up. The tuft of hair on it’s back was at least a quarter of an inch in length. Reminding me of baby hair on an infant.

After posting an image on Instagram, a friend asked about any other spots on the lower wings, currently hidden under the top.

So, I went back and petted it again, only to be gifted with a view of vibrant and intricately-created eye spots, reminiscent of those of an owl.

When I reported my finding to my friend, she informed me that what had come to visit was a # moth, a giant silk moth, common to North America. She also let me know that I should be thankful, for their life span is short, just days.

By this point I thought it probably needed it’s space, for I knew that, though I was pretty certain that it viewed me as a friend, I knew that it’s nature would see me as foe.

Numerous times throughout the day I would pop back out to see it, still resting on my step. Before going to bed that night, I checked, once again, to see it still on my step.

When I awoke the next morning, it was gone.

I looked all around my step, hoping to see it, safely protected in a tree. It was nowhere to be seen. My heart actually sank, as I wondered what it’s predators might be, and hoped that it had not become part of the food chain.

Later that day, my daughter sent me a photo (below). Our giant moth had not flown away, or became food for another creature, it simply found a new perch.

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Each day after that there will small, but distinguishable changes. The ‘hair’ on the top started to look lifeless, it’s wings seemed to look increasingly dried up and it’s responses became slowed when I would touch it.

The following Thursday morning, I peered up to the light to see if it was still there, and, indeed, it was, but when I reached up there was no movement, no fluttering of wings, no life.

Just days after it’s emergence from it’s cocoon, it had died. It’s lifespan short because it died of starvation.

You see, though, as a caterpillar it can eat up to 86,000 times it’s weight in food, this giant moth was not created with a mouth structure able to eat at all. So, once it emerges from it’s cocoon, it simply mates, lays the eggs and dies days later.

So, whats the point of that? Talk about a purposeless life! Why bother living at all?

Driving to work, pondering those questions asked of my moth visitor, the lyrics of a song interrupted my thoughts:

“God of Your promise
You don’t speak in vain
No syllable empty or void
For once You have spoken
All nature and science
Follow the sound of Your voice
And as You speak
A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath
Evolving in pursuit of what You said
If it all reveals Your nature so will I …
I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done
Every part designed in a work of art called love …

That short-lived moth, had purpose. If it was only to be a visual reminder of the works of art that God created, it is enough. If it was only to praise it’s creator by living, by taking each ordained breath, than so will I.

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The Good that God Gives

Posted in GOD, life, Walking with God, WONDER, tagged #godgivesgoodgifts, #godisnotagenie, #godspromises, #iwillneverleaveyou, #thegoodthatgodgives on June 1, 2018| Leave a Comment »

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Did you know that God is not a cosmic equivalent to a fairy godmother?

I know that …

yet I often live and speak as though I was completely unaware of that reality.

I live and think that my version of good is the same as God’s version. I sometimes think that I deserve something (though, in the moment I wouldn’t necessarily confess that was my thinking) and that because I need it God will provide it.

That sort of thinking creates a genie-like description of God,

but God is not a genie.

What God promises is not heath, wealth, perfect children and that we will always be loved by our friends, neighbours, co-workers or families.

God promises:

that we will be saved (Romans 10:9) … if we confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead
that we will not be tempted beyond what God has given us the ability to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13) … NO excuses
that we can have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives … if we repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38) … we have to repent!
that he will not leave us alone (Deuteronomy 31:6)

As I was typing those four promises, I realized that three of them are … conditional. They are promises that are predicated by our actions.

We are saved if we confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead.
we will not be tempted beyond what God has given us the ability to resist
we can have the Holy Spirit in our lives if we repent and be baptized

We first have to act in faith, then God will fulfill his part of the bargain.

The only promise that does not come with a condition is that God will not leave us alone.

In the human experience one of the most common fears is loneliness. Perhaps the greatest gift, the greatest promise that any can human being can receive is a promise to never leave us.

No fairy godmother, no genie in a bottle and all the magic that goes with them, no amount of money or security or even health can compare with knowing that there is one who will always be with us.

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